Every Day Is Monday
Whit Hill received his draft notice in September 1941 and promptly enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was sent to sheet metal repair school to learn the skills needed to fix damaged aircraft fuselages. He went to England with the 91st
Bomb Group and soon became a crew chief over seven other men charged with keeping a squadron of B-17 bombers in the air. As the tempo of bombing missions increased, so did the pressure on Hill and his crew.
At the end of each mission the battle and mechanical damage of each returning aircraft was assessed and time to make necessary repairs was estimated. The planes requiring the least amount of work were the first to be repaired. Then there were many shot-up aircraft. The sheet-metal crews would help each other out. There were times when the sheet-metal crews did not get to bed for 72 hours. None of the men from the ground crew mechanics, electricians, prop specialists, bomb loaders, sheet-metal repairmen had any set daily working hours. Every day was Monday; it was ‘work until you drop’ and the password for requested tasks was ‘how soon?’279
I was once amazed by a study showing the morale of postal workers highest during the Christmas season. This seemed counterintuitive at first glance. However, I have learned that most people do respond to a challenge. In fact, many thrive on difficult tasks and take considerable pride in seeing them through. This is a fact of human nature that we should remember in any leadership role. There are always those who thrive on the difficult assignments. They can accomplish great things only if challenged and given opportunities.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give.
—2 Corinthians 9:67