Arms spread wide, a pilot walks straight into the fire hose. The wetting down marked the completion of a final or milestone combat tour, and by tradition the honoree was expected to take it standing. Behind him lies the camouflaged flank of the aircraft he flew. Photographs like this one, taken by squadron members rather than official photographers, preserve a side of the air war that formal records rarely captured: the relief, the humor, and the tight bonds of men who flew together in a dangerous theater. Project: 219827