12-22-2005, 06:13 PM
I've always assumed that it was a reference to aircrew, but possibly through the lens of a kid's fantasy, which lets you look at hockey cards one moment and then take off down the street on your bike, 50 mission cap jammed on your head. No time travel required. 
And all about hero worship, of different kinds of heroes. And it makes an interesting counterpoint to Fireworks, too.
50 missions, in the RAF or RCAF, would be two operational tours. The first tour was 30 missions and the second, 20. Very few survived a single tour, much less a second one. I forget the actual survival rates and life expectancy, but it was very low.
And all about hero worship, of different kinds of heroes. And it makes an interesting counterpoint to Fireworks, too.
50 missions, in the RAF or RCAF, would be two operational tours. The first tour was 30 missions and the second, 20. Very few survived a single tour, much less a second one. I forget the actual survival rates and life expectancy, but it was very low.