Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:08 am
Great thread! Thanks! 
There is a gentleman who lives in my area who flew 35 missions with the 100th BG, most as a copilot but a few with his own crew. Through a friend who was a pilot with the 91st BG, I got him to sign a book for me.
Still haven't met him yet, really want to. I'd like to videotape him telling his story, but never seem to get around to it.
I keep thinking I had better get on it before I pick up the paper one morning, and it's too late ...
There is a gentleman who lives in my area who flew 35 missions with the 100th BG, most as a copilot but a few with his own crew. Through a friend who was a pilot with the 91st BG, I got him to sign a book for me.
Still haven't met him yet, really want to. I'd like to videotape him telling his story, but never seem to get around to it.
I keep thinking I had better get on it before I pick up the paper one morning, and it's too late ...
Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:16 pm
BTW, my best friend's grandfather is on his death bed right now. (90 years old) He flew B-17's in WW2, flew in Korea, flew B-52's in Vietnam. Retired as a full bird Colonel. My friend is reluctant to post here on WIX, he has several photo albums from his granddad.
Very sad day for my friend. His grandfather passed away this morning.
Godspeed Col ...
Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:20 pm
N3NJeff, good point on recording info.
Sometimes instead of a veteran telling a story, they 'involve' us in it. The experience I speak of involved the copilot, Majewski or something similar, of the B-17 "Little Willie" from the Keith Ferris painting "Little Willie Coming Home". His son and grandsons took him to the museum and upon finding out he was a Fort driver, they were escorted behind the ropes and into Thunder Bird that I was working inside of.
I moved over and greeted them and another vol. and I were asked to give them the royal tour. As Grampa moved forward like he knew every bolt and rivet, one of his grandsons asked "Just like Little Willie, huh, Grampa?" I jolted alert at that and verified that we were talking about the same Little Wille. I barged up to the cockpit about the time he sat down and I just stopped and watched him.
Any of you who have seated a veteran in their old aircraft type recognize 'the change'. They settle in and then the far off look comes over them. He began going through his pre flight, not quite touching every control and silently talking to someone long gone. After a few minutes he sat up suddenly, refocused on now and barked "You moved that!" pointing to a switch. I didn't get the full names in the confusion of deplaning and the task I needed to finish but I felt honored and priveleged to share those few moments with that fine gentleman.
Even if I don't get to listen to stories from these veterans, it still gets me all choked up to share few moments with someone sitting in the aircraft or taking their first ride in half a century on a warbird. Just being with them to share the emotion of the moment. Times like that make it really special to be a warbirder.
Thanks for listening.
Doug
Sometimes instead of a veteran telling a story, they 'involve' us in it. The experience I speak of involved the copilot, Majewski or something similar, of the B-17 "Little Willie" from the Keith Ferris painting "Little Willie Coming Home". His son and grandsons took him to the museum and upon finding out he was a Fort driver, they were escorted behind the ropes and into Thunder Bird that I was working inside of.
I moved over and greeted them and another vol. and I were asked to give them the royal tour. As Grampa moved forward like he knew every bolt and rivet, one of his grandsons asked "Just like Little Willie, huh, Grampa?" I jolted alert at that and verified that we were talking about the same Little Wille. I barged up to the cockpit about the time he sat down and I just stopped and watched him.
Any of you who have seated a veteran in their old aircraft type recognize 'the change'. They settle in and then the far off look comes over them. He began going through his pre flight, not quite touching every control and silently talking to someone long gone. After a few minutes he sat up suddenly, refocused on now and barked "You moved that!" pointing to a switch. I didn't get the full names in the confusion of deplaning and the task I needed to finish but I felt honored and priveleged to share those few moments with that fine gentleman.
Even if I don't get to listen to stories from these veterans, it still gets me all choked up to share few moments with someone sitting in the aircraft or taking their first ride in half a century on a warbird. Just being with them to share the emotion of the moment. Times like that make it really special to be a warbirder.
Thanks for listening.
Doug
Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:31 pm
One of my most all time favorite passages in literature is at the very beginning of Flying Fortress, by Edward Jablonski, starting with a young German girl on a bicycle hearing a noise behind her, and ending with Little Willie taking the autobahn home to England. It's beautifully written.
I would love to meet someone from the crew.
I would love to meet someone from the crew.