question for jack cook

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:27 am

Hey Jack? Do you know anything about a Ken Williams on the Shuttle missions to Russia?

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:51 pm

That's a little on the vague side.
A large number of flyers and ground crew flew these missions.

wls3 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Nate,

Lt. Ken Williams was 1 of 18 pilots of the 486th FS, 352nd FG,
that participated in the Russian shuttle mission that left Bodney 21 June 1944.

On the mission back to England he was 1 of 4 that had engine trouble.
All 4 were able to land safely for repairs.
Below is a photo taken in Chugiev.
Lt. Williams is on the left next to the Russian girls.

Bill

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 7:12 pm

Glad I could help :shock:

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:24 pm

Thats him in the photo on the left.

The reason I asked is because he was my third grade teachers father and I met him when I was younger. There is also an article of him in Air Classics. I cutt out the pictures of him and made copies for him. I did not give them to him personally but a friend of mine did while Ken was in a nursing home. They said he was in bad shape but when he saw the pictures of himself when he was in Russia his face lite up like a Christmas tree. :cry:

After the war Ken became principal for the Wyalusing Valley High School and everyone that met him found out that he was a very nice guy. He loved telling stories from the war. I think in the school office he had a picture of a P-51 hung on the wall. From what I hear he was a pretty good pilot. Unfortunately Ken passed away a few years back.

He is the only WWII P-51 fighter pilot that I have met in my life. :oops:

But I will always honor of knowing that I met him, even if it was only for a short moment.
With a heavy heart,
Nathan :cry:

skybolt2003 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:26 pm

mmmm. russian girls . . . .

Nathan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:34 pm

His flight jacket had the name of his P-47. I can't think of it off hand. He also adopted the same name for his P-51. I wonder.....if anyone has a decal set for his airplane?

wls3 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 15, 2007 8:59 pm

Nate,

Lt. Williams P-47, 42-75399, named Izzy.

Bill

Nathan · **Posted:** Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:42 am

Thank you very much Bill!

muddyboots · **Posted:** Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:17 am

Cool connection, Nathan! HItting WIX for things like this just makes my day! I very strongly suspect that there are a few P51 pilots left in your area. You should do a search and ask a few to let you interview them. What a wonderful way to help keep our heritage alive. I'm sure there are plenty of WIXer's here who could guide you along. I was a decent reporter in my day so I could come up with a few questions to guide you--oonce you get them started your only problem will be running out of cassettes for your tape recorder! You don't have long, you know. They're all soon to pass the LOD and there will only be the memories...I've been trying to get a similar thing done in LA here, where I run into vets all the time. Met a fellow with the 104th Timberwolves here last week but he wasn't able to talk much at the time. I'm trying to convince him to let me buy him dinner one weekend and put it all down...

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