Warbird Information Exchange

Craig59's recent loss brings me to wonder how others pay tribute to their Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, etc.

I know I am a bit overcenter but here is my version. New jacket this Christmas adorned with leather patches Dad painted while he was alive. I don't care what others really think but it is important to me and that's all I need. I'm not trying to decieve anyone by wearing it and will be the first to explain that the jacket is in honor of him and the rest.

Also wear his Cadet ring which is pretty cool.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

I like the jacket and I think that is a nice tribute to your father. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. Your wearing of the jacket allows you to have a piece of your father with you at all times. If I had a father who was a Veteran like that, I would have done the same thing. If nothing else, maybe it can stimulate conversations about our Veterans and all of the sacrifices they have made.

I wish more people would do things like that. It would bring increased visibility to our Greatest Generation and let others know that their sacrifices will never be forgotten!

It was losing my father that got me involved in the restoration of the Hurricane at VWoC. The first aircraft he worked on after enlisting at the start of the war was Hurricanes. Sure wish he was around to share it with now.
If it keeps you connected its important enough not to worry what others think.

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“Try to fly in the middle of the air. The edges are filled with mountains and oceans and rocks and it’s much harder to fly there.”

I agree with warbird.

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Fly low. Fly slow, Fly safe.

Awesome jacket and ring man. Great way to honor your dad.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

A fitting tribute. Wear them with pride. For every person who doesn't understand, there is someone who does, and they are the people who really matter.
This line , written in the year 1320 , in the Declaration of Arbroath during the Scottish wars of independence, still rings true after nearly 700 years, "It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom -- for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself. "
Thankyou to people of your fathers generation, for what they sacrificed.

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If the first casualty of war is innocence, the second is sobriety - Hawkeye.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws - Plato.
Lies get halfway round the world before the truth has a chance to get it's pants on - Churchill
If you are going through he11 - keep going - Churchill

Wow that is awesome!

Barbara has worn her current leather to shreds, and one of those would fit her perfect.

She still has her dads 33FG uniform, but have not seen one of the jackets.

Hope you don't mind if I duplicate it, for a child of the 33rd.

Wear it with Pride!

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"I've already got four, and I've got thirty cornered" Lt Paul Pablo VF-14 USS Essex

Thanks for all the great comments. This, along with my "stick & rudder" quest, make me feel so much closer to my Pop and brings me to want to be more of a spokesman for all of them.

Rogue, if I can help in any way, let me know. Love to hear more about her Dad. PM me with details.

To all, if you'd like to have a PDF format book I wrote about Dad, PM me and let me know. It is a compilation of his letters home from the time he left for San Antonio in February of 1943 through the end of the war. All in his words. Everybody's relative took a very similar path and I guarantee you'll hear your relative's words in Dad's book. Trust me, "swell" was the operative word in 1943.

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Scott, the jacket looks great. I am sure your dad would be proud. I think that & you wearing his ring is very honorable. I have my dad's cadet ring, but I don't think it will fit. I have his Wilkinson Sword fighting knife that he carried on every mission, but I don't think it would be a good idea to carry it around.
Regards
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

The jacket is a great tribute!

I've got the uniform my dad mustered out in. Every so often I get it out of the storage closet and put it on just to make that little connection once again. The Eisenhower jacket fits a lot tighter than it did when dad gave me the uniform, but I can still button it up. I've been thinking about getting a photo taken of me in the same setting as his final military photo just as a "then-and-now" comparison.

Scott

All,
I would highly recommend taking a look at Scott's Dad's letters and pictures during the war. I have a copy that Scott was nice enough to provide for me and it is priceless.
Jacket looks great Scott.
Mark

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Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards... for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo daVinci

For a person who is/was in the armed forces of the USA, there are a group of web sites that I discovered about 18 months ago that are a bit like facebook or the other social web sites, but are for military personnel. Registration is required to view the contents, but members can also maintain pages in tribute to lost comrades or those who have died.

For example, I maintain a page for my father at:
http://navy.togetherweserved.com/profile/228237
and have chosen to make his page publicly accessible.

All four DoD services are represented -- just replace "navy" with army, airforce or marine as applicable.

Note that registration is primarily restricted to those in the military BUT at least when I joined there was also an option for a surviving family member to register.