Most times when you look forward to a big event that is years in the making and is the culmination of a tremendous amount of time work, it can be a big letdown. That was not the case at Oshkosh this year. The airshow and our time with these two WWII legends far exceeded even my wildest dreams. They were AWESOME. Funny, lively, and absolute gentleman. When people speak of the Greatest Generation, I now know what they mean. It is Bill and Buck Pattillo they are referring to. These men are warriors and patriots, and it was a special honor to meet them and spend so much time in their company.
I could write a novel about the stories they told (Bill being shot down in
Sweet and Lovely, the POW marches he was led on, Buck bailing out of airplanes on fire, his engine flaming out on takeoff in a plane loaded with napalm, the formation of the Thunderbirds demonstration team, and on and on...) but I'll just get right to a few pictures.
This is the moment Buck Pattillo saw his
Little Rebel for the first time in 64 years. The last time he stood next to his P-51 was in England more than a half century ago.
When he arrived at the airplane, a silence came over the crowd and everyone backed away to give him time and space. He was very quiet, and at first would touch just the wing and the drop tank. I have my back to the camera in that red shirt. I encouraged Buck to stand up next to the nose of his airplane and touch it. He did that, and when he turned back to face the crowd, the cameras and flash bulbs came alive. It was a special moment.
We gave Buck his space, and he slowly made his way around the Mustang.
"This is my airplane," he said softly. "This is just how she looked."
Buck is in the middle, I am at the left. The airplane's owner/builder/pilot is at the right.
The emotion on Buck's face is apparent.
As we worked around the airplane to the other side, I opened up the gun bay for Buck to peer inside. He placed his hands inside and touched one of the Browning .50 caliber machine guns. Once again, it was a very poignant moment.
"Now these aren't live are they?" he asked.
"No, they won't fire," I said. "We didn't want any funny business between you two brothers when we take you flying."
"Good," he responded with a hearty laugh. "Sweet and Lovely is a beautiful airplane. I'd hate to shoot it down."
The next few pictures need some set up. What we did was re-create a 65-year old photograph.
This picture, featuring the Pattillo brothers was taken in Bodney, England in 1944.
65 years later, we found the old, original pilot gear and re-staged the scene.
The crowd around the airplane as we set this up was incredible.
These guys were 20 years old flying around in England during WWII.
They had wild fun then, and they continue to have fun today:
Here is a shot of Bill Pattillo in front of his WWII mount,
Sweet and Lovely:
The two Generals together:
Bill on the left with his
Sweet and Lovely hat, Buck on the right with his
Little Rebel hat:
After the initial rush died down, we asked Buck to sign his name to the rudder:
Two years ago, when Bill saw
Sweet and Lovely for the very first time, he also signed his rudder:
587,000 people attended Oshkosh this year, but these guys seemed to be the center of attention.
It was like hanging out with rock stars.
On Saturday, the two airplanes and the brothers were featured in the "Warbirds in Review" program.
The best part of the week was Friday night.
We put each brother in the back seat of his own airplane and took them flying.
I think this flight turned the clock back 20 years in their lives. Their excitement and ear-to-ear grins were second in size only to mine.
In the full-resolution version of these pictures, you can easily read the thrill on their faces. I can't wait to see how the final posters and magazine photos turn out.
It only rained once at Oshkosh.
It rained as our airplane was being judged.
Hope you guys enjoyed a few pictures of me and the Pattillo brothers.
This was the best AirVenture ever, and one I'll never forget.
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