No shortage of BRAVERY here ...

[Mark Allen M]

A few 340th BG and 416th BG combat photos.

[Mark Allen M]

A few of Air Group 11 off the USS Hornet

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

A couple 57th FG shots

[Mark Allen M]

I know these to be 464th BS B-24's. Not sure where this sequence of photos were taken but they certainly portray tragic realities of war.
Can't say whether the crews bailed out for certain but doesn't look good.
Photos were taken by Ted Marden who served with the 331st Aerial Photo Lab and was stationed at the Pantanella Air Base near Gioia, Italy during World War II

[SaxMan]

Wow.

I don't think there are any other words. That sequence from the 464th left me speechless.

[lmritger]

Bert Stiles and others have written about how an bomber would simply vaporize in the sky when it was hit... for whatever reason, I always felt like that was perhaps a bit of "poetic license", there's no way a multi-ton bomber could just vanish into thousands of unrecognizable bits, but that sequence of the dying B-24 has hammered home just how real that observation was. Jeezus.

No wonder so many guys didn't want to talk about what they saw and dealt with after the war.

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

I'm a bit older, a bit wiser and my Internet forum skin is a bit thicker. All came with time and effort on this site alone. What would have caused me to 'lose it' years ago means nothing to me now. But I do feel a response is required and publicly for those who may feel similar thoughts.

My only response to a certain PM I received is NO, I'm not glorifying death and suffering by posting these photos, quite to the contrary. I'm remembering and honoring those who served, sacrificed and in many cases made the ultimate sacrifice .... So that among so many other things, all of us have the freedom to send each other PM's of displeasure or praise because of their sacrifices.

FWIW you should have simply asked me to take them down. I would have done so no questions asked. That's my Internet forum policy these days. Instead you got this post.

PS I wouldn't question my motives or loyalty to honoring vets as I'd say their pretty solid and my business only.

I thank as always those of you who appreciate my small contributions and I always appreciate your kind comments. Means a lot to me.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Mansfield
(Non-hero, but the son of one)

[lmritger]

I'm a bit older, a bit wiser and my Internet forum skin is a bit thicker. All came with time and effort on this site alone. What would have caused me to 'lose it' years ago means nothing to me now. But I do feel a response is required and publicly for those who may feel similar thoughts.

My only response to a certain PM I received is NO, I'm not glorifying death and suffering by posting these photos, quite to the contrary. I'm remembering and honoring those who served, sacrificed and in many cases made the ultimate sacrifice .... So that among so many other things, all of us have the freedom to send each other PM's of displeasure or praise because of their sacrifices.

FWIW you should have simply asked me to take them down. I would have done so no questions asked. That's my Internet forum policy these days. Instead you got this post.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Mansfield

What the...

Someone just took the gold medal in Missing The Point, apparently. We have a hard enough time getting today's generations to understand what WWII even was, let alone what it took to secure a victory against the truly evil regimes in Japan and Germany. There's this weird, sanitized idea of the war that seems to focus on the shiny machines and beautiful paint jobs and snazzy uniforms and swing dancing, all while glossing over the fact that all of that existed solely because THERE WAS A FREAKIN' WAR ON. And war is a terrible, ugly, horrible thing, full of blood and gore and violent death in a thousand different ways. That's not "glorifying" death, that's acknowledging the stark, terrible reality of what took place 70 years ago. And we should not EVER forget that.

Thanks once again for all you do in shining a light on these events, Mark.

Lynn

[ktst97]

Mark, Lynn, et al ................

Thank you for helping add to the history education of some who care enough to avail themselves to the wealth of information people like you care enough to provide. The data that allows others to see, read, hear, and/or feel military aviation has immeasurable value when it is made available for those who have yet to access it. Sadly, some in our current society wish to bury history.

[maxum96]

Mark,

thanks for posting the pictures in this thread. It's a somber reminder to me the horrors of war that are forefathers faced during WWII. My grandfather was a 352nd FG groundcrew member in Bodney and later in Belgium. The pictures are a reminder that war is real and that people pay the ultimate price sometimes. As someone once said, those that forget history are bound to repeat it. Please don't stop posting pictures or let any one person's viewpoint dissuade you.

[Jim MacDonald]

Mark,

I find it hard to believe that anybody who has been here for even a short time would question your motives for posting the photos that you do. Those of us who do know you, if only just through this site, know that the only motive you have is to honor those men who sacrificed for their country. I'm sure that the majority of us here understand this, applaud this & also strive to do this ourselves. If a person is offended by the photos you post, I would suggest they simply resist the urge to open ANY postings made by Mark Allen M so as not to be subjected to whatever content that MIGHT be in the posts that offend them.

SACRIFICE: something given up or lost

CLUELESS: completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish

Mac

[Steve Nelson]

If anything, I think your photos add some much-needed perspective. We all think warbirds are cool and awesome and all, but once in awhile it's good to recognize the human costs of the war for which they were created.

SN

[fnqvmuch]

being me i can't help wonder -if the situation was reversed, i.e. german or japanese planes and souls - would the reaction differ?
would it still be bravery?