A Special Memorial Day Photo

[Jack Cook]

I do hope that my wix friends did more than burn wennies in their back yard today. Most of the board talk as of late has revolved around the "Swamp Ghost". From my perspective I'm more concerned about my family, friends, the neighbors who had a garage sale this weekend to help them afford gas and the troops in Iraq & Afganistan. In those terms I just don't care about that airplane.
This photo is very special to me. The fellow on the left's mom gave it to me a few years back (she was 98 at the time) and let also let me into her private world of pride and grief has she stilled mourned a son lost almost 60 years earlier.

(L-R) 2Lt Virgil Hagan, 2Lt Don Revenaugh and 2Lt John Smith all of the 433rd Fighter Squadron at Dobodura,
NG Oct 12, 1943. Hagan was MIA 5 days later, Revanaugh about 2 months later and Smith about 3 weeks later.
All were 22 years old I believe.

[Dan Johnson II]

I almost missed this photo. Thanks for posting it Jack.

Here's the one that made me understand memorial day better. Lt. Alvin Brody in the co-pilot seat of a 736th BS, 454th BG B24. He was killed by a flak burst in the cockpit over Vienna on February 14, 1945. He was 21 years old. I met his younger brother at an airshow back in the early 90s, in the bomb bay of the Collings Foundation B24. Don Brody was crying when I met him. I asked him what was wrong and he told me about Al being killed and still MIA. It lead to a project to track down the story of what happened and ultimately a marker placed at Fort Snelling National Cemetary where Don was finally able to have the service his big brother never had.

That crew became 'my' crew and it's my job to make sure they aren't forgotten.

One of the quirks of the story was that my son, who was with me when I met Don Brody, was born the same day as Al Brody, December 3rd. And in an even stranger twist of fate, my son died at the same age, 21 in a car crash last August. While I didn't lose a son in combat, I do think I have a far better idea of what Al Brody's parents felt losing their oldest son. I thought about Al Brody alot yesterday along with greiving for my own son.

Dan

[Robbie Stuart]

Thanks guys. There are a lot of people out there that just don't realize how important that generation was, & the sacrafices made. We never again will see the likes of men that were of that era. Lets never forget them & all the others that have made our country what it is.
Robbie Stuart
A WWII Fighter Pilot's Son

[TAdan]

Thanks for posting these stories.

[Django]

I think I had the only flag flying on my block yesterday.

Lest we forget.

[Jack Cook]

Here's a link to a wonderful story that the local paper did on virgil Hagan last M-Day. It's in their archives now so you have to pay a couple of bucks to get it. but, I promise that it well worth it!!
http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_site=statesmanjournal&f_site=statesmanjournal&f_sitename=Statesman+Journal+%28Salem%2C+OR%29&p_theme=gannett&p_product=SSJB&p_action=search&p_field_base-0=&p_text_base-0=virgil+hagan&Search=Search&p_perpage=10&p_maxdocs=200&p_queryname=700&s_search_type=keyword&p_sort=_rank_%3AD&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date%3AB%2CE&p_text_date-0=2004

[Former Member]

Thanks guys. There are a lot of people out there that just don't realize how important that generation was, & the sacrafices made. We never again will see the likes of men that were of that era. Lets never forget them & all the others that have made our country what it is.
Robbie Stuart
A WWII Fighter Pilot's Son

Couldn't have said it better Robbie...that's why they will always be known as "The Greatest Generation"!

[henning]

Thanks for posting guys... Those are very personal recollections and
quite touching. Here's my little something to share...

I'm a cub scout den leader and we had a beautiful, very warm/humid day
here in hartland WI... we had about 22 cub scouts, dozen boy scouts,
dozen girl scouts all trailing the local VFW vets (~30) as we marched through the town (85 deg. or so) to the cemetary for a remembrance / salute ceremony we do every year..

Well, about 7 or 8 minutes into our march, we're on the main drag
downtown - we'd just dropped the ceremonial wreath for the navy into
the river... when a P-51 and T-33 jet few by in formation right over us
at about 2000'.. right down over the street. Everyone stopped and
gazed and a tear went down my cheek as we all took notice. - this
was totally unplanned mind you... and they couldn't have staged it
any better.

After the ceremony we walked back to the VFW and we needed to find a cool spot as the heat was affecting my 8 yr old. We went down into the
basement and there were well over a dozen older vets down there. I
know my son felt a little out of place being the only cub scout in there,
but, well, I thanked the first vet for his service and he gave us a big
smile to me and my boy... and needless to say we shook every hand
in the place. I think the youngest vet in there was 70....

Between the flyover and meeting these guys.. what a day... I'll never
forget it and I don't think ryan will either.

thanks for your service guys...

henning