Posted on 09/18/2009 2:48:35 PM PDT by frithguild
A few weeks ago, a small air show came to the local airport. It consisted of a P-51 Mustang, a B-24 Liberator and B-17 Flying Fortress. The show involved several flights up and down the cost over several days. I could hear the torque and grunt of the B-17’s four 1200 hp Wright Cyclone GR-1820-65 radial engines as it flew over my office. As I listened, I could not even imagine the sound when 115 of them filled the air on April 17, 1943 on the way for a raid on the Focke-Wulfe factory in Bremen, or on any other of those hundreds of dark days long before I was born.
Now I am not an aviator. I did not serve in our wonderful military. But I am a student of history with a deep appreciation for the bravery of our soldiers who have stared evil straight in the eye without blinking. So went to the airfield during lunch. I paid $12 so I could see that marvelous bird up close. I knew may never get another chance. I just wanted to put my hand on it, so I could feel the smoothness of her skin.
After stepping through the plane, I struck up a conversation with a fellow who looked a few years older than me. You see, his Dad was the Radio Operator who flew many, many missions in Europe.
His Dad told stories about how he would wear his flack jacket backwards, because of the way you sit at the radio. You see, because of their experience, this man flew in the lead plane. The lead was the best at hitting the target. The rest would "bomb on the leader." But the lead always took the heaviest flak.
On the way out, as the Radio Operator, he was assigned the job of trying to collect the tail numbers of the planes that didn’t make it. Upon landing he would turn in the tail numbers. The Smitty would the put up the Death List of the names of the fellows in the planes with the tail numbers he had written down.
This unknown Radio Operator never forgot Morse code. He could tap out any message in an instant, now matter how long after the end of the war it was. As his days drew to a close, he could not recognize his beloved son next to him. But he could tap out any message you would ask him to do.
On two mornings in a row, when he awoke and turned to his beloved son, not knowing who he was, and asked, “Am I on Smitty’s Death List today?” “No Dad you’re not.” On the third day he asked no more, never to speak again.
I wish I handled it better when I heard this story. I was close to tears before the conversation even started, as I the bravery of the crews who flew this wonderful machine into battle. I never got his name. All I could do was just walk away. But I will never forget this story. I wanted to share with FRiends who may appreciate it as do I.
I live near Addison Airport in TX, and there are several warbirds that fly out of there on a regular basis, including a B-24, a couple of single-seaters, and occasionally, a big 4-engine. The sound those big-displacement piston engines make is unlike anything else.
Jay I think you might like this article.
... .- .-.. ..- - .
My father in law flew both B-24s and B-17s with the Eighth Air Force (493d BG). When I was stationed in Germany, and the in laws came to visit, I arranged a get together with the local power company execs, since he was in the Electric Utility business and this provided an excuse for lunch. Lunch turned into a visit to the lake cabin and some serious drinking and story telling, but not about the power business.
Eighth Air Force met the Luftwaffe that day and some incredible stories were told complete with hands chasing each other through dives, climbs, and turns. Wife and Mother in law were not happy when we got home.
Please ping the usual suspects.
Thank you.
I was struck by the thinness of her aluminum skin. I'm quite certain you could shoot through it with a .22, let alone a .50 cal or German flak. The aircrews flew with literally no protection at all, straight into the merciless Nazi defenses.
I felt quite certain that I, as a middle aged family man, would not be willing to climb aboard such a plane and into such a dangerous situation. Even if the enemy were knocking at my door. My hat's off to the brave young men who fought so valiantly for our freedom.
A girl I know dad was a ball turret gunner on a B24. They picked him because he was only 5,1. He had a front side seat to the war.
God bless all those brave men who flew in that war. They had the highest death rate in Europe.
I'm not sure of her name (she was restored in large part by a local guy whose dad was a tail gunner in the Liberty Belle in WWII)
You’re a bigger man than I am. I would have ran away bawling like a baby. Thanks for posting.
After the war, he went through OCS and went into armor. During the Korean War, he was riding in a jeep that hit a landmine, resulting in the loss of a leg and fire damage to his heart and lungs (he inhaled the fireball). He continued to serve in the Army for a number of years before retiring at Fort Knox. He passed away a few years ago as a result of the injuries he received in Korea.
Had the pleasure of taking a ride in a B-17 here in Denver this summer. Sure glad I did that!
Been there. Fascinating place. The Tonopah museum has a whole section dedicated to the training there with lots of artifacts.
Wow
Yup:
Pima Az. what a great place to spend a day
Back in the 90s during one of the 50th Anniversary WW II celebrations, I watch a B 17 land, taxi and take-off from a no longer active runway at the former Floyd Bennett NAS in B’klyn, NY. It then proceeded to buzz the tower at JFK.....twice, before heading back toward Manhattan.
Amen! What a shame that hindsight comes only after the fact. In those days what is now the FAA was a lot less demanding and would have allowed many of those aircraft to remain in the air. My Dad used to tell me it was out of fear that all those surplus aircraft would hurt the civilian market in the post war years. Makes sense, but gosh it seems like they could have put them away somewhere for sixty years or so. Goodness knows with today’s FAA they wouldn’t have to worry about them being a threat to the general aviation industry. They would be a great salute to the men and women who paid the price to give us the America we grew up loving. I’m really quite pleased that so many of them aren’t around to see what their beloved country has become!
I always get a thrill when we have an air show around here and I hear an unusual but distinctive whine and look up to see an old warbird passing over my house - sometimes a B-24 Liberator or a P-38 Lightning, even once a B-17, and I smile because I know that somewhere, my old Air Force dad is smiling too.
Love the warbirds!
Reno Air Races, through Sunday
http://www.airrace.org/indexJS.php
475 mph at 50 feet!
We have to remember the “Greatest Generation”
My Dad is just telling some stories now.
Write your Dad’s stories. Save them. They are treasure that is slipping away to the ages as we speak.
It hurts to look at pictures like that.
All those beautiful birds need to be in the air.
Have worked on and flown T-28’s, not a WWII warbird, but still a kick in the a$$.
Love the sound of a radial engine!
Look up LST 887
Hit Okinawa, April 2, the second day of fighting
http://www.palosverdes.com/lst887/
Got one kamikaze.
Lost a cousin on the sub Triton SS201, never found it.
We had a few B 17's in Oshkosh this summer. Aluminum Overcast, which gives rides throughout EAA's Airventure, is flown out of Appleton. (About 45 minutes away.)
You constantly see that marvelous B-17 flying overhead as you attend the airshow. It gets to a point that you almost don't look up.... almost.... as it flies overhead.
I love that aircraft.
Nephew Paul flew in it a few years back. He's currently serving in Iraq.
Dad was part of that group. (415th Heavy Bombardment Group, NW Field, Guam)
Great book.
Thought you’d appreciate!
Ping
Definitely Collings. They have one of the two airworthy B-24s and they pair it with their Fort. Of some interest is that they run a “bomber camp” that involves mission reenactments with actual (inert) bomb drops. Runs about 4 grand for a weekend ...
Thanks for the ping P.E.
Ands thanks for the thread firthguild!
A you tube clip that is kinda cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=topydKCULBQ&feature=channel
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Thanks for the ping, Jay.
Yeah - read it. I saw “Aluminum Overcast” - flew into Tacoma-Narrows airport one summer.
I continue to be amazed at how long it took people like Brokaw to see these men and women as part of a great generation.
My brothers, sisters and friends knew this way back in the sixties. (My father was commander of an American Legion Post down in Milwaukee. As kids this place was like a second home for us.) We were surrounded by these men and women and knew then how special they were.
You must at some point come to Oskosh and see these wonderful planes as they take to the sky at EAA's Airventure. It's held every summer in late July. They do warbird demonstrations. It puts such pride in your heart.
I continue to meet such great men and women, but sadly their numbers are dwindling.
Thanks for a great story.
Warmest regards!
Those are the birds. This is when I saw them:
8/24 - 8/27 Belmar, NJ (B-17, B-24 & P-51)
Airport: Monmouth Executive Airport
Thank you!
http://www.cloudnet.com/~jfb/
reminds me when I was in the Air Force. I worked at Minuteman missle sites my last two years of my enlistment. Often when we'd get newbies on site, we'd tell them to sweep the gamma rays off the parking lot so the capsule crew could get better readings down below.
I still chuckle about that one.
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