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Here at JohnJacobH Blog we have followed the adventures of Harold Plunkett, WWII Ball Turret Gunner with great admiration. CLICK LINK HERE and HERE and HERE We are glad to see he remains air worthy in this, his latest episode aboard the legendary B-17.

In honor of Veterans Day, here's a look at a mostly forgotten story from the early days of military aviation in our country. Every NPS area, even if it wasn't created specifically to commemorate a historical event, includes some interesting tales from the past. At Big Bend National Park, one of those stories involves Pancho Villa and the Army Air Corps.

Perhaps some World War II comedies like "McHale's Navy" and "Hogan's Heroes" aren't so farfetched after all. A war story from more than 64 years ago told by a Utah veteran is steeped in almost comical ignorance and just plain luck, and serves as a previously unwritten footnote to the official end-of-the-war history. Art Lifferth, 86, of Bountiful, who served in the 98th Squadron of the 440th Troop Carrier Group in Europe during World War II, recently pulled out his journal to share his experiences during the last months of the war. His story and others like it are outside...

A Republican lawmaker said Monday that Democrats in the state Legislature are blocking his resolution seeking to condemn China for the recent violence in Tibet. State Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee introduced the resolution last month. It calls on China to honor the spirit of the Olympics by promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. He wanted the resolution passed before the Olympic torch relay comes to San Francisco on Wednesday for its only stop in North America. "This is not a time to be silent. This is not a time to look the other way," said Blakeslee,...

8/21/2007 - PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. (AFPN) -- The 81-year-old World War II veteran was a liar. Robert McNally shared his story at the Pease Air National Guard Base's air show Aug. 19, one of the main attractions of Air Force Week New England. Mr. McNally's military journey preceded the Air Force and started in the era of the Army Air Corps. After hearing about the events of the attack at Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, Mr. McNally was determined to do his part and serve his country. He had an obstacle in his way though; at 15...

HTML. My dad's experience. Same as your dads?

For 300 weeks, give or take a few, I’ve played poker every Tuesday with the Coots. That’s a group here in Highlands, organized by Dick Strain and usually gathered around his round dining room table for these “probability seminars.” Last week, at the age of 82, Dick Strain cashed in his chips. No longer will this gentle man face us across a poker table, and relieve us of our ready cash. You can learn a great deal about a man by playing poker with him. Here’s what I learned about Dick. (Note that "gentle man" is two words, so the...

World War II bomber revived as 'living memorial' http://www.portales-news.com/engine.pl?station=portales&template=storyfull.html&id=8117 http://tinyurl.com/fu9fh By Marlena Hartz: Freedom Newspapers marlena_hartz@link.freedom.com Created on: May 27, 2006 - 6:13AM - 8117 In a San Antonio junkyard, the B-25 Pacific Prowler idled, bird nests and cobwebs cluttering her insides. That was until Jim Terry rescued her. Three years ago, the retired Air Force pilot restored the famous World War II bomber, built in August 1944. “It was a ghost,” said Terry, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident. No longer, however, is the plane a ghost. Its metal exterior glints in the sunlight, oiled for the brilliant shine. When...

TUSKEGEE, Ala. (AP) - Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is 86 years old and ready for deployment. More than 60 years after his World War II tour with the pioneering black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Carter's new mission will be shorter, though no less courageous. Carter is one of seven aging Tuskegee Airmen traveling this weekend to Balad, Iraq - a city ravaged by roadside bombs and insurgent activity - to inspire a younger generation of airmen who carry on the traditions of the storied 332nd Fighter Group. "I don't think it hurts to have someone who can empathize...

TUSKEGEE, Ala.-Lt. Col. Herbert Carter is 86 years old and ready for deployment. More than 60 years after his World War II tour with the pioneering black pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, Carter's new mission will be shorter, though no less courageous. Carter is one of seven aging Tuskegee Airmen traveling this weekend to Balad, Iraq - a city ravaged by roadside bombs and insurgent activity - to inspire a younger generation of airmen who carry on the traditions of the storied 332nd Fighter Group. "I don't think it hurts to have someone who can empathize with them and...

FREDERICKSBURG TEXAS — Another Hill Country native leading his troops into battle halfway around the world spoke this weekend to mark the 60th anniversary of Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz’s homecoming at the end of World War II. U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Michael W. Hagee told the crowd of nearly 200 at the National Museum of the Pacific War that the same leadership traits that made Nimitz a successful commander could be found today in the men and women fighting in the streets of Bagdad. “The world has changed because of advanced communication, and often young Marines cannot wait to...

At 5-foot-6 and 126 pounds, he might have seemed an unlikely figure in history. Audacity and grit, however, carried Benjamin Foulois to prominence, as the first military flight was documented 95 years ago at Fort Sam Houston. His adventurous, inventive spirit lives on through Army aviators today, an Army general and former pilot said during a commemorative ceremony on the post today. Brig. Gen. E.J. Sinclair, commander of the US. Army Aviation Warfighting Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., compared Foulois' experiments in aviation with today's pilots and support personnel who are flying and testing new aircraft, including new “unmanned aerial...

EAGLE PASS, Texas (AP) — More than 60 years after his plane disappeared during World War II on a mission to raid a Japanese base, an Army Air Corps soldier’s remains are coming home. First Lt. James Walter Carver will be buried with full military honors Saturday at the foot of his mother’s grave in Eagle Pass, the family said. Carver’s remains were identified through DNA testing using a blood sample taken from his niece, Kathryn Cunningham, whose mother, June Carver Hansen, 86, is Carver’s only remaining sibling. "When I told her he’d been found, my mom had a look...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. Welcome to "Warrior Wednesday" Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different...

Decorated World War II aviator and "Ace" Lee Andrew Archer Jr., 84, says he dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot at an early age. The Yonkers, N.Y.-born veteran recalled reading comic books during his boyhood that featured illustrated stories depicting World War I duels in the skies between Germany's Baron von Richthofen and allied fliers. "I wanted to be a pilot," Archer said at a Feb. 19 National Black History Month commemoration ceremony at Veterans Affairs Department headquarters, noting that watching planes take off and land at a small airport near his family's summer home in Saratoga, N.Y., also whetted...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... . U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. . . Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family...

Lord, Keep our troops forever in your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. God Bless America...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members...