FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of the Heroes: Chuck Yeager, pt. 1 ~ Jan. 21, 2008

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[StarCMC]

Our Troops Rock!  Thank you for all you do!

For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.

Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!

~ Hall of Heroes ~

CPT Chuck Yeager
Part 1
All info and photos from this website.

           

Capt. Chuck Yeager - 357th Ftr. Grp.

First man to break the sound barrier,
flying Bell X-1

World War 2 ace, shot down 11 German planes,
including 2 Me-262 jets

Chuck Yeager's accomplishments as an ace in WWII have been overshadowed by his achievements as a test pilot, but his fighter pilot experiences were remarkable on their own. An eighteen-year old West Virginia country boy, he joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1941 and shot down eleven (and a half!) German planes, including two Me-262 jets.

He was also shot down over France, evaded, joined the Maquis, and made his way back to England via Spain. Somehow he persuaded the brass to let him continue flying fighter missions in Europe, contrary to policy. All of this by the age of twenty-two.

Born in 1923, son of Albert Hal Yeager (a staunch Republican, so firm in his party loyalties that he once refused to shake President Harry Truman's hand), Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager grew up in Myra, on the Mud River in West Virgina. His dirt-poor youth was filled with hillbilly themes that sound romantic today, but probably weren't much fun at the time: making moonshine, eating cornmeal mush three times a day, shooting squirels for dinner, chasing rats out of the kitchen, going barefoot all summer, butchering hogs, and stealing watermelons. At an early age Chuck could do well at anything requiring manual dexterity or math: ping-pong, shooting, auto mechanics.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps when he graduated from Hamlin High School in 1941, and became an airplane mechanic. He hated flying, after throwing up his first time in the air. But when the chance came to become a "Flying Sergeant," with three stripes and no K.P., he applied, and was accepted. His good coordination, mechanical abilities, and excellent memory enabled him to impress his instructors in flight training.

 

357th Fighter Group

Assigned to the 363rd Fighter Squadron, of the 357th Fighter Group, he moved up to P-39s with the squadron at Tonopah, Nevada. Unlike many other pilots, he always liked the P-39 (which probably would have been a decent airplane if it had had a turbocharger). Here at Tonopah, he first developed the fighter pilot's detached attitude toward death, even getting angry at those he thought had died needlessly or through lack of skill. During the ruthless weeding-out process at Tonopah, the pilots worked as hard at playing as they did at flying. They frequented the bars and cathouses of Tonopah and nearby Mina, until the sheriff ran them out of the latter establishment. He and his lifelong friend, Bud Anderson, both made it through the process.

When the squadron went to California to train for escort missions, Yeager drew temporary duty at Wright Field, Ohio, testing new props for the P-39 and also getting a chance to fly the big new P-47s. He took the opportunity to buzz his hometown, less than an hour's flying time away. As Hamlin's only fighter pilot, they knew who it was. He rejoined the squadron out in California, where he met his future wife Glennis, "pretty as a movie star and making more money than I was."

Next the squadron moved to Casper, Wyoming for more training. It was also great hunting; one time Chuck went up in his P-39 and carefully herded a dozen antelope toward a pre-arranged spot, where his armed ground confederates had a field day. They ate antelope roasts for a month. But he almost "bought the farm" in Wyoming. On October, 23, 1943, during a high speed exercise, his P-39's engine blew up, the plane burst into flames, and Yeager had to bail out. He survived, but was hospitalized with a fractured spine.

The 357th FG shipped out for Europe in winter of 1943-44, and began operations in February, 1944, the first P-51 equipped unit in the Eighth Air Force. Yeager shot down his first Messerschmitt on his seventh mission (one of the early Mustang missions over Berlin), and the next day, March 5, three FW-190s caught him and shot him down. He bailed out over occupied France, being careful to delay pulling his ripcord until he had fallen far enough to avoid getting strafed by the German fighters.

He had landed about 50 miles east of Bordeaux, injured and bleeding, but armed with a forty-five caliber pistol and determined to make his way over the Pyrenees to Spain. He hid in the woods the first night, ate a stale chocolate bar from his survival kit and huddled under this parachute. The next morning he encountered a French woodcutter.  

With the Resistance

They couldn't communicate very well, but the woodcutter whispered "Boche" and gestured for Yeger to stay put. Uncertain as to the Frenchman's loyalties, but having no better choices, Yeager stayed, but trained his gun on the path when a he heard a couple people returning that night. "American, a friend is here come out."

His new friends led him to a barn where he hid, while the Germans searched for him. An English-speaking woman questioned him, and satisfied that he was not a German 'plant', the local resistance people help him, starting with a local doctor who removed the shrapnel from his leg. They took him to the nearest maquis group, to hide out with them, until the snow had melted enough to permit passage over the Pyrenees. The Maquis group, about 25 men, constantly kept on the move, always being hunted by German Fieseler Storch observation planes. Yeager was an outsider with the Maquis, and sometimes relations were strained, but they accepted him when he was able to help fuse plastic explosives.

After exciting and freezing adventures, he made it over the mountains into Spain. On March 30, 1944, he sat in the American consul's office. After he languished in a Spanish hotel for six weeks, the U.S. government negotiated a deal with the Franco government - a straight swap of six evadees for an amount of Texaco gasoline. The other 357th pilots were shocked when Yeager appeared; he was the first downed pilot to have returned.

Well-considered rules forbade the return of evaded pilots to combat; if they were shot down a second time, they would be liable to reveal information about the Resistance network to the German interrogators. But Chuck Yeager would have none of it; he was determined to return to combat. The evadee rule was strict,but Yeager and a bomber pilot named Fred Glover appealed all the way to General Eisenhower, who promised to "do what he could." While the decision was pending, the Group let Yeager fly training missions. Once they were called to cover a downed pilot in the Channel, a Ju-88 appeared and Yeager couldn't restrain himself from going after it, shooting it down at the German coast. He gave the gun camera footage and the credit to another pilot, but still caught Hell.  

Return to Combat

Ike decided to allow Yeager to return to combat in the summer of 1944, which he did with a vengence, now flying a P-51D nicknamed Glamorous Glen, gaudily decorated in the red-and-yellow trim of the 357th. At first, the pickings were slim, as the German fliers seemed to be laying low. He flew in a four plane division with Bud Anderson and Don Bochkay, two other double aces. On September 18, he flew in support of the Market Garden glider drops over Arnhem, but couldn't do much to stop the appalling slaughter of the C-47s. By this time, he had been promoted to Lieutenant, a commissioned officer.

Yeager became an 'ace-in-a-day' on October 12, leading a bomber escort over Bremen. As he closed in on one Bf-109, the pilot broke left and collided with his wingman; both bailed out, giving Yeager credit for two victories without firing a shot. In a sharp dogfight, Yeager's vision, flying skills, and gunnery gave him three more quick kills.

The German Me-262 jets appeared in combat in late 1944, but went right after the bombers, avoiding dogfights with the Mustangs. Whenever they wanted, they could just open it up, and pull away from the P-51s with a 150 MPH speed advantage. One day Yeager caught one on its approach to an airstrip. Flying through dense flak, he downed the jet, and earned a DFC for the feat.

He flew his last "combat" mission in January, 14 1945. He and Bud Anderson cooked up a scheme to sign on for the day's missions as "spares," and then do some uninhibited flying. Anderson describes this, and other events in his life-long friendship with Yeager, in his autobiography, To Fly and Fight:

We hit the Dutch coast, took a right and flew south, 500 across France into Switzerland. Chuck was the guide. And I was the tourist.

We dropped our tanks on Mount Blanc and strafed them, trying to set them afire (it seemed like a good idea at the time), then found Lake Annecy, and the lakeshore hotel where Yeager and DePaolo had met. We buzzed the hotel, fast enough and low enough to tug at the shingles, and then we zoomed over the water, right on the deck, our props throwing up mist.

We'd just shot up a mountain in a neutral country, buzzed half of Europe, and probably could have been court-martialed on any one of a half-dozen charges. It didn't matter We were aglow. It was over, we had survived, we were finished, and now we would go home together.

When we landed at Leiston, my crew chief jumped on my wing, "Group got more than 50 today. Must've been something. How many did you get?"

"None," I confessed in a small, strangled voice. I felt sick.

Chuck and Glennis were married in February, and he reported to Wright Field in July, the start of his even more extraordinary career as a test pilot. He impressed his instructors so much, that despite his non-com background and his West Virginia accent, he was assigned to the XS-1 project at Muroc Field in California.

Continued next week  

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission!

[StarCMC]

Monday thread’s up — thank BIGLOOK for the tip in this direction — I’ll be back after dinner!

[PROCON]

Chuck Yeager is a hero of mine!!

[PROCON]

BIGLOOK, you ‘da LOOK...aloha!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Click on the pic and I'll guide you
to the start of today's thread




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[Radix]

I’m in, while everyone else is watching football.

[luvie]

He was a daredevil/hero first class!

What a story he has!

Thanks Big Guy for this excellent choice of heroes!

[Old Sarge]

PRESENT FOR FUN!

[The Mayor]

January 21, 2008

Our Best Defense

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READ: Psalm 31:1-8

Be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. —Psalm 31:2

In late January 1956, during the tense days of the Montgomery Boycott, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. could not sleep. A threatening phone call had terrified him. So he prayed, “I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But Lord, I must confess that I’m weak now, I’m faltering. I’m losing my courage. Now, I am afraid. . . . The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. . . . I can’t face it alone.”

Dr. King later wrote, “At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, ‘Stand up for righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything.”

The rest is history. Dr. King wanted to see people of all colors free of the damage done by racism and prejudice.

If we face opposition when we’re trying to do what’s right, we too must cry out to the Lord. He alone is our “rock of refuge, a fortress of defense” (Ps. 31:2). He is our reliable source of strength and protection.

Lord, help me stand upon Your rock of Truth
And never trust myself to sinking sand;
Whenever I am faced with evil powers,
I’ll call upon Your strong and mighty hand.  —Hess

When we trust the power of God, we experience peace, not panic.

Bible in One Year:  Genesis 43–45; Proverbs 8:1-11

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

l.

Prayers going up.

[Kirkwood]

Chuck is a heckuva nice guy. I have a couple of autographed pictures of him hanging on the wall here just over my shoulder. And a model of the Bell X-1 in my display case.

[BIGLOOK]

Aloha Star!



Legend

[PROCON]

Your Poppa is one of the Lord's children!!

Again, sorry for your loss!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Honoring Our Heroes

AbnSarge USA
Allegra
3 sons (armymarinemom and amdad)
Brett USN (CindyDawg)
Brother and Son-in-Law (kalee)
Cannoneer No. 4
Chris USA (amom)
Clarinet_King USAF (NerdDad/CDBear)
Col Mike (gpapa)
CMS USA
David USAF (LUV W)
Defender2
Deven USA (Shimmer)
Ethan USMC (georgiabelle)
Future Snake Eater USA (RightOnline)
Jade Falcon USN
JemiansTerror USA (Jemian)
Jet Jaguar USAF
Joel (NEMDF)
Jonathan USMC (AZbushgal)
Josh USN (doug from upland)
Karen USA (fatima's granddaughter)
KB4W USAF (arbee4bush)
Kenneth (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Kevin (skimask)
Kevin and David USA (vigilante2)
Laurita USA
LCpl Carter USMC
Lindsay (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
Lt David USN (Coldwater Creek)
Capt Jason Clendenin (friend of Frou)
M1Tanker
MEG33's Navy Grandson
M1911A1 USMC (M0sby)
Mike1Sg USA (mystery-ak)
Milo828 USA (mystery-ak)
Nate USN (sneakers)
Old Sarge USA
OneLoyalAmerican USCG
PFC Dan USA (son of swmobuffalo)
Robert, Jeremy & Daynnis USA (SoldierDad)
Sat-Com Chris (son of KC Burke)
Sgt Sean Reed (preed)
Sgt Dusty USA (MountainDad)
Son USCG (GodBlessUSA)
SPC Mike USA (AbnSarge)
SSGT John Linde USA (JFoxbear)
Terrence USN (Sweetbaby/LadyPilgrim)
The Sailor
tongue-tied USN/USA
Tonkin USN/USCG
txradioguy USA
Valerie USAF (Shimmer)
Victor and Tony D USMC (weldgophardline)
William USA (jackv)

 

[mylife]

Chuck Yeagar. What a man.
He was piloting some test plane when his flight suit caught fire. He didnt panic but did lament to ground control that the “Smoke is blocking my view of Mt Baldy that we all love so well”

He piloted another with broken ribs that he refused to report because they would have grounded him.

[TASMANIANRED]

Evening Star. Hugs.

Never saw any pics of Chuck as a young man. He was easy on the eyes.

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen
at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

~Tribute to Our Troops~

[luvie]

That’s a beautiful picture, Procon! I know she’ll love it.

(((slugs)))

[luvie]

So many heroes! God bless them all!

[SevenofNine]

I don’t know this is posted

There is report off Daily Variety report that Scarface director, Cokehead, and Fidal Castro little b***h Oliver Stone going do movie on President Bush life and you know who going play Josh Brolin the son of James Brolin aka Mr Barbara Streidnard

Report is that going do inner mind of Bush and his upbringing they try get people sign on the project

OKAY question who you think play following

George Bush Sr
Barbara Bush Sr
Laura
Rummy
Dick Cheney
Condi Rice
and others