My dad had all kinds of bomber wreck plane pics from a bone yard late WWII in France.
That probably left a bruise!My dad had all kinds of bomber wreck plane pics from a bone yard late WWII in France.
Lots of shot up air crews, that never returned home. Most likely lots of guys with very bad disabilities to deal with the rest of their lives.That probably left a bruise!
Before the US entered the war, the casualty rate for English bomber crews was 100%. You flew until you were dead, too injured to continue, or shot down and captured.Lots of shot up air crews, that never returned home.
Father-in-law was a nose gunner in a B-24. A B-24 was at Ellington one year, I took him to see it, they treated him like royalty.Before the US entered the war, the casualty rate for English bomber crews was 100%. You flew until you were dead, too injured to continue, or shot down and captured.
Yet they never had a problem getting volunteers.
Those boys were brave, patriotic men's men of the sort we don't seem to breed anymore.
Ben them boys were mostly boys. I have pictures of my dad at barracks in New Mexico & Nevada where he looks like every bit of 17, and very much a kid. Then pictures of him partying it up much old & wiser but still very young.Before the US entered the war, the casualty rate for English bomber crews was 100%. You flew until you were dead, too injured to continue, or shot down and captured.
Yet they never had a problem getting volunteers.
Those boys were brave, patriotic men's men of the sort we don't seem to breed anymore.
In my eyes he deserved no less.Father-in-law was a nose gunner in a B-24. A B-24 was at Ellington one year, I took him to see it, they treated him like royalty.
My grandfather was a navigator in a B-17 and was treated the same at the Pima Air Museum.Father-in-law was a nose gunner in a B-24. A B-24 was at Ellington one year, I took him to see it, they treated him like royalty.
Father-in-law flew in the Little King.This was Uncle's B-24 "Dinah Might" after it had made a crash landing in Manduria Italy. However, he had already rotated home after completing his 25 missions.
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I surely understand. My dad was 17 or 18 when a "full bird colonel" (which is a term my dad used, even if I don't really know what it means) thanked him for volunteering for a mission. Actually, the words the officer used were "Thank you for giving your life for your country." I think my dad was the only one to survive that mission.Ben them boys were mostly boys. I have pictures of my dad...
I had an uncle who was a glider pilot for D-day. I remember when he and my father were sitting in the front yard and the subject of WWII came up. I asked him what he had done in the war. I was no more than 12 at the time but I had studied WWII a great deal, like many boys of my time. So my uncle tells me what he did and I just blurted out "Wow! I didn't know you were that crazy!"Father-in-law flew in the Little King.
& BTW, LTC aka light colonelSince there is a "lieutenant colonel" (rank insignia a silver maple leaf) and a "colonel" (rank insignia a silver eagle), it is obvious why he would be called a "full bird colonel". Both ranks were always informally addressed as "colonel", so "full bird" made the distinction.