Aviation gems in the least likely places (a WWII vet discovered in circle of friends)

[Snakum]

I was talking to one my late father's friends last Sunday and found out he flew P-38s in WWII from 1942 to 1946. I had no idea, and in the short time I knew him (my parents lived a couple hours from me, and I didn't know many of their more recent friends) I couldn't remember anyone mentioning it.

As it turns out, he flew a photo-recon version of the P-38 called an A5, if I remember correctly, or something like that. He has his 'graduation yearbook' from flight training in 1942 in OK, and quite a few pictures of the planes, the islands, and his buddies. Best of all, he had lots of stories, such as the techniques taught in training to avoid a confrontation with a Japanese plane, and then the best part ... all the times he had to actually use that stuff when inadvertantly being jumped by Mitsubishi Zeros. His plane, the photo recon aircraft always being shared between two rotating pilots, was the first one over Hiroshima following the bombing, and he had a few stories about that and about the orders and directives issued just prior to the bombing.

Also, unfortunately, lots of stories were about buddies who didn't make it back. Some of them signing off in spectacular crashes in full view (like the pilot who pulled all his flaps up immediately after breaking ground ... CRUNCH!), and others just simply disappearing during a mission.

All of it was simply fascinating stuff. So keep in mind, you never know who you may have in your own family or in your circle of friends. And if you know a lonely old stick, take a couple hours to go speak with them. It will cheer them no end, and you might wind up spending the whole afternoon in rapt attention. I'm glad I did ... and it is an honor to know a man such as this.

Minh

 

[urflyingme?!]

I was watching a b-24 land at my airport for an airshow. There was an old man and lady. Turned out the guy was a b-24 nose gunner, and the old lady was his wife. She worked in the factory and made the nose windows, carved her initials with his in a heart in each one. He got a plane with her signature. Pretty crazy. He showed me all around the plane for an hour or so, it was awesome!

 

[pilotyip]

Photo version of the P-38 was the F-5

 

[Metro752]

We had a Flying Tiger at the local airport, I would have never guessed, but one day I asked him about the "Tiger" character pin from the Pooh cartoon, and he told me stories for a couple of hours. It was awesome.

 

[WizardPilot]

I was headed to England out of Salt Lake city and I sit next to a man who was just getting off of a reunion at Hill Air Force Base. He was a Radio Man in the b-24's (I think...) but we ended up talking for the 2 HOURS we were sitting on the ramp waiting for a clearance to Chicago (weather was very bad, they ended up pulling back into the gate and told us to wait for an hour to board, so he and I hit up the burger king for take out and we get back to the gate after about 15 mins and the doors closed and the plane is just pushing back. luckily there was another flight to O'hare so our butts were saved) But he was on the first low level bombing mission in Italy, I believe, It was a famous mission, Large numbers of planes, I think around 200 or so, In one of the largest bombing missions of the war in europe. I am embarassed that I cannot remember what the missions name or its target was, I think some ball bearing factories? But anyways, Since they were so low, a lot of them were shot down, and with the Low level bomb run, a lot got it from their own betty's they were dropping. He got lucky and made it through that bomb run, only to crash land or bail somewhere in the northern European countries. (If I remember right, They took off from africa, and then were to just keep only flying to bases in france, or one of the northern europe countries.) He and 3 others survived the bail out and they started hiking north and he spent i think the next 2 or 3 years trying to evade the germans until the brits finally found him. He had gold coins that were issued to airmen if they were shot down to bribe, or buy goods like that. He kept 5 which later were made into a bracelet for him to wear. It was interesting to hear the stories that he had to tell, see the relics, and learn of tragic and exciting times he had gone through.

 

[slowto250]

Brokaw's book refers to them as the "greatest generation". I think, for good reason.