4 APRIL 1944

This Veteran was piloting a bomber when his plane was hit.  "Took out the number four engine and I took shrapnel to the head and leg....  I was out... my co-pilot had to take over.  Our engineer cut the fuel line to number four, otherwise we wouldn't have had enough fuel to make it, while the plane dove to put out the fire after I had lost consciousness.  They were able to drop the bombs - 12 - and make it to Italy where I woke up in the hospital."      His friend was quick to add, "Yeah, and you didn't get out of that hospital and out of the AIR FORCE until  after the war was over.   Nitwit...."

 

He is 90 now.  He had flown the planes at the air show I was crawling around in .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid-Plane turret

 

Outside view

 

 

 

Yup,   I LOVE this plane.

 

 

 

 

 

Main aisle through the middle of the plane.

 

 

 

 

I leaned over the sign....

 

They played Amazing Grace in honor of SEPTEMBER 11th.

 

 

Communications

 

 

Yuh, bet the government wouldn't have told me back then I didn't weigh enough to join up......

 

 

 While he told me his story he let me take photos of his ribbons

 

 

on the original jacket he flew these planes wearing.

 

He went on to say that when he got out of the service he went on to be a pilot for EASTERN AIRLINES for thirty years, his face suddenly lit up as he looked past me, then finished his thought with, "...where I met the best stewardess the airline had, so I married her!"

 

*SIGH*

 

 

I Thanked him for being a huge part of keeping this country FREE.  His wife started to tear up but he just knowingly smiled and said Thank You in return.