Old Guy Remembers Some of WWII

[dustymars]

Not many younger folks remember our past war(s), especially with the potential one just around the corner. I'm not concerned; I still remember our Wing Commander, Col. Nichols, reminding us back in October 1962 of the USSR's lack of missile accuracy and poorly trained and low military moral. But, if they were lucky we may only hear the wind from the warhead.

 I was just thinking about some of the Air Force people I worked with back in the day (1960’s) and thought of one of our instructor pilots (IP), Major Reidy.  He, like so many others, flew B17’s or B24’s over Germany or the Pacific.  He was a B-17 pilot and then after his 25 missions went into testing the B-29 where he was the right seat driver in the very first B-29 takeoff.  He held my son in his arms several times when our simulator department would have a get together.

 Another IP, Lt. Col Parker, was a POW in Germany and organized a large escape plan that got out many other POW’s.  He was promoted to full Colonel before retiring right after he attended my marriage ceremony in the chapel right next door to the simulator shop.  He attended along with several others from the shop. 

They told me stories of their 25 missions that would curl your ears.  Flying in unpressurized aircraft in -50F to -80F temperatures, flak and German bullets whizzing by.  Crew being hit and wounded with no foxholes, no corpsmen.  One of our senior NCO’s, MSgt Hodana, was shot down over Switzerland in a B24 and spent 2 years as a POW there. 

One of our Eastern DC-9 IP's was Major Charles Albury; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Donald_Albury, co-pilot on the B-29, Bockscar, that dropped the Atomic bomb on Nagasaki August 9, 1945.

I could go on, but I can tell you this; while the Britts lost more airmen, our flight crews lost more than 28,000 men in WWII.  That was more than all the other services combined.  There are no foxholes up at 30,000 feet.  I remember those co-workers well. Sleep well folks.
 
 
 
 
 

[John]

Thanks.  There is very much people take for granted today.