Well said.
In the slight chance you haven't watched "Memphis Bell", I highly recommend
it.
Ron
67 BJ8
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-healeys@Autox.Team.Net
[mailto:owner-healeys@Autox.Team.Net]On Behalf Of davidwjones
Sent: Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:52 PM
To: Rich C; healeys@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: Rememerance Day (no Healey content)
Last year, my sisters and some friends bought me a pass to go for a "check
flight" on a fully restored B-17 Flying Fortress when it was here in the
area.
-Part of a national tour.
They bought the passes in particular because our father had been a lead
navigator in England for the 100th bomb group (the Bloody Hundredth).
On the flight, I spent some of the time at what had been my father's post,
at
the nav table and waist gunner positions, but also checking out the turrets,
and flight deck. -I took along my father's leather bound personal flight log
and his painted bomber jacket, which interested the flight crew.
Like a lot of his generation, he never really talked about his time in WWII.
Most of what I know is from dusty old B&W photos, medals and 2 purple hearts
-apparently "relatively minor" from shrapnel.
Experiencing briefly the intense cold, incredible noise, cramped spaces, and
the feeling of exposure when thinking about flak and fighter planes, plowing
along in the antique behemoth, I realized that I cannot even imagine what it
must have been like, even now. ---And not just once, but 20 to 30 and 35
times, and all the while losing friends, and comrades. -And this, all
relatively easy, compared with the trials of ground troops!
The aircraft itself and it's equipment was amazing to see, -but thinking
about
the crews that manned them leaves me without words.
The bomber jacket and log that I mentioned have since been donated to the
new
WWII Memorial flight museum in GB. Someday, I hope to get there to see the
entire memorial.
I've been thinking a lot today about the contributions of past and current
military members, and I appreciated reading the contributions to the list on
the topic.
David W. Jones
'62 Mk II BT7 tricarb
Cumberland, RI USA
|