When I was in the States last week I was taken out to dinner by a Navy SEAL, which was pretty eye opening to say the least..................
But more interesting was an elderly gent that I met at a trade show in Salt Lake City, he was marshal at the show and just helping people out with information about the show etc etc. We got talking and of course we got talking about the war the war and I asked him what he did. It turned out the his was a pilot of B-24 Liberator Bomber, amazing stories he was telling me and he said that he was amazed at how many .50 cals they carried and that he had flown 50 missions!
The most interesting thing was when I asked him what he was doing when the end of the war was declared - " I was lead pilot on a bombing raid on Japan and I had started the bombing run when I got the call that the war was over, it was beautiful, we cut from our bombing run and we made for home, singing non stop all the way home, it was over"
.......I was speechless, for once.
It's a small world.
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- Major
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- Location: Dorset England
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It's a small world.
www.hmvf.co.uk
A forum for historic military vehicles - inspired by Bill & CCKW.org!!!
Nothing is permanent in life, except change.
A forum for historic military vehicles - inspired by Bill & CCKW.org!!!
Nothing is permanent in life, except change.
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- Brigadier General
- Posts: 2595
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:10 am
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Great story UK I especially love the ending. My uncle was a gunner on a B-29 flying off of Siapan and he related a simaliar story, except they had just left Siapan and were about half way to Japan when they were called back. They found out the war was over after they had landed.
The History Channel has shown an excellent film on the last bombing mission over Japan over the last year. It comes up ever so often.
The History Channel has shown an excellent film on the last bombing mission over Japan over the last year. It comes up ever so often.
52 M38 Willy's
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans
Former owner and restorer of CCKW353 " Betty Boop"
proud father of a career Army officer/Blackhawk pilot/ War in Iraq veteran
Retired high school history teacher at Lt. Colonel Robert G. Cole CMH High School, Fort Sam Houston Texas
proud great grandson of four Confederate soldiers.
great great grandson of a War of 1812 veteran
great great great grandson of 2 American Revolutionary war veterans