On my resent trip to america, (houston TX) i attended the 100th bomb group reunion (the bloody 100th as they were nick named) and i had a fantastic time, meeting all the vets and listening to their stories.
I met Cowboy Roanes family, he was one of the jokers of the 8th, he also has a good book out. I had dinner with Rose Rosenthal, one of the heros of the 8th airforce, flying 40+missions as the pilot of a B-17.
Also I stayed with Charlie ‘Hong Kong’ Wilson. He was a B-17 pilot too, and is a great family friend.
It’s such a shame that in the next 10+ yrs all the sotries of these veterans are going to be lost and what you read in the text books doesn’t even come close to how it was for those guys, and you don’t hear abot the other things they did, like flying donkeys back from Eurpoe in a B-17, p-51’s with drop tanks full of beer, ans so on.
just thouht i would share with you guys, dunno why…lol.
Leah
By: At6Pilot2B - 20th October 2003 at 21:28
good idea. The way they can tell the stories fasinates me, they speak as if it was yesterday and they are very entertaining.
By: Snapper - 20th October 2003 at 21:24
That’s why i’ve started videoing and harassing 609’ers for stories. I have great stories and good footage. This stuff needs to be recorded – mostly hasn’t through modesty, presumably.
By: At6Pilot2B - 20th October 2003 at 20:58
I will do so when I get a few minutes, got a lot of work to catch up on now i am back though.
leah
By: kev35 - 20th October 2003 at 20:56
Leah.
What a fantastic experience. Please, write it all down while it’s fresh in your memory. As you say, sadly, there won’t be many people to tell the stories before too long. I, for one, would certainly like to read it. Feel free to post any of those stories.
Regards,
kev35
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October 20, 2003 at 8:14 pm