Pelican Parts Forums - The Greatest Generation

The Greatest Generation.

I was unofficially celebrating my 29th anniversary in the military with my family by having dinner at the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club in Oxnard California. Quietly hidden in the corner I noticed a large party entering the dining area. One of the members of this party who was in a wheelchair was being helped into the room. I couldn’t help but notice he was wearing a baseball cap that had “100th Bomb Group” embroidered on the top and a picture of a B-17 below. It was obvious this gentleman was a World War II veteran and a member of the Greatest Generation.

I excused myself from the table. My wife knew exactly what I was going to do, I’ve done it dozens of times before and will continue to do it.

The veteran was appropriately seated at the head of the table. After his party settled into their seats I went to the head of the table and said;

“Please excuse me for interrupting, but I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your service and let you know how much everyone appreciates the sacrifices you made for our country and humanity.”

He smiled, shook my hand and seeing me in my uniform proceeded to thank me for my service. Before I could say anything else his family insisted I join them for dinner, out of nowhere an extra chair materialized and I found myself sitting right next to to the gentleman. Call it intuition but I could tell this man was the aircraft commander (Also known as the AC, the pilot in the left seat).

Because I was still in uniform he could identify my rank and respectfully referred to me as “Colonel.” Knowing better what to ask and what not to ask I inquired which model B-17 he flew. “The F model “he replied, “we were fast but the G model had better guns.”

His granddaughter who was seated next to me grabbed my arm and said “Dad, was shot down twice and flew 24 missions!”

That sentence sent chills down my spine. Being shot down once was dangerous enough, but twice !?! However, it wasn’t the fact he was shot down twice that sent chills down my spine, it was the fact he flew 24 missions. In case you didn’t know, aircrew in WW2 were required to complete 25 missions. After their “25” they were rotated home to train new bomber crews in the States.

Why only 24? I knew why but knew better to ask. His granddaughter said “Dad tell him the story about the English Channel.”

I said, “I don’t want to intrude, I’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner.” He knowingly looked at me and began to tell the story. . .

“We were going home from Schweinfurt when we took some flak from a Triple A battery (Anti Aircraft Artillery). I lost the number 3 engine (The B 17 had four engines) and the number 1 and 2 engines were hit and losing power. My plan was to nurse her (the aircraft) west towards France and turn right at the French costal town of Le Havre into the English Channel, then on to England. Not long after we were hit we lost the number 2 engine and began to lose altitude. By the time we approached the coast of Le Havre we were about 100 feet off the deck. I was so busy trying to keep the ship in the air I nearly clipped the bell tower of a church. As we approached the coast and got over the water I began to breathe a sigh of relief, we just may make it home after all. When we were about two miles off the coast the number one engine blew two pistons and caught fire. I called into the intercom “Hang on guys, we’re going down.”

We made a water landing and fortunately everyone got out ok. Before we could worry about what to do next, I saw a French fishing vessel on the way to rescue us, that was a huge relief. . . but not long after that our relief turned into dread. There was a motor boat coming at us very quickly from the east. It was a Nazi patrol boat on the way to pick us up. Seeing this, the French fishing vessel, turned around in the other direction. The Germans picked us up and we spent 18 months in a POW camp.”

The room was silent. It seemed like an eternity before anyone said anything. I placed my hands in my lap, cleared my throat and said;

“Today’s United States Air Force is the best trained, best equipped, most disciplined, most capable and most feared fighting force in the world, ONLY because we are standing on the shoulders of GIANTS like you, “ tapping his left shoulder as I completed my thoughts.

All eyes turned to the head of the table and the AC said “. . . but I’m only 5’ 10!”

We laughed, I thanked him for his time and service when his very proud granddaughter added “Today is his 103rd Birthday and tomorrow the Condor Squadron (A group of WW2 T6 aircraft) are going to do a flyby to celebrate.”

I returned to my table with tears in my eyes, in fact there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I waived to Summer, our waitress, and ordered an ice cream Sunday for the AC and asked if the entire staff would join me in singing Happy Birthday after their dinner.
Not only did the entire staff join my family in singing Happy Birthday, but everyone in the room enthusiastically joined in the chorus.

The next day at 10:00 am three T6s from the Condor Squadron majestically flew over the Harbor in tribute to this Hero and all the Heroes of the GREATEST generation.

There is no adequate way we can thank them for their service.
What would the world be like today without their sacrifices?
I shudder to think.

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