He is in his 90's, has a slight limp, we bought his groceries as a thank you

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Veterans.

You might remember my post about my riding in a B-17: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026991786

Marta and I were in the store this afternoon. I looked over at the elder gent and noticed he was wearing a B-17 hat. I had to go over and talk to him. It turned into one heck of a conversation. I started with I just rode in a B-17 a couple months ago. Marta knew by now to go shopping without me. Other people were listening in.

He was a tail gunner on a B-17. I got the feeling his limp was a war wound, but he didn't say so. He survived his required tour. Some of his friends didn't. I told him my Uncle Leo died as a navigator in the Pacific.

He volunteered after Pearl Harbor while he was in high school. He flew missions over Italy, France, and Germany.

I mentioned my mom rode the bus every day she worked at the Martin Bomber plant. from Florence. That meant a couple hours a day. It is just down the street from the Baker's store we were at. She worked on the Enola Gay. He has a friend that also worked on the Enola Gay. Wonder if he knew mom?

It was like Forest Gump sitting at the bus stop the way people were listening. Bellevue is an Air Force city afterall.

We talked like we were old friends for 15 minutes. Marta came over and said she had everything we needed. We shook hands and I thanked him for his service. A few other people did too.

We were in line to check out. He got in the line next to us. He didn't have much. I know his checker. I said I'm coming over to pay for his stuff. That smile he had at that point said much more than his thank you.

I hope to bump into him at the store again.

I think I'l buy me a new hat: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/shop/hats/b-17-embroidered-cap/



Omaha Steve Over & Out!

[LongTomH]

1. Good on ya, Mate!!!!!

Thank you for talking to this gentleman! We're losing that generation, a few years and they and all their stories will be lost to us.

My family said goodbye to our last WWII veterans a few years ago:

William Clark Huffman - veteran of the Pacific
Robert Childress - veteran of the European campaign
John Childress - also a veteran of the European campaign

[TwilightGardener]

2. That was good of you.

I've been in that big old Martin Bomber building on Offutt--pretty cool that your mom was a part of that history.

[Omaha Steve]

27. Nebraska WWII Fatal Crash Site # 13 Martin Bomber Plant, Bellevue September 22, 1943

The Air Force is taking about tearing it down again. My neighbor is retired AF. He is going to take me through it in the near future.


http://www.nebraskaaircrash.com/crashsites/martinbp.html

Four airmen were testing a B-25D (42-87195) bomber near the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant. Shortly after take-off, the left engine failed. The bomber crashed through the roof of the bomber assembly plant. Three of the crew were killed. The fourth airman suffered severe injuries, but later recovered. Another bomber, a B-26C, was on the assembly floor and was also destroyed.



The darkened area is where the B-25 went through the roof.



The former doors of the Martin Bomber Plant where the B-26 and B-29 bombers rolled out after completion.
The famed "Enola Gay" and "Bockscar" came through these doors to start their journey to dropping the atomic bombs.

[TwilightGardener]

28. I thought it was an historic landmark? Hope they don't tear it down--even though

it's maybe not in the best of shape inside (from what I remember). I didn't know there had been a crash there, although my husband vaguely remembers hearing about it from his time in that building.

[Omaha Steve]

29. Martin Bomber Plant due for demolition

Many people have seen a ghost in the plant believed to be one of the airmen killed in the crash into the building.


https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/martin-bomber-plant-due-for-demolition.html


By April 1944, more than 1500 B-26 bombers had passed through the production lines of the Martin Bomber Plant in Bellevue, Nebraska.

Aug 12, 2015

Snip: Sadly, however, the plant might by closing its doors for the last time. The building belongs to the US Air Force, and the 55th Wing Division is planning to have the site demolished in order to cut costs by reducing the number of buildings on the base. There is also a safety element to the proposed demolition, since the huge production factory building is located right next to the base’s runway, and does not comply with today’s safety regulations.

Locals and architects view the demolition as a shame, since the factory was so vital to the Allies’ war effort and the building was a cutting-edge example of engineering and architecture for its time, the Omaha.com reports.

Once the war ended the building was renovated into smaller sections so that it could be used for different purposes including a laboratory, a recreation area for troops and a storage unit for military vehicles. The Martin Bomber Plant in Bellevue is one of four plants built by the Martin Company in the US during the war in order to meet demand for aircraft.

[TwilightGardener]

30. ...

[malaise]

3. You're a good person Omaha Steve

[erronis]

7. Seconded! OS - you're a hero to me.

[hifiguy]

8. Damn tootin!

There are fewer WW II vets every day.

We all owe them. Big time.

[mcar]

4. Lovely

[CTyankee]

5. The Flying Fortress is legendary. What a plane and what a mission!

I also remember my parents had a friend who flew in the fire bomb raids over Tokyo, but I don't think that was the B17. I remember him telling me it was very hot in the plane...I was a kid at the time and so my memory is sketchy...

[Omaha Steve]

17. It would have been a B-29

The super fortress.

The Enola Gay:

Volunteers successfully fire up B-29 ‘Doc’s’ engines (+video)

http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article35680470.html

BY JERRY SIEBENMARK
The Wichita Eagle

The 15-year effort to restore and fly the B-29 Superfortress called “Doc” reached a major milestone Friday when volunteers successfully started the World War II bomber’s four engines.

It was the first time since 1956 that engines ran on the airplane that once served in a squadron known as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

And the successful engine start means the nonprofit group that owns and is restoring the airplane is that much closer to the next milestone of getting her up into the air.

A spokesman for Docs Friends said the group hopes to have Doc in the air for first flight in a couple of months, barring any setbacks. That would make Doc only the second airworthy B-29 in the world.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/news/business/aviation/article35680470.html#storylink=cpy

FULL story and video at link.

[CTyankee]

18. Oh, yeah, I remember now...I was thinking the B-29s only dropped the Bomb on two cities

in Japan...IIRC, they needed to develop that plane because the B17s, while great over Europe, couldn't do the long trip over the Pacific.

But it sounds like you know the plane's history better than I do. Am I right about the rationale for the B29s?

[Omaha Steve]

20. Yes you are

Russia (USSR) stole the design down to the smallest bolt BTW.

OS

[magical thyme]

6. well done, OS! nt

[Paka]

9. What a lovely gift to give.

It's likely to come back around two-fold, you know. Caring and compassion have a habit of that.

[monmouth4]

10. You're a lovely man Steve....

[AngryAmish]

11. An old friend and coworker was a B 17 pilot.

He left the seminary to join the army air corp...back then the seminary in Chicago was the highest academic institution. Passed basic, got qualified...2 runs, Germany surrendered. Met a French girl and then of all things were training him to take off and land from a carrier that was painted on a runway. Kissed his fiance goodbye, was taking his baby cross country to Burma and then when he was over India the 2 nukes got dropped.

Joe looked me in the eye on VJ day back in 1994 and said "Truman saved my life." He was going to be on a suicide mission.

[Omaha Steve]

21. A friend at church was a co-pilot in a B-24

Shot down and in a prisoner of war camp in Germany. He had dementia for his last years and couldn't remember a thing about the war or anything else.

[Overseas]

12. K&R. Glad to hear it.

[antigop]

13. Great post, OS! Thank you for posting! nt

[StoneCarver]

14. Omaha Steve you are a blessing

in more ways than one. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done and given to DU -and those around you. Blessings! I wish you the best of luck.
Love,
Stonecarver

[C Moon]

15. Awesome story!

[hamsterjill]

16. I bet he was thrilled!

Thank you for buying the groceries, but mostly, thank you for making him feel good!

[madokie]

19. You and your wife Marta

are what makes this country strong. Its people like you who exemplifies what we're all about,
Thank You
You're a good Man!

[bvar22]

22. DURec.

Thanks.

[smirkymonkey]

23. What a great person you are!

Makes me wish I knew you.

[ladyVet]

24. You and Marta are awesome people.

I love that hat, you should definitely get it!

Everybody in my family that served in that era is gone now (RIP, Uncle Claiborne), my daddy is a Korean war vet, is 85 and newly retired (it won't last long, no matter what he says), and his youngest brother was in Viet Nam.

I served during the latter period of what they called the Viet Nam era, during that horrible period when the Iran Hostage Crisis was going on. I was stationed in Tucson, where they filmed a movie about the Enola Gay. Some of our friends (ex-DH) were extras in the movie.

[panader0]

25. Beautiful gesture Steve

My dad did many missions in B-17s too.
Then B-25s, then A-20s. 50 missions in all, out of England at first, then North Africa.

[Glassunion]

26. I may make this an OP some day.

Your experience reminds me of one of my own.

My wife's family was not happy she brought me home. A wonderful Pennsylvania Dutch woman, bringing home a "not-so-white" guy she fell in love with.

Turns out her grandfather and two of my own were part of the war. My dad's father was in Europe. He left most of his leg muscles and his hearing in the Ardennes. But that's a story for another time.

My wife's grandfather, was in the Pacific. A Navy man. My wife's family was not too fond of me at first. But one afternoon, Poppy and I were having a chat. Turns out that Poppy was a Higgins Boat pilot. He landed Marines at Iwo and Okinawa. He was remarking about the boat. "Toughest fucking thing I've ever driven. You could drop a shell an inch off her, and she'd not even have a dent." As it would turn out, my mother's father worked at the factory in NO assembling them.

It's a small world, and my long dead grandfather helped warm me up to my new family.

[Tipperary]

31. Good for you Omaha Steve! My uncle was in WW2, and he is long since dead. (not from battle, though

he was wounded at D-Day.) My parents were in their teens at the end of that war and they are in their late 80s. This guy must be pretty damn old and a hell of a survivor. You are a good egg.

[Mugu]

32. Well done!!! n/t