Veteran's History Project

[Fleetwin]

Re: Veteran's History Project

A local news station in Jackson, MS is in the process of interviewing veterans about their experiences in the various conflicts our country has been involved in. They interviewed my Dad last wednesday and it aired yesterday on the 5 oclock news. He was a B24 pilot in the south pacific. Here is the link if anyone is interested. At 90 years old we're all proud of the job he did.


Veteran's History Project: Edwards Henry - WLBT.com - Jackson, MS

Mine flew 24's over Europe and North Africa as Ship Captain. Based out of Italy. He flew later raids on Ploesti.

He stayed in after WWII and flew 29's, 36's and whatever else they threw at him. He was transitioning into 52's when he decided to bail.

Funny, he never looked at going commercial or even a private license.

Later, I got to fly with him, in formation, flying AT-6 (Texans) at 75 years old. From the backseat. He taught the much younger pilots a thing or two about formation flying. Scared the *&&% out me. Wingtip to wingtip with no more than 10 feet of seperation. The pilots were amazed.

We lost him 3 years ago. He was my hero.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Veteran's History Project

Great story, thanks for reviving it. Love sitting at my grandparents home and my grandfather will snap into a story of his on WW2. He has Alzheimer's but still remembers back in Japan on the supply ship. I've heard his whole story alread many times but always listen just as hard the next time.

 

[carholme]

Re: Veteran's History Project

My father fought in Europe and my step Dad was a Hong Kong prisoner. I am always proud of them and I wish to send your Dad thanks from Canada. The video was great and your Dad appears to be in great shape. Many kind regards to him.

Gerry

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Veteran's History Project

It is good seeing history taught by those who lived it rather than those who tell it the way they wish it was.

I am regularly annoyed when narrators of those mostly wonderful TV documentarys make patently wrong statements of historical importance.
>>>>>
Speaking of Yamato, I watched a documentary on the chase-down and sinking of Bismark last night, in which Bismark (a big and powerful battleship of about average size) was described as the biggest, most powerful battleship in the world.

Little errors like that rewrite history. In my mind that is criminal.

Men of the greatest generation were there. We need them to tell it like it was. Men like EHenry's Dad and TD's Uncle are doing that. That is as it should be.

Not to disagree, but in some defense of the historians, sometimes the distinctions are not crystal clear.
Your example of the Yamato and the Bismarck(the only one that I am familiar with) is IMO a gray area. The Bismarck was sunk before the Yamato was even commissioned, so I am not sure that it is that problematic to call the Bismarck "the biggest, most powerful battleship in the world."
At the time, she was.

What I find the most ironic is that it was the Japanese who truly put an end to the reign of the battleship as Queen of the sea, just as they launched the biggest, baddest pair ever built.

ehenry ~ I missed this last time, thanks for re-posting!

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: Veteran's History Project

Not to disagree, but in some defense of the historians, sometimes the distinctions are not crystal clear.
Your example of the Yamato and the Bismarck(the only one that I am familiar with) is IMO a gray area. The Bismarck was sunk before the Yamato was even commissioned, so I am not sure that it is that problematic to call the Bismarck "the biggest, most powerful battleship in the world."
At the time, she was.

What I find the most ironic is that it was the Japanese who truly put an end to the reign of the battleship as Queen of the sea, just as they launched the biggest, baddest pair ever built.

ehenry ~ I missed this last time, thanks for re-posting!

The German "Graf Spee" was one, if not the largest, battleships produced. Already a dinosaur when launched. It never really went anywhere as the Brittish Navy was not about to let it get into the North Sea. It actually did slip out but was heavily damaged soon after. Long before it wreaked heavy damage.

Adm. Yamamoto (Japan) was US educated. He knew the hidden potential the US had. He also knew his Carriers were the future.

With typical Japanese reluctance to stray from what they knew, they lost the battle of Midway. A turning point.

The men of the four US Carriers sacrificed one to fool the Japanese into disaster.

From then on, they had no defense other than their suicidal tendancies.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Veteran's History Project

The German "Graf Spee" was one, if not the largest, battleships produced. Already a dinosaur when launched. It never really went anywhere as the Brittish Navy was not about to let it get into the North Sea. It actually did slip out but was heavily damaged soon after. Long before it wreaked heavy damage.

More to JB's point about versions of history....
You might want to re-read the source where you found that reference.

The Graf Spee was an over-sized heavy cruiser....sometimes referred to as a "pocket" battleship.
Nowhere near a battleship in size or firepower.
It actually got loose intro the Mid and South Atlantic as a surface raider early in WWII and caused the Brits some real angst.
They had almost as wide-ranging a search and destroy effort for the Graf Spee as they later had for the Bismarck.

Read up on the Battle of the River Plate.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: Veteran's History Project

You're not gloating ehenry, this should be bumped every Veterans Day.

If anyone reading this thread has not done so you really need to crawl up inside one of those bombers.
The Commemorative Air Force flies them all over the country in the summer months.

Some day I'm going to fork up the cash and go up in one. But I will never, ever, forget being inside the B-17 at a airshow.

 

[Autotech]

Re: Veteran's History Project

Great Story E henry know you are proud.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Veteran's History Project

There was a B-24 that came to Jackson for an air show. Pop and I went down to see it. When the crew that was flying it found out that Pop flew them during the war they rolled out the red carpet for him. My sisters and I were going to buy a ride for him but he declined saying that he's done his time in one and had no desire to relive any of those memories.

When Pop and I climbed in to the cockpit of the plane at the air show, Pop, I guess by force of an old habit climed in to the left seat and hopped in to the right. Pop put one hand on the yoke, one on the throttles and didnt say a word. He just looked at guages then patted the throttles and said he was ready to get out.

I wish I could have read his mind at that moment.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Veteran's History Project

...I wish I could have read his mind at that moment.

I used to sit and listen to my grandfather's and my wife's grandfather's stories like I was under a trance. Both men would go silent for a few moments every now and again, and I would think the same thing you just wrote. Man, what an epic probably ran through their minds.