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Post by Mark O on Feb 3, 2012 12:58:12 GMT 9
Folks, this is worth 6 minutes, and 21 seconds of your time.
(Tissues optional. I almost needed some.)
For those who flew, but as a maintainer before I became a flyer, well, it goes without saying. You know...
The line, "keep them flying" applies to all of us.
We remember.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2012 13:59:11 GMT 9
WORDS FAIL ME AT THE MOMENT
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Bullhunter
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Post by Bullhunter on Feb 3, 2012 14:20:52 GMT 9
Fantastic find Mark. :2thumbsup :clap
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Post by jimpadgett on Feb 3, 2012 20:58:23 GMT 9
Exceptional!
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Jim Scanlon (deceased)
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Post by Jim Scanlon (deceased) on Feb 4, 2012 1:48:45 GMT 9
On my last trip to the Imperial War Museum - Duxford, I stood by a rope fence and looked at two flyable B-17s.
They were both being prepared for flight, and there were several men around them.
I was on the starboard side of the nearest plane, just looking and admiring.
I noticed a couple of "older" men, with what appeared to be their wives come up to the aft fence.
As they stood there, one of the crew members walked back to greet them.
The "old-timers" were wearing ball caps with the 8th Air Force insignia on them. They might have been at Duxford for a reunion, as there were others "old-timers", wearing the same type ball caps.
As the crewman talked to them, he raised the rope, to let them under.
As they walked to the B-17 nearest me, I watched their halting steps, but saw something happen.
Those two men actually straightened up and began walking without any faltering.
As they walked around the Superfortress, I just stood there and watched.
After they walked around the plane, the crewman opened the rear hatch, put the ladder in place, then he and another crew member assisted the "old warriors" in to the airplane.
I don't know anything more than what I saw, but I saw a marvelous sight that day.
Two men, who were probably in their early twenties when they first climbed through the rear hatch of a B-17, entering through that portal to a long-ago world. A world at war.
It was time for me to find De, as I had been there for some time, so I walked back to the hanger where she was waiting.
I didn't see the two men when they came back from the B-17. but I'm sure they were filled with joy, when they came back out that hatch.
I don't know if those "old warriors" were aboard when the B-17b took off a while later, but I think they may have been.
Every year in England, there is a flyover of some WW2 planes to commemorate the Battle of Britain, in the early stages of WW2.
The planes are mostly fighters, but they include some bombers.
Great Britain does a wonderful job of remembering the sacrifices of those young men, who dared to climb in to a single-engine fighter, take off of their grass runway, then climb in to the sky to face the forces of Nazi Germany. They fought for their homeland, usually over their homeland.
Many gave their all, all were affected by the Battle of Britain, and the many battles to follow.
Winston Churchill said, on 20 August 1940: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
Jim Too
:god_bless_usa
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2012 2:56:02 GMT 9
tell that to the talking heads in the hoo hoo palace
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MOW
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Post by MOW on Feb 4, 2012 6:55:00 GMT 9
:2thumbsup WOW, what a great find Mark :salute And what a beautiful array of aircraft past and present flying together. There needs to be an F-106 in there. Damn, why could there have been one left flying
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jeep3
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Post by jeep3 on Feb 4, 2012 7:05:37 GMT 9
Mark, that was very good, I needed a tissue during one particular spot. :thanks :salute :us_flag :patriotic-flagwaver :god_bless_usa
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Post by Jim on Apr 28, 2012 10:11:04 GMT 9
Good film, you will see several airlines that no longer exist, mission bound a/c mixed with civilian looking a/c-Air America (CIA)... When I was there in 66-67, TanSan Nhut AB, with 3 runways, sometimes launched more a/c between 6AM and noon than O'Hare did in 24 hours (O'Hare, at the time was listed as the busiest airport in the US)
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