I met a tail-gunner today...

[MORTARDUDE]

On my way back from my VA appt. I stopped at a little antique store I had never noticed before. I did a little perusing and noticed the clerk was an elderly gentlemen with a baseball cap with Air Force E-8 insignia, Retired, a B-17 pin, and a Tail-Gunner pin...I found out he was 78 years old and had flown 25 missions in 1943-44 over Germany in B-17s and was a tail-gunner and was
a ball turret gunner underneath on some missions. He volunteered to run the store when the owner's wife died of cancer. The owner went to Italy for a month with his sons. Anyway, he tells of a time about 15 years ago waiting to board a flight from Memphis to Atlanta and a fellow about my age struck up a conversation with him. Seems his father had died in WW2, and he asked him about his service. The fellow was seated in first-class ( when it really meant something ) and they exchanged addresses and parted company. About this time the elderly gentlemen gets all choked up...He said right after the seat-belt sign went out the stewardess came over and said a man in first-class wanted to trade seats..He said, no, he couldn't do that, but she said he insisted. When they exchanged seats the man, who was a CEO in Pensacola FL, said that he had spent enough time jammed up in the ball turret and to enjoy the ride. I got choked up as well and shed a tear...He thanked me for my service in Vietnam and I have felt 10 feet tall ever since...

May you all have a safe and healthy Memorial Day Weekend !!

Larry

[39mto39g]

Two real men passed each other in that plane.

Ron

[frisco-kid]

a great story! Two stand-up, classy guys.

[Jerry D]

amen too that statement....