steve dickey wrote:
Hey Brad, in the "Yesterdays Wings" book it mentioned Vic was with Boeing(while in the Army Air Corps) in the development of the 29.
Then followed the airplane into the CBI and on into the Marianas. I assume he was just a "tech rep"? Do you know if he ever went on any combat missions and what rank
he had? Thanks. Oh, and it doesn't say in the book other than FIFI was named after Vic's wife, but isn't FIFI a nickname for her? What
was her real name? I'm thinking Josefina??
Thanks again.
Hi Steve, Hope yall are well.
Vic Agather was recalled into the Army (apparently as a result of taking engineering classes in college before going to Wall Street) and made personal trouble shooter to BGen Erik Nelson. Erik Nelson was the pilot of the Douglas World Cruiser "New Orleans" that completed the first flight around the world. That put him in line of being the liaison between Hap Arnold/Army Air Force and Boeing. All of this was early in the development of the B-29. He was a "tech Rep" of sorts between the two entities. He was a Major when the war ended and I believe he did fly some combat missions. I've got copies of his personal notebooks from this time frame. I just haven't set down and gone through all of it. If you were to write a book about the developmental problems of the B-29 and getting the first ones to combat, these notes would be the bible to go off of. He was unbelievably detailed in his notes. I believe he left the Air Force reserves as a full bird Colonel. Mrs. Agather's name was Josephine but nobody ever called her that. Her nickname was FIFI and that is basically all she ever went by.