Pensacola SBD news.....

[Owen Miller]

I've been in Pensacola for a few days for the 2009 Naval
Aviation Symposium. Lots of history and a really good time!

I shot a bunch of pictures pf the plane out beside the resto
hangar and will post them to a Webshots page when I get
home.

Below is a message and another photo of the recently raised
SBD from Buddy Macon, Deputy Director.

"Owen, please feel free to share the photo with the forum..
Thank them for me in helping to support our continued
efforts to preserve some of our country's aviation heritage.."

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2766987 ... host=rides

Last edited by Owen Miller on Sun May 10, 2009 8:38 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Pat Carry]

Thanks for those Pensacola updates Owen.

[bobbrunn]

Owen,

Any of the straight deck era aviators at the event ?

[Owen Miller]

There were some white haired gents
in the area......

One of our volunteers was visiting during
the symposium was Harry Johnson of VMF-214
when Boyington was skipper....

At the dinner I was seated at a table with a
gent to started out in PBYs and wound up in
P-3s.......interesting guy.....

And speaking of white haired gents.....Neil
Armstrong, Gene Cernan, and John Glenn
were there.

Last edited by Owen Miller on Sat May 09, 2009 8:23 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Holedigger]

The Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum is a true Gem. If you haven't been there, try to get there before all the volunteers of that generation pass. We made a swing through there last year. My 9yr old and I were greeted by one of those white haired gents. He asked my son what his favorite plane was, and he responded P-51 Mustang! Noticing the PBY pin on the gent's lapel, I whispered in my son's ear "It's Navy, say PBY" Which he did, and the docent smiled a big smile and told my son what a smart boy he was! With all the grumbling about the Navy and their policies aside, they have a wonderful museum. Go there. Shake a vet's hand. Listen to their stories.

[Owen Miller]

Yes, it's a pretty special place. The highlight for me
was interacting with Speicher's family. Right after the
fly over I took the Speicher POW bracelet off my wrist
and put it on his daughter's wrist. I told her, "Your daddy
isn't forgotten". A buddy did the same thing for Speicher's
son. There were no dry eyes............I still tear up just
thinking about it.

[Owen Miller]

Link to photos taken last week...........

http://community.webshots.com/album/571 ... =community

[mustangdriver]

The museum really is a special place. A fiend of mine and myself went there, and were treated just great. The aircraft in the collection are amazing. Really a must see.

[the330thbg]

Right after the
fly over I took the Speicher POW bracelet off my wrist
and put it on his daughter's wrist. I told her, "Your daddy
isn't forgotten".

wait a minute.., are they still proposing that Speicher is MIA? A POW being held at 'secret' locations in Iraq?

[Owen Miller]

Poor choice of words. The bracelets have the POW/MIA
emblem on them. I did not mean to imply that there was
credible evidence he was a POW. To my knowledge his
fate remains unknown.

What a shame that a TBD never ended up in the lake...

Just out of curiosity, why was this SBD salvaged now? I mean, why was the SBD brought up instead of the F4U or F6F? Permits/paperwork or are the other projects "bigger jobs" ie deep water, etc.

Hats off to the salvage team. Great job!

Dan

[Jerry O'Neill]

This SBD will be restored and take the place of the one on loan now hanging at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Jerry

[Owen Miller]

Good question.....the story is that a mystery donor stepped
forward to pay for raising an SBD for the Natl WWII Museum
for a Midway tribute. That's why the Dauntless came up first
among the new recoveries.

Owen

[the330thbg]

Money talk$

[Owen Miller]

TRUER WORDS WERE NEVER SPOKEN!!!!!!!

I would add......... the rest of us just stumble along....