Warbird Information Exchange

On the third year of my father's passing and, from my family, this is in memory of my father. He is the reason why I joined the military and why I tell the history of such men.

By the age of 18, as a member of of a bomber crew, he destroyed six enemy aircraft on the ground, participated in the sinking of a submarine, and ended the lives of many. He retired after 20 years with two DFC's, 11 Air Medals, a recommendation for the Navy Cross, and a personal citation for bravery under intense fire.

That was well said. I thank him for his service. Thank you for not letting the things the brave folks like him did for our country not be forgotten!
Regards
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Thanks for sharing!!

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Never drive faster than your Guardian Angel can fly!!

http://www.390th.org/
www.LSFM.org

Trae

Thank You for his service and the life he devoted for all of us.

America is the land of the free because of the brave... men like your Dad! We are all eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by those who have served, are serving now, and will serve in our military.

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

DITTO!

I come from a family with a history of military/government service and feel the same way about remembering and not falling prey to "revised history." Thanks to all our veterans--past, present and future.

Jim
Navy 91-01
Army 02-05

May I join this post as it touches my heart. I'm English. My father was killed a few months before I was born. He went down in 1940, in a Bristol Blenheim of the Royal Air Force, but no matter how far removed he was in both space and time from your father, he died for the same things that your father fought for. I honour him and remember him every day, and I honour and remember all those others who died for the same reasons. Thank you for originating this post.

L9172

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Don't follow me, I'm lost too.

God Bless Him.

And may your family find comfort.

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Many of us can chime in here. My dad is still here flying DC-3's . He was one of the first of the children evacuated from London during 1940 as a 3 month old. Therefore he was never raised by his family as he did not return to London after the war. My mother never knew her Father, a GI. This was real life then and familys were and are affected all over the world, no matter which side you fought for. My uncle was shot down and KIA as a Lancaster Bomb Aimer. I still treasure his sargeant stripes and a black and white photo of the crew in front of Lancaster "Q". I have researched the history of the mission , squadron etc. My Great Granfather was KIA in France in WW1. The stories go on and on. Being a Brit here in the states i sometimes feel disconnected from the events and memorials that take place in Britain to cover the Commonwealth war losses, but i still get choked up at every missing man formation and the sounds of warbirds overhead. We can NEVER forget that they all died so we may live, and our challenge is passing it on in a society that seems to distance itself from history more and more imho.
Thank you for you dads service and keep the memory alive!
Simon

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"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"

Thank you for sharing.

My grandfather passed around Thanksgiving in 1989 while I was at Lowry AFB in Denver. We used to fly his BT-13 around all the time together and it was very hard on me, as it was the first person I knew who passed.

Bless your Dad, I'm glad to have you share that with me.

Blue Skys sir,

God bless this hero and rest in peace.

Alan,

In honor and in memory of your father.

Thank you for your contributions to me in my remembering my dad.

Dave

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In Honor and Memory of Marine Bombing Squadron VMB 611 "Black Seahorse" 1943-1945
Remembering 1st Lt Doit L Fish, MIA May 30, 1945 in PBJ-1J "MB 11"
Cherry Point - Parris Island - Emirau - Zamboanga

Thank you my friend! The avatar I use is my Pop! 60th FG, 33rd FS CBI.

Sure do miss him...

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

A little bio on my dad. My grandfather was somewhat of a big wig with the Army during he 1930s as an engineer. According to my dad, my grandfather and Major Patton ( you know who) tried to get him interested in armor warfare...including letting him drive a tank. However, dear old dad wanted to be a flyer.

Dad had an appointment to West Point when WWII broke out. Well, dad decided to drop out of school since he believed that the war would be over before he graduated. After being turned down by the AAF (that's another story). He went into the Navy by having his dad sign his enlistment papers...He told him it was a letter from school to go on a field trip (Grandad had been drinking). My grandfather never forgave my dad for doing that and always had a strained relationship.

During his Navy days, my dad passed an exam to be excepted into flight school but was turned down because he didn't graduate from high school. The medals that he earned during the war, in which he wasn't presented until 1996, may have earned him a spot in flight school. If so, I wouldn't be telling this story now.

During his service, according to my dad, he was viewed as a ruthless bastard. He served from WWII to Vietnam. He could tell, in vivid memory, of seeing the men he killed and how he saw, and what he felt, when he saw friends die. I learned early in life, never touch when trying to wake him. Pretty intense stuff.