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GregGleason

GregGleason

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One of the most celebrated units of the US Army Air Force in WWII.

[YOUTUBE]PhmFFtjB2qY[/YOUTUBE]

Greg
 
If Hollyweird does as good a job of this as they did with “Redtails” I’ll pass.
 
GEDC0041.jpg
My dad is the middle, bottom row. Based in Pottington England, he flew 26 missions even though they were only required to fly 25, shot down four enemy planes over Europe, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on a mission over Germany Nov. 26th, 1943, when both the pilot and co-pilot were wounded, he administered first aid and helped fly the plane safely back to England.
8th air force patch.jpg
 
what a story! your dad is a special man....how old was he at this time?

bill2654 said:
View attachment 159301
My dad is the middle, bottom row. Based in Pottington England, he flew 26 missions even though they were only required to fly 25, shot down four enemy planes over Europe, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on a mission over Germany Nov. 26th, 1943, when both the pilot and co-pilot were wounded, he administered first aid and helped fly the plane safely back to England.
View attachment 159302
Click to expand...
 
NJRick said:
what a story! your dad is a special man....how old was he at this time?
Click to expand...
Thanks Rick, He was 27 yrs old. When the war broke out, he wanted to join the Army Air Corp. At that time everyone wanted to be a pilot and the Air Corp was only taking those with flight experience so he went to Canada and learned to fly in a Stearman bi-plane. Came back and joined the Air Corp as a navigator/bombardier. He never talked about the war until about the last year of his life. At that time my folks were moving from Penn. to Colo. and I spent about two weeks helping him pack and when ever we would take a brake he would tell me stories of different missions. On one mission they were flying in thick cloud cover and when they came out of the clouds there were two Folk Wolfes beside his plane, so close he could see the whites of the pilots eyes. Needless to say the German was just as surprised as my dad and the two Folk Wolves immediately peeled off, one almost shredding the others tail off with his prop. In the last days of his life I was at his bedside and he would be talking incoherently but I could make out a few words, one of which was ME-109, which is a German fighter plane. I asked the Hospice nurse why he was talking in his sleep and she said he was reliving his war experiences. They were truly the greatest generation. Love ya Dad.
 
at age 27, he was probably considered an old man! you know...I have never met him, but me and my family live in freedom because of the sacrifice your Dad made. You are so right...they were the greatest generation.

bill2654 said:
Thanks Rick, He was 27 yrs old. When the war broke out, he wanted to join the Army Air Corp. At that time everyone wanted to be a pilot and the Air Corp was only taking those with flight experience so he went to Canada and learned to fly in a Stearman bi-plane. Came back and joined the Air Corp as a navigator/bombardier. He never talked about the war until about the last year of his life. At that time my folks were moving from Penn. to Colo. and I spent about two weeks helping him pack and when ever we would take a brake he would tell me stories of different missions. On one mission they were flying in thick cloud cover and when they came out of the clouds there were two Folk Wolfes beside his plane, so close he could see the whites of the pilots eyes. Needless to say the German was just as surprised as my dad and the two Folk Wolves immediately peeled off, one almost shredding the others tail off with his prop. In the last days of his life I was at his bedside and he would be talking incoherently but I could make out a few words, one of which was ME-109, which is a German fighter plane. I asked the Hospice nurse why he was talking in his sleep and she said he was reliving his war experiences. They were truly the greatest generation. Love ya Dad.
Click to expand...
 
bill2654 said:
View attachment 159301
My dad is the middle, bottom row. Based in Pottington England, he flew 26 missions even though they were only required to fly 25, shot down four enemy planes over Europe, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross on a mission over Germany Nov. 26th, 1943, when both the pilot and co-pilot were wounded, he administered first aid and helped fly the plane safely back to England.
View attachment 159302
Click to expand...
Wow! I have the same patch from my dad. I think you were lucky as you got some stories at least. My father drew a strict line and built a 'wall' around the war experiences he had (B-24's). I didn't really know him very well until I was a teen and as a squadron commander he (and we) got to stay in one place (together) for longer than 6 months. I basically grew up in Alconbury, Woodbridge, Bentwaters, Lakenheath and Molesworth RAF bases in Britain during the Cold War. I do everything I can to support these veterans as they really were 'the greatest generation'. From one 'brat' to another- much respect and thanks to your father.
 
The museum in Savannah is very educational and inspiring.
 
dr wogz said:
Memphis Belle? Love that one.. great movie.
Click to expand...

One of my favorite WWII movie is "COMMAND DECISION":cool: It encompasses the fight between the Air Force, Navy, Politicians and the media.:eyepop: On great line is a media member saying " Gee, I thought we were fighting the Germans" after a general stated how they fought the navy for funding, convincing congress for funding and getting the media to promote air power.:facepalm:
How some things never change:mad:
 

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