Met a WWII Fighter Pilot tonight ***UPDATE

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goldfish65

goldfish65

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I work as a waiter and by chance, members of our military and veterans will often be seated in my section. Tonight an unassuming gentleman was dining alone and I noticed an American flag pin on his collar similar to one I wear on my uniform. He asked 'Do you fly?' and I said no, sir, my pin was a gift from a veteran. Then he told me he was a P-47 fighter pilot and I realized he was a WWII veteran. Out of more than 15,000 P-47's that were built, he flew #000007. He piloted 67 missions with the 371st Fighter Group including the first ones into France after D-Day. In between missions they would rescue injured soldiers as well as French civilians. They 'adopted' one badly injured French girl and in 1979 a group returned to the town St. Mere to visit her and meet her daughter, and see a monument dedicated to them. It was amazing to hear his experiences...to think of the lives he saved, and the friends he lost, and to talk to someone who had a real part in stopping Hitler. He shared a lot more about his life and mentioned his knees were messed up from plane crashes. He told me he is 91 but he looked more like 75. It's not every day I get to meet someone so tough and honorable.
 
Awesome stuff, David. I'm sure you'll never forget that.
 
Getting to be less and less of these guys. I made "brownie points" with a guy one day, our boss's son was with me to do a bid on a system replacement, and I was there to see if I could fix the dead A/C. He had a Corsair (F4-U) model on his mantel and I asked if he flew em. He was a Marine pilot in WWII in the Pacific Island campaign.

I explained to the boss's son that there had been THREE Navy Corsairs, a biplane, (The old Vought O2U), the WWII and the jet powered "Corsair II" A7 we had at Miramar.

I guess he wasn't expecting that someone actually knew a little about this stuff. We had quite a conversation. Unfortunately, he passed on not too long afterwards from cancer.
 
Cool story. My Grandfather passed away last fall. He was a glider pilot during WWII. The greatest generation.


Mr. Dillinger was born July 2, 1920 at Bernice, Okla. to William Franklin and Amanda Elizabeth (King) Dillinger. He had lived in Miami since 1980 moving from the Grove area. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II from 1942-1946 and then served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1951. He was a member of the American Legion, the 40 et 8, the Grand Lake Good Sam's Club and had served with the Northeast Oklahoma Veterans Funeral Detail. Mr. Dillinger was the last of the Glider Pilots.
 
I have a local friend that became an ace in a F-4U Corsair in the Navy during WWII.. I love old history about that kinda stuff.
 
I was on the Midway earlier this year. There are WWII pilots on board as volunteers. They tell incredible stories. Some actually flew off the carrier. If you want to talk to them you better hurry, they are way up in years at this stage.
 
In feb my friend passed, he flew B 17's during WWII. Was just a Kid when he was flying

He didn't like to talk about it, it haunted him till the day he died. Sometimes he would start talking and I always listened to his stories, very interesting, but when it made it cry, I would always remind him he was doing his job and brought his crew home, life would not have been the same if he hadn't did what he did.

Yes they are will not be here too much longer

Listen if they want to talk

Thank a Veteran when you see them
 
Wow, that is really neat, what a privilege too. And he only asked you cause he noticed your pin? That is neat, because of your gift from a veteran he is opening up a door for you like the one you had just mentioned. That guy must have some amazing stories!

Not long ago I was at a local fast food place here in MN with my daughter one morning for breakfast, I noticed a WWII veteran came in and sat down by himself. We were getting ready to leave and I wanted to thank him but his waitress was there with his food and my little girl was getting antsy so I never said anything and we headed out. I really regret I didn't, I got to read his hat and it said he was a Bataan Death March Survivor. Those who don't know in 1942 the Japanese marched 76,000 POWs 80 miles through the jungle, thousands died on the way, and when the survivors got to the prison camps, many more were tortured and died there. Knowing this guy survived all that and been through such a horrific ordeal is sure something, and knowing that I didn't shake his hand and thank him puts a lump in my throat and a tear to my eye, I really regret it. I visit the same restaurant in hopes that he will be there again so I can thank him properly. Thanks for letting me share this and thank you to all our Veterans.
 
I have always said take time to Honor those who severed in the armed services its just cool to meet real heroes .
 
66340SEDAN said:
Wow, that is really neat, what a privilege too. And he only asked you cause he noticed your pin? That is neat, because of your gift from a veteran he is opening up a door for you like the one you had just mentioned. That guy must have some amazing stories!

Not long ago I was at a local fast food place here in MN with my daughter one morning for breakfast, I noticed a WWII veteran came in and sat down by himself. We were getting ready to leave and I wanted to thank him but his waitress was there with his food and my little girl was getting antsy so I never said anything and we headed out. I really regret I didn't, I got to read his hat and it said he was a Bataan Death March Survivor. Those who don't know in 1942 the Japanese marched 76,000 POWs 80 miles through the jungle, thousands died on the way, and when the survivors got to the prison camps, many more were tortured and died there. Knowing this guy survived all that and been through such a horrific ordeal is sure something, and knowing that I didn't shake his hand and thank him puts a lump in my throat and a tear to my eye, I really regret it. I visit the same restaurant in hopes that he will be there again so I can thank him properly. Thanks for letting me share this and thank you to all our Veterans.
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Ask the waitress or any of the others if they remember him and if he still comes in! Good luck.

All great stories!
 
Locomotion said:
Ask the waitress or any of the others if they remember him and if he still comes in! Good luck.

All great stories!
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I will do that next time I go, I am sure he gets his morning coffee and breakfast there, from time-to-time thanks!
 
my high school history teacher drove a tank onto Juno beach in the third wave on DDay , and my math teacher was a WW1 flying ace , the best part about high school for me was talking to these guys , you gain a sense of real history instead of the crap some propaganda hoe wrote in a book .
 
I know what you mean Keith, I had a lump in my throat talking to this veteran and afterwards felt like I could somehow have thanked him better. At 91 he is still serving his community, he was in town attending a meeting of an education advisory board he has worked on for 12 years, at his own expense. I didn't want to get too personal with my questions but there is quite a bit written about his accomplishments on the internet.
 
Great stories... The wife and I went into Wal Mart one evening. The door greeter was a Veteran. He served in the Navy on the USS Los Angeles He stopped me and asked if I had ever been on board, I had to say no. We spent about 15 minutes with him as he told us all about the ship. He had a gleam in his eye while he was talking,when he finished I shook his hand and told him thank you. I know the ship was commissioned July 22,1945. A grand ship she is.

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My neighbor stopped by the other day. He still carries his yellow belly jap hunting license.
 
I love thanking the vets. I always do when i see them too.
 
goldfish65 said:
I know what you mean Keith, I had a lump in my throat talking to this veteran and afterwards felt like I could somehow have thanked him better. At 91 he is still serving his community, he was in town attending a meeting of an education advisory board he has worked on for 12 years, at his own expense. I didn't want to get too personal with my questions but there is quite a bit written about his accomplishments on the internet.
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You should've bought his meal for him. Just teasing, but it sounds like he made your day, and you probably made his.
 
Your artwork is a great tribute. Reading up on the P47 is a real eye-opener. The heaviest single piston-engine fighter plane, about twice as heavy as it's predecessor. Imagine being 22 years old--you are a crew of one- and being sent on a mission to bomb a railroad tunnel or whatever, being stalked and attacked by German fighters, belly-landing your damaged plane, and walking away with minor injuries. Then continuing to fly mission after mission.
 
bkbond12 said:
You should've bought his meal for him. Just teasing, but it sounds like he made your day, and you probably made his.
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Yes I am still blown away by meeting him. I did buy his Chivas on the rocks. Actually the owners let us 'comp' the dinner for active duty military at our discretion.
 
I know what you mean. 20 years ago I had the good fortune to meet and get to know some WW2 vets. A "grunt" ( his words) in Patton's 3rd Army, a B-26 (Martin) pilot, a B-17 pilot, and a SBD pilot.

Their unassuming and humble attitude regarding their service truly moved me. I have stared death in the face at work on a few occasions but never stared death in the face when that face was behind a gun pointing at ME.

God Bless them all; past, present, and future.
 
So tonight I was busy when my coworker says 'Hey your friend is back,' they seated him in someone else's section. Which was good because I went and sat down beside him on the banquette...first I made sure I told Wally "Thanks" from all you guys, and he was glad to hear it. Then he shared some amazing stories....he was part of liberating Paris, and decided to fly under the Eiffel Tower. But as he got close he saw there were lots of wires around it so he changed his mind. Another time where they were in France, a big stray German guard dog came along...he started playing with him with a rope when the dog lunged at him, but when he ducked out of the way, the dog just started barking as if he was laughing at him. From then on, that was his dog, he slept at the foot of his bed. One day as he was walking towards his plane to go on a mission, the dog kept tugging on his pants trying to stop him from going. That was the mission where he lost half of a wing and barely made it back. When they moved from that area, he had to give up the dog, but he convinced a pilot of a bigger plane to bring the dog back to England where hopefully he found a new life. We talked for a long time. I had hoped but didn't really believe I'd see Wally again, I sure won't ever forget him.
 
Very cool!!!

Me dad works at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, and helped restore the B-17, the 307, and is working on the B-29.

I havent been for a while but they used to, and still do, have guest speakers.

I have been to see Col. Paul Tibbetts, the Memphis Belle's Captain Morgan, one of the P-38 pilots who is part of the Lost Squadron who landed in Greenland, they dug his plane out and its now flying again as Glacier Gal,

The pilot who i think was lead plane on the mission to shoot down Yamammoto, One of Pappy Boyingtons Black Sheep, Fred Haise and Jim Lovell too

The best talk was from Eric Hartman, the top WW2 German Ace, and a P-51 ace George Preddy.

1n 1944 Eric Harman had a dogfight with a P-51 that was escorting bombers, that lasted 30 min, the both expended all their ammunition in the dog fight. When they couldnt shoot each other any more, the P-51 pilot flew anlong side, they saluted and departed.

they both returned to base, neither one had any bullet holes in the airplane, they both remembered the fight at the end of the war, and this was their first meeting in person ever.

They both told their own story of the dog fight, incredible!!!

One of the stories was from a guy that tried to recover a B-29 in Greenland. Forgot his name.

He had known about a B-29 that had been forced to land in Greenlland on a ferry flight. It was still out on a frozen tundra by a lake.

a team of guys spent 2 yrs restoing out there, trying to get it ready to fly, new engines etc.

they got it flyable, bulldozed a runway on the ice, and got it ready to take off. On take off, the generator they were using for a apu, had a gas tank that over turned and caught fire, the plane burned and melted through the ice, i cant imagine that.

Paul Tibbets was asked if he felt any remores for dropping the bomb and killing so many people. "Nope, I had a job to do and i did it"

Capt Morgan said the movie Memphis Belle was a bunch of BS, their last mission was a milk run.

If anyone is interested, i have a ton of pics when my dad and i crawled through the B-17 and B-29, those kids had some balls back then.

Pics here

http://s572.photobucket.com/albums/ss161/rp23g7/MuseumofFlight/
 
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