It was a beautiful day for flying! I didn’t have the $450 to spend, so I had to content myself to walking around her. I saw her fly around and land a couple of times, and thought about the old airbase in Halls, TN that used these a/c to train crews. It’s hard for me to imagine seeing dozens of these warbirds flying daily above your rural home, then one day, they’re no more. My wife talked with an 88 year old veteran who was there. He didn’t realize that a B-17 was visiting until he heard her flying above the house. He said he new immediately what she was just from the sound, though it’s nearly 70 years removed.
It’s definitely an unmistakable sound! I hear it pretty regularly…The “Yankee Lady” flies over quite a bit…which I got to ride…for free(just sayin!)!!! Also got a ride in “Yankee Warrior”, the B-25. They also took a Veteran up (for free), who was passing by and saw it on the ramp, decided to stop. They had to physically take him off the plane, after the flight, he was so overcome with emotions, he couldn’t get himself down the ladder. I spoke with him for a little bit, after he mellowed out…he had flown over 100 missions in the South Pacific. He said that only a dozen or so, were flown above 100 feet!!! Most were at wavetop level. He also said, that on 13 occasions…his wingman either just exploded, took hits and splashed, or just got too low and disappeard into a wave…he never took a single hit…after that statement, he completely broke down. Quite heart wrenching, what these guys did, and had to live with for the rest of their lives.
