Many moons ago I had a pic of a Spitfire Vb in the aircraft forum, it was to be a Christmas gift for a RAF veteran who served with 126Sqn in Malta in 1942. When the model was finished I displayed it a glass case and took it to my friends house who had asked me build it. He told me that he would present it to his father-in-law on Christmas morning.
I got a call today from my friend. He told me his father-in-law wanted a word with me. “It’s perfect.” He said. “Thank you for all your hard work.”
He went on to tell me a little about his time in Malta and how happy he was to have a replica of “his crate”.
I feel so great that I was able to do something for this man who served his country and to make him so happy as well. Definately the most rewarding experience I’ve had as a model builder. I hope I get the chance to build for other vets in the future. It’s a very humbling experience when a man tells you that you built his aircraft “spot-on.”!
I would love to be able to sit down and talk about stories that these veterans have. They are all getting up in age now and their stories need to live on in the hearts of those that hear them.
What great experience. That’s one of the things I miss about my grandfather is that he had just gotten to where he was taking about Korea when he passed.
I just located my father’s WW2 pilot (80+ now) and after one or two phone calls drove about 4 hours to where he lives. We had a great chat and I learned things I never would have otherwise.
I also interviewed a couple of vets (including my father in law) for my corvette model and their experiences were really something. They were reluctant to talk until I explained my interest and then they opened up. I just hope I can finish the model while they are still alive.
This kind of thing really motivates me to build …
Bruce
To hear the stories and visit with Vets is a major reason I model. I have built B-24s. B-17s, C47s, F4s, ADs, and am now finishing a B26 for a local guy who was a gunner. It is amazing the reaction I get when they are done, from the family who asked, and then the look on the face when we present the model to the Vet. I always have a tape recorder, and if ok, a video camera to record the stories. The model really then becomes a part of history and has special meaning to me.
The B-17 has a funny story, I built it when still in highschool and had the rear door open. My reference photo was a negative so I figured the door would open from the left. The crewman whom I presented the model to, told me the door opened the wrong way. I asked that why on earth they would design the door to open into the slipstream, and he replied; “I was asking the same stupid question while trying to open it to bail out over Holland”.
Hehehe… that’s funny! Well, i guess there was a lot to think about during the war to bother with something as “trivial” as an egress hatch. [:D]
I have never really talked to a WWII vet before, although i do know of a jesuit priest that was a captain during d-day, before he entered the order, and was part of the invasion force. i don’t think he likes to talk about it much because he changes the subject whenever i try to bring it up. i guess a lot of those memories are painful ones…
Great story Sottrc! It is certainly true that we can always learn from those who have been before us. I think as a group we should all try to make the effort to show our vets that they are appreciated by the younger generation.
The gentleman I built for was certainly touched when someone 50yrs younger wanted to hear of his experiences.
I remember working at a hobby store and meeting a gentleman who fought with Gen. Paulus’ Sixth Army at Stalingrad. He was a Tank driver in Panzer VI’s and escaped just before the encirclement cut them off completely. He says they left by heading south with a Russian-speaking Polish officer who lead them out. Later he went on to fight in Italy with Kesselring’s 10th(?) Army. I only regret losing touch with him and not being able to learn more. It was extremely interesting to be able to talk with someone who fought on the “other side”, and it is an experience I shall treasure forever.
We had quite a contingent of airwar vets at my Lutheran Church. Henry, the B17 guy went there along with a German named Adolf who was a mechanic in the Luftwaffer and always joked about Heny’s bad aim at dropping bombs. Both were on the Church council and became good freinds, but every now and then would disagree about something and would re-start the war again. Adolf became a guest of Canada as a POW when he was transferred to a Coastal Patrol squadron and was a crew cheif on a Condor that was shot down.
Adolf aways had many interesting stories to tell in his broken English about life in Europe during the war, politics of the Lufftwaffer and feelings towards the Riech, and of being a POW. He had a sense of humor and got along very well with all the allied vets in town. He liked Canada and the US so he became a citizen and a farmer. Both men are no longer with us, but many of their stories are still being re-hashed in my home town.
I never could get from Adolf the exact details of the Condor he flew on, or else I would model one.
My father, a WWII vet who worked on P-38’s and later B-29’s (with the 509th) recently passed away after a very long illness.
I knew that time was critical, so I picked up and went to work on an Academy P-38L which was the type of Lightning he maintained in the Pacific. I was so glad I was able to present it to him before he went into the hospital for the final time.
I will never forget his happiness when he was presented with the plane nor his stories of his war experiences.
The plane now stands in front of his flag on the mantle as a tribute.
We all should never forget the courage and the honor of that generation. Nor, for that matter, later generations…
You’re absolutely right Skywarner, we should never forget what others have done in service of their country. I was very lucky to be invited to a newly formed model club recently where I met a gentleman who used to fly Halifax’s in the RAF. We sat down with a couple of pints and I just listened for a couple of hours. I was so lucky to meet him and listen to his experiences. I won’t be asked to build for him though, he builds his own-to a very high standard!
Ona similar note, there was a gentleman wwho was a member of our model club who was very deeply involved in the development and construction of the Space Shuttle. After he retired, he started building the Challenger for his Wife. Shortly after the Challenger disaster, this gentleman passed away, leaving behind a partially-built Challenger Space Shuttle. She brought it in to ask if someone would finish it for her, and somehow the job fell to me. It is almost done, and will be presented to her at our January meeting. I can only hope my work is worthy of Mr. Stoner’s model.
Being able to finish something for someone like this is an Honor that I only hope I deserve.
Great stories guys, thanks for sharing. My only brush with a vet was meeting one in a flea market. Can’t remember his name, but he fought in the Pacific in some tof the major battles. He showed me a scar on his face and described how he got it. It was on Okinawa and a Japanese soldier was quite close and shot him in the face and the bullet passed through both cheeks. He fortunately shot and killed him. One reaction that he made that I won’t forget is, after I thanked him for his service and told him how very brave he was to endure all that fighting, he responsed “Brave?, Hell I was scared to death!” I just couldn’t imagine the hell those guys went through.
My wifes Grandfather was a WWII vet and tod me of all his experiances before he died.
At 15 he joined the Navy, and was at Pearl, and the Battle of Midway, while awaiting his actual post as a Demolition expert on a Sub that did sabatoge in the Japanese harbors.
His wife still has his Flight Jacket from the Stint he did as radio operator on the Enterprise.
I’ve been trying to convince her that jacket needs to be interned at a museum, but at the moment she’s unwilling to part with it.
I shall try. My digicam isn’t up to the task, so I’ll get someone at my model meeting to take them. Once he e-mails me the copies, I’ll have them posted.
Duke, I’m sure you’ll rise to the occassion. You must feel very proud to be asked to complete that model. I look forward to seeing it when it’s finished.
Robert Spreckels – the German Luftwaffe pilot who shot down Britain’s most celebrated night-fighter pilot, Bob Braham. After reading Bob’s book, Nightfighter, I contacted him and verified that both Bob abd Robert had enjoyed many whiskeys together after the war.