Re: The Last Flight
Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 9:36 am
All I can say is WOW, thank you!! 
Great story.
I had a slightly similar experience several years ago. I was working as the stage manager for a university and there was a large conference booked in for the week. We were in between lectures and I was standing in front of the theatre enjoying a brief pause when I heard the distinct rumble of approaching warbirds. I am a bit of an airplane buff and squinted to see flying very low a B-17 and B-24 flying straight at us and about to pass overhead. Just as I notice those I notice an older gentleman with a hat identifying him as a WWII veteran. I quickly moved over to him and said "Sir...look up". Until I pointed them out I don't think he had any clue the treat we were about the see. They rumbled over and he had the biggest grin on his face. I spent the next hour chatting with him and turns out he served in the Pacific. He told me stories about how when you they had leave they couldn't actually go anywhere so they would make deals with the British pilots to man a door gun on a run to somewhere fun to take your leave. They would fly on the deck through some Japanese camp and shoot the place up on the way to wherever it was they were going. Then he said you'd have to make similar arrangements to get back in time usually with a fierce hangover. He told this story laughing like it was all just good fun and boys will be boys. I will never forget that day or that man.
apparently theres some dust in my eye...just a moment