Beerball Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 http://www.npr.org/2014/01/03/259432775/bill-overstreet-famed-wwii-fighter-pilot-dies-at-92 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 May he RIP sounds like he had some balls back in his day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I had the pleasure, about a year or two ago, to listen to a few WWII vets openly discuss their experiences. A couple were POW Camp escapees and one of them was a pilot. They shared their experiences so matter-of-factly. They weren't looking for pats on the back. They just enjoyed talking and I could tell how happy they were that people wanted to listen. It won't be long before no one is alive to offer actual recollections. If anyone ever has a chance to attend something like this (this was at our local library and was free to the public), I highly suggest it. RIP to this true American hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1billsnut Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 I had the chance a couple of years ago to accompany a group of WWII veterans on a trip to the WWII memorial in Washington DC. It was a trip put together by Honor Flight. Honor Flights are available in every state, I believe….they take WWII veterans to the memorial at no cost to the veteran. Every veteran must have a guardian with them. Most veterans had family as their guardians, but some veterans needed volunteers to be their guardian so they could go on the trip. I did not know my veteran, I just signed up to give an opportunity for one of them to be able to go. ( I would have loved to taken my grandfather but he passed away before the memorial was built ) Let me tell you, once these guys got loosened up through the day….you should have heard some of the stories, and teasing each other. Have you ever seen an 85ish year old man look at another 85ish year old man and say "Hey Army boy, ya know what Army stands for…..Aint Ready to be a Marine Yet!!! And then, 1/2 of the busload of vets just starts hooting and hollering. Very cool stuff. To see and hear the emotions while they were at the memorial …that is pretty much indescribable. The men were treated like hero's for the day…..a band met them at the memorial, and when we returned to the airport at our home at approx midnight, there was about 150 people waiting….waving flags, and clapping. Quite a few of them had tears in their eyes, and a few even made the comment "I didnt get THIS when I came home from the war"(this is when I got tears in my eyes). The cost to be a guardian is approx $350-400…Im sure this depends on your location, but it was some of the best money that I ever spent. If you know a WWII veteran, go to Honor Flight's website and get them signed up for a free trip they will never forget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 May he RIP sounds like he had some balls back in his day. A lot of them did, on all sides. I've known a few personally (including one of the spotter plane pilots who was known for slaloming his Grasshopper between telegraph poles), and have got to meet and speak with a few others at panel talks. Generally, to be a successful fighter pilot (i.e. one that survives) you've got to be slightly nuts. To be one back then...a little bit more than "slightly." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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