My Dad Was A Hero, WWII Options

[EdwardBlume]

I want to share a cool thing with you my friends on the 914 world site. As many of you know, I am restoring Dads car.. a '74 2.0.. my Dad bought it when I was 6. It was his midlife crisis car, and I was his midlife crisis kid.... as he had me at 53.

Today in the mail I received a book written by the historian of the 31st Bombardment Squadron of WWII. I'm grateful for her work and dedication, as so many heroes history have gone undocumented and are lost... but thanks to her some are not lost... particularly now.. my Dads.

My Dad never talked about the war, so little was said, I wasn't even sure he was there... let alone where, what, or when. However, when he died, we found the picture below.

Years later, in the middle of the night, I woke up thinking about my Dad. I walked out into our kitchen (Jeff Bowlsby's old house) and saw the picture of my Dad and his crew. Unexpectedly, an internet search led me to his exact same B24! but strangely it had a different crew. That's where it ended though, no one had heard of my Dad or his crew.... despite the picture.

I left my information hoping for anything. You see, I don't have my Dad's military record either, as a fire at the government storage facility where it was kept, was destroyed decades ago.

The book author / historian contacted me from seeing the website. She asked for rights to the picture and any details. I agreed, but I had no details.

More years later, out of nowhere, she called me excited wanting to introduce me to a man I had never heard of.. turns out, he was the pilot of my Dad's crew. Somehow she recognized my Dad's name from our brief exchange. I agreed to talk with him by phone. We chatted as best we could, and he outlined the story in the book I just read. He called my Dad "the best damn navigator in the whole war.." but I didn't really understand the full story.. until I read it just now tonight.

In the book, the pilot of my Dad's B24 tells the story their survival... an experience which rendered him unable to fly for 3 days after.... when faced with the end of their lives, they did their jobs, including my Dad.

After reading it, it all hit me, he WAS a hero... so many were and are, but now I know, and its in print, he was there and he barely made it through.

He was my hero too. Long before tonight. I hope as my days pass, I can live up to his example.

So when you see my Dad's car around, look past me, look past a car, and know that a hero, my hero "enjoyed it like a little go cart"... and live your life to the fullest too...

Thanks so much to all of you out there who have had a hand in helping me restore my 914 (you know who you are). Thanks to this site... and thanks to my family and friends for putting up with this pathetic addiction, so that I could preserve my Dads spirit. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

Wow... Gwen, you rock! I've never seen the "palm tree" picture before... THANK YOU!

[GTeener]

Wow... Gwen, you rock! I've never seen the "palm tree" picture before... THANK YOU!

5th BG B-24 L 44-41669, taken at Samar, Philippines

I'm wondering if this is the end of the line for poor "Four Fan Fanny"? I found a serial number web page and there was a big hole between 41666 thru 41672 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

Wow... Gwen, you rock! I've never seen the "palm tree" picture before... THANK YOU!

5th BG B-24 L 44-41669, taken at Samar, Philippines

I'm wondering if this is the end of the line for poor "Four Fan Fanny"? I found a serial number web page and there was a big hole between 41666 thru 41672 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

They flew home from the Philippines through Hickam Field (Hawaii) and then CA.

What is "41666 thru 41672"?