And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
A formation of B-24 Liberators on the way to Iwo Jima during the pre-invasion bombardment. 21 October 1944
My Dad was a B24 Flight Mechanic stationed on Saipan. He was in the 7th Air Force and swore he never flew in combat. I could never verify if that was true or not. I did not know that B24s were used to bomb Iwo. Thanks
My mother's brother told their mom that he was a B-25 mechanic in the Korean War. My father (his best friend), had a photo of him in the waist gunner's station as the aircraft was flying over forested hills that looked like Korea. Found it too late to get answers.
26th Bombardment Squadron flew 17s then 24s all across the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to the capitulation of Japan. 7th AF got little attention, but flew some of the most dangerous missions of the war. Long distances, small quantities of aircraft and noone to come and get you if you got lost, crashed etc. The 24s often had the ball turret removed and tossed the rear turret in favor of swivel mounted .50s in the rear. All to save weight to get more range / have the fuel to get home.
30th BG, 819th Bomb Squadron
ReplyDeleteGeneral George Kenny's boys
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was a B24 Flight Mechanic stationed on Saipan. He was in the 7th Air Force and swore he never flew in combat. I could never verify if that was true or not. I did not know that B24s were used to bomb Iwo. Thanks
ReplyDeleteMy mother's brother told their mom that he was a B-25 mechanic in the Korean War. My father (his best friend), had a photo of him in the waist gunner's station as the aircraft was flying over forested hills that looked like Korea. Found it too late to get answers.
Delete26th Bombardment Squadron flew 17s then 24s all across the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to the capitulation of Japan. 7th AF got little attention, but flew some of the most dangerous missions of the war. Long distances, small quantities of aircraft and noone to come and get you if you got lost, crashed etc. The 24s often had the ball turret removed and tossed the rear turret in favor of swivel mounted .50s in the rear. All to save weight to get more range / have the fuel to get home.
ReplyDelete