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.
Torpedo 6 of the Enterprise Air Group. 10 of the 14 TBDs of the squadron were shot down during the Battle of Midway. Obsolete at the time, the courage of the men flying them can never be overstated.
Everybody comments on the courage of a few dozen Naval Airmen facing long odds, when hundreds of thousands of Soldiers (and Marines) died facing machine gun and artillery fire. I guess the image of the shining knight riding into battle (and then back home to a shower and clean sheets) still lingers.
Not that those Sailors weren't brave, of course. Facing the guns is something a lot of people simply can't do.
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." I agree with the statement that those pilots courage could not be overstated. There's a reason it was called the "World's Greatest Generation."
On the near ship, just below and to starboard of the windshield, is some sort of gizmo on a bracket, the ship behind doesn't have the gizmo, just an empty bracket. What is that gizmo?
That gizmo is a camera, as described in caption for that photo at this website: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/09/21/douglas-tbd-devastator-color-photographs/
on bravery:...yeah..also brave men get shot on the ground, BUT, for me anyway...to get shot and then falling outa the sky for many seconds....things you think when you fly somewhere..ya know, and then you turn that thought off. Those pilots, it was a real thought
Douglas Devastators, I think.
ReplyDeleteAl_in_Ottawa
Yep, Devastators.
ReplyDeleteTorpedo 6 of the Enterprise Air Group. 10 of the 14 TBDs of the squadron were shot down during the Battle of Midway. Obsolete at the time, the courage of the men flying them can never be overstated.
DeleteEverybody comments on the courage of a few dozen Naval Airmen facing long odds, when hundreds of thousands of Soldiers (and Marines) died facing machine gun and artillery fire. I guess the image of the shining knight riding into battle (and then back home to a shower and clean sheets) still lingers.
DeleteNot that those Sailors weren't brave, of course. Facing the guns is something a lot of people simply can't do.
"Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway." I agree with the statement that those pilots courage could not be overstated. There's a reason it was called the "World's Greatest Generation."
ReplyDeleteOn the near ship, just below and to starboard of the windshield, is some sort of gizmo on a bracket, the ship behind doesn't have the gizmo, just an empty bracket. What is that gizmo?
ReplyDeleteThat gizmo is a camera, as described in caption for that photo at this website: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2022/09/21/douglas-tbd-devastator-color-photographs/
DeleteI had a model of a devastator when I was young. Beautiful, doomed planes.
ReplyDeleteon bravery:...yeah..also brave men get shot on the ground, BUT, for me anyway...to get shot and then falling outa the sky for many seconds....things you think when you fly somewhere..ya know, and then you turn that thought off. Those pilots, it was a real thought
ReplyDelete