The Flying Fortress

Jay with the famed Memphis Belle

 My brother writes:

I was mowing the lawn on Saturday, when I noticed this old WWII plane flying low overhead.  I ended up taking the family to the airport, because I figured that's where it would be.  You could take a flight in the thing for a mere $450.  We decided instead to take a free tour of it on the ground.

Christian, Nils and Anders with the Memphis Belle

There were lots of people there.  I was surprised by how cramped the plane is inside.  You have to walk a narrow catwalk between the cockpit and the rear gunner position, and the catwalk goes right over the bomb bay.  I can't imagine it being fun to walk that while the plane is in flight.

My sister-in-law, Kirsti, in the open hatch of the plane

The plane, as you probably noticed in the photos, is a vintage Boeing B-17 bomber from World War II.  It's also an incredibly famous old plane known as the Memphis Belle.

At the Utah airfield

 The aircraft was one of the first B-17 United States Army Air Forces heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions with her crew intact.  It recently underwent extensive restoration at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

The Bomber was first deployed in September of 1942 from a permanent base at Bassingbourne, England, and bore the unit identification markings of the 324th Bomb Squadron.  The aircraft returned to the United States in 1943 for a 31-city War Bond tour.

Three boys I'm glad won't have to defend our freedoms in one of these

This particular plane was further immortalized in the 1990 movie, Memphis Belle.

My brother shares that he had an old mission companion whose uncle died aboard one of these B-17 bombers over Czechoslovakia during WWII.

Jay continues:

You could almost feel the fear and anxiety the crew must have felt embarking on a mission into enemy territory.  It made me think of the sacrifices made for our freedom, particularly with Memorial Day coming up.

Thanks to all the men and women of our armed forces who have sacrificed - and continue to sacrifice -  for our freedoms.  We owe you a tremendous debt.

God Bless You All.

Please note that due to the Memorial Day Holiday on Monday, May 27th, this blog will resume on Tuesday next week.