Prisoner of War at 18! WW2 Veteran Shows Us How He Bailed out of a B-17 and Survived
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2020
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Thank you for these videos! Great work. Thank God for these men. ❤🙏
👍
I hope he lives to be 100 something.
They fought for the freedoms we are losing
Look I absolutely love hearing from this generation. And your doing a great job preserving history! However do what no interviewer ( English speaking) has done yet. German soldiers view on fighting the allies!! We NEED to record this for future generations before they’re all gone!!!
00:33 "it's hell getting old" -94yo man. This guy is great
Yeah! What's the alternative?
@@newsguy5241 dieing young
I don't think we get old I think we die because of our sins. The more we sin, the quicker we get old.
@@GospelOfTimothy Charles Manson lived to be 83, dude.
Exactly what my beloved Mother said when she was aged...she was a Christian nurse, compassionate and strong!
Damn, he could pass for a man in his sixties. He looks amazing to be 94!
Colonel sanders
I literally just said that before I read it. Dudes is a beast
DB800187- just before my dad passed on in 1991 he went to a w.w.2 reunion but they would not let him in cause he looed age 28 with still black curly hair and zero bald spots. He was born in june 1921 and served in the new zealand army from - may 1940- july 1946.
Yeah this man has great genetics.
i'm 64 and i'd do him. LOL
He is 94 and has better hair than I will ever have in my life lol.
Some of us are blessed😎.
Me too!.....Im 61 and he has more hair than I do.....
Genetics man.
I've heard obsessive masturbation causes hair loss among men.
Lol I know how u feel brother 😢
Hope you're still kicking it and feeling good. My dad was B-17 pilot based out of England. Shot down over Germany 8th mission. POW until end of war when Patton liberated his POW camp. He died in 2003 at age 88 and had a wonderful life until his death. Thank you for your service during WWII.
I thank your father for his service🇺🇸
That was one tough-asses generation. The best so far. Now we have the Soy-boi generation. I love their stories.
When I started watching this I saw it was 58 minutes long and I thought, "no way I'll get through all of this", but now I wished it was longer. Fascinating story, thank you for your service and sharing your experiences, Mr. Gibbs. My Dad was in your age group and was serving in the US Navy while you were serving in the Air Corps. Truly a great generation of people.
My dad served in the Army Air Corps, unlike you, however he only made it to 84. Hats off to you, sir.
This interview should be kept in the museum record's for future generation's!!
It will be
This vet was born in Waterloo , Iowa. The Five Sullivan brothers were from this town. They were killed on the light cruiser USS Juneau in November 1942. I'm sure this vet knew about them. I'm glad he made it back ok. I hope he lives to be a 100! 👍 👍 👍 👍 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
They have a museum there that does interviews with all kinds of Iowan veterans, called "Voices of Iowa", I believe. It's about an hour from where I'm from.
@@johnnycaralta 👍
My grandpa was in uss sullivans. A ship named after the brothers
@@thethriller8436 👍
@@johnnycaralta where is that at?
This Airman is incredible. He told his story so vividly you could picture it in your mind the entire time he was talking. My father served in Italy, Germany and France during the war arriving in Italy in late 1943 and not leaving until the war ended. He was a forward observer in the Army. I tried my best to get my dad to talk about his experiences and he would not talk it at all until a couple of months before his death in January of 2013. These stories need to be told and recorded. Thank you for finding these veterans and arranging their interviews and recordings.
This man looks fantastic for 94 years old. His memory and thought processes are so clear and vivid that I was so impressed with him. If I make it to 80 and look/sound that good, I’ll consider my self to be a lucky man. God Bless him and many thanks for his service and sacrifice for our country. From one veteran to another, thank you sir.
Why would someone give this a thumbs down? I don’t understand that... He is a hero.
The guy hollering in the background?the ads?
Wondered the exact same thing.
they must be demoncrats....
Possibly hit it by accident.
Someone that is ignorant and clueless, and lives in an alternate reality.
He's from the same squadron that my great uncle was in...Allyn's Irish Orphans. My great uncle, T-Sgt Prescott C Piper, was shot down aboard Pete's Playhouse (42-31804), after a bombing run over Weiner-Neustedt, Austria. May 10, 1944. He was the bombardier on that run, and their ship was Tail End Charlie in their formation. He bailed out, but the aircraft was already too low, so his parachute didn't fully deploy, and he was killed on impact with the ground. He and two other members of the crew that died, Sgt William Olfelnius and Lt Francis Gilhooley, were buried in the town of Pottschach, Austria. After the war, their remains were disinterred, and my great uncle and Sgt Olfelnius were reburied at the American Military Cemetery, Ardennes, Belgium.
THANK THEM AND RIP!
Never regret growing older, It’s a privilege denied to many...🙏
Wow that is a great and true statement
Its all what you make it, ya know
You are absolutely right sir. I’m turning 58 next month and you’ll hear no complaints from me.
@@SoCal780 👍AMEN…
@@SoCal780Hello
Thank you Mr. Gibbs and to Heros of the Second World War for investing your time to make this possible! I watched this from peaceful Germany tonight Former USAF vet. 85-91
Thank you for your service to our nation from the depths of my being. Really appreciate your patriotism.
AMEN! THANK U'ALL
He behaves like so many in that generation, my dad was born 7 years earlier, and he talks about experiences such as being poor, or getting the short end of the stick. He would say, that's the way it happened, and leave it at that. My dad never talked about the war, except when he went to see Saving Private Ryan, even though he was in the Pacific, he called me and told me how realistic that movie was. He was stationed on a Mine Sweeper that cleared out former Japanese held islands, that had to be stressful great video, I miss my uncles, dad, etc..
Same with my Father and Mother; both WW II Vets.
My father was with the 45th infantry, Thunderbird Division. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy & was captured in Germany at age 19 in 1944. He spent the last nine months of the war in Stalag 2b in Hammerstein, Germany. He died in 1994 at the age of 69.
My Grandfather was in the 45th infantry too! He fought in Sicily, Italy, Southern France and Germany. He was in the 180th Regiment and was a Forward Observer. He died in January 1997 at the age of 78.
Thank Him for his service may he RIP!❤
My Dad was in the 15 Air Corps in Foggia Italy in WW2. He worked on the B17 radar as part of the ground crew. Had some really interesting memories from his time in the service. He was always clear to me that he never was in action. But they were a very calm generation that dealt with tough situations very well. Love this gentleman’s story and how calm he is talking about a very stressful time of his life. Really appreciate him sharing his the story! Makes me very proud of our Father’s!
This gentleman looks amazing for his age. Thanks for posting the interview, you're doing important work.
I would have loved to see a picture of him as a young airman. God bless him.
@Storm Designs Nice addition, thank you.
If he looks like this at 94 he must've been fit as hell in his prime.
@@phillipecook3227 yes sir. 20 year old frame, baby face.
Amazing listening to him
Dude probably slayed a lot of tang
@@Jackmerius_Tacktheritrix5733 😆🤣🇺🇸🇺🇸
This was a great interview! My Dad, a farm boy from northeastern North Dakota, was a right waist gunner on B17 named "Jane" that flew out of Foggia. He was one of "Allyn's Irish Orphans". His plane was shot down while bombing Graz, Austria. He was the last one to bail out after he helped the ball turret gunner get out. The copilot, the only married man in the crew, was the only crew member that was killed. He was captured immediately upon hitting the ground, took about two weeks to get to the Stalag by walking and train. God bless you Sir.
My Grandfather was taken prisoner at the tail end of El Alemein (SUPERCHARGE)..from an early age he told me ALL his memories....being a boy in London in the 20’s30’s...to being taken prisoner..the way the Germans and Italians treated him (well actually)
His walkabout after the Italian Guards left their positions in Sept 43...the way the Italian people treated him and fed him...his recapture by both Italian Fascists...Recapture by German troops in a minefield...
This in itself is beyond a Hollywood movie...
I joined the British Army because of him..proud as well as I was (am) that I joined...I said at the start he told me everything..he did..WARTS an all....
I remember I had 5 medals (issued) and my Grandfather (4)...he said you got more than me now...
I stated “...Grandad..you have earned more to earn one medal than I have in ALL my combat experience with ALL my medals...”
Note....before capture..my Grandfather said they had a terrible bombardment from German/Italian artillery....men were lost (Officer..Trollop Belyou...name misspelt perhaps) head taken off....
After capture..the German officer talking to him in English who was interrogating him..about the “pubs in London and fine fellows” he would meet there whilst being a student there!
Remarkable times...even more remarkable men and women who had soul and passion...this MAN here is a mark of that....
Check out Shawn Ryan Show interviewing Christian Craighead. SAS.....😮 wow
I'm from the UK, was engrossed in your recollection.
Thank you for your service Sir.
My uncle was on a B17 in WWII...he was also shot down and spent about 18 months in camp number 3. I still have the Dog tag the Germans gave him when he got to camp. GOD bless you Sir and thank you for your service.
AMEN!
When he was telling about that tank Commander running down that gate I literally yelled out 'Hell ya!' What a great storyteller this veteran is.
Takes balls! Good man
My uncle now deceased joined army at 17 ..captured in beginning Italy campaign spent rest of war pow..near the end no food..his name Alfred Post ,naugatuck, Conn...
Did he make it back home ? 🙏
As a 48 years old German, which dad had to serve in the Volkssturm as young boy, please Sir let me thank you from all of my heart for liberating Germany from the Nazi government! And please extend those thanks to your friend with 'disregard for German property'. We Europeans owe you guys a immeasurably great deal. We owe you growing up in freedom. Thank you very much!
Josch...thank you so much for your comment. ALL WAR IS DEVISTATION. 6,000,000 JEWS and 5,000,000 NON - JEWS were murdered. All of Europe was deeply affected and usa as well. Fascism, communism, socialism etc...is the deliberate annihilation of civil liberties and individual rights afforded to mankind.
Glad he made it, I am sure he isn’t happy about all the innocent. Non nazi civilian population the bombs killed though!
Honestly, I think the Marshall Plan did more for post war Germany. I have been to Germany once, and found it a great experience and loved every minute of it.
Time to return the favour
I wish I could hear it from the other side too.
Thank you for telling your story. My Dad was a left waist B-17 gunner with the 15th AF flying out of Italy. Almost identical story. God Bless these hero’s
What a memory! I served from 1968 to 71 and have put almost all of it out of my mind.
What a nice guy, he has a good story to tell and looks like a man that’s 70. I hope you have many more years sir, hello from Scotland
Can’t help but cry my eyes out every time I hear one of these interviews but I owe it to them to listen, god bless you guys and again thank you for your bravery and service 🙏
ABSOLUTELY!
What a wonderful story. We owe so much to these men who sacrificed everything to go so far away and fight and die for freedom.
So true. In Canada, many servicemen and women fought during the liberation of Holland......and what is embarrassing is the comparison of what Dutch school children are taught about the liberators who came to save them, compared to the abysmal job the Canadian government are teaching Canadian children. The result today is few Canadians realize the heroic effort Canadian veterans played during the conflict.
Yes AMEN!
Is it just me, or does anyone else hear a touch of Jimmy Stewart in his voice?
Thank you for your service. 🇺🇸
I thought the same thing! 👍
I didn’t think about it but you are right
O hell yea! Thank u for u'all service!
Yes 👍
Holy cow...! 94 yrs young... Sir you look awesome...! Thank you very much for your service to this great country.
It’s interesting that while he’s talking, you watch him actually seeing what he’s discussing. Look at his face. An awesome guy. They all were.
At 4:20 when he made the interviewer repeat the question, I don't think he was slipping. I think he was thinking about someone from back then
Greatest generation!!
94.......more like 64...incredibly lucky and an excellent interview!
Great story, a man from the greatest generation ever, God bless. ❤️
what youre talking about ? its mainly their fault whites get blamed for everything nowadays
I agree, the greatest generation.. I have the upmost respect for him.
@@soundofeighthooves Nah liberals are the reason whites get blamed for everything nowadays.
@@soundofeighthooves you know nothing. If it wasn’t for him and “his generation”, snowflakes like you would be working in a German factory for Das Fuhrer for 2 cups of grool with a boot at your neck. Today’s snowflake generation would piss themselves trying to deal with the Japanese and the Germans of 1940’s.
Dear Mr. Gibbs, Thank you for your service sir! Merry Christmas🎅
Respect to this man. Seems like a great Gentleman.
He's a great man! Thank U!
This man survived by rolling with it and keeping his wits, incredible!
I remember when my grandpa would tell stories about him in Vietnam. You could sit there for hours listening to him. There’s just something about an old guy talking about what they experienced in life
It seems saying "thank you for your service" rings hollow. Just give a hearty handshake and buy him a beer !!
Good point. I get what you mean, my friend, especially with the politicians who only pay lip-service or who only "talk the talk," but every single time that I, a pretty normal guy, but brazen patriot, walk up to a veteran or someone in service, look them in the eyes and say those words, the pride I see kindle in those eyes, along with the occasional hint of mist, while we talk for a few minutes, plus their strong handshake (when we could still shake hands!), lets me know that those words are still deeply appreciated, but only as long, kind of like you're saying, as they're said with meaning, and come from the heart. But you're right - buying them a beer or two and just bullshitting for awhile about anything, is something special.
But, hey, if you, yourself are a vet, buddy, and some dumb looking slosh like I started out as comes up to you a little timidly, wide eyes kinda looking into into your own, mumbling something that sounds like "tanks!!" through their COVID-19-protective-mask, you can do one of two things after you've assessed those wide eyes for a second or two: (1) Turn and run like Hell in the opposite direction, or (2) Accept him as a newbie in walking up to someone he truely knows is someone special. Maybe he isn't very used to getting to thank his heroes yet, but he's working hard on it, and speaking as one, it comes from the heart and stirs the soul.
I’m 39. When I was a a Marine in Vietnam...hell...same thing as this. Listen to a 90 year old talk. This is a boomer. I was (am) a Marine, he’s a fake.
I feel the same way, but I do believe people who say it do so in good faith for themselves. I like a conversation starter, "Desert Storm, eh? I was a kid when that war started..."
And a Sincere THANK U!
I could listen to this veteran tell stories all day. Thank you for your service sir. Thank you for sharing these interviews.
This generation has so much experience and knowledge, it needs to be documented. Thank you!
This guy looks 74 not 94.....God bless you sir!
Thank you for your service and what you and others had to endure!!! Life being so uncertain from one day to the next in captivity.
Such an honest & accurate telling by an American WW2 Vet of his experiences. God Bless him.
For a guy his age his memory is fantastic - not just the main events but recalling all the smaller details like it was last week!
A very interesting story. My great Uncle was a B-17 co-pilot during the war and his plane was damaged by AA fire over Austria and crash landed. He was taken prisoner and held in POW camp in Austria. He came very close to being executed for an escape attempt but was saved when elements of Patton’s 3rd Army were reported nearby and the German Guards abandoned the camp.
After the war he was employed at a small municipal airport in rural west Ohio where a teenaged Neil Armstrong first learned to fly.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing these interviews. When I was 19-20 years old I decided to buy the best available digital camera and interview, read listen intently, the old gentlemen that were still alive at the time from WWII. One was about two hundred yards from my house. A UDT Frogman by the name of James Bell. He was well known from what I was told. It is one of my greatest regrets that I did not follow through with that banging desire. The majority of those stories are lost. Thank you for not losing these... Regards. Matt Garrett Chesapeake, Virginia
God Bless this Gentleman and thank you from the UK.
My father was a ball turret gunner in a B-17. Stationed in Foggia, Italy during WWII, 15th Air Corp., 5th Wing, 463rd (H) Group, 775th (H) Squadron ."Allyn's Irish Orphans". Sounds like about the same time as Mr.Gibbs. My dad flew 35 sorties, with 54 missions. As an 18 year old, he was called "The kid" by the crew. The pilot of his crew was Lt. Bernard G. Wetta. I really enjoyed hearing Mr. Gibbs stories, had me getting out my dad's info just to see if there was a connection.
The ball turret gunner was the least likely to survive
Mr. Gibbs, thank you for telling your story! And deepest thanks, for your service to our nation!!
32:10
The term "Ersatzkaffee" is best translated as "replacement coffee".
So yes, definitely no coffee in there. Usually it was made of roasted grain, roasted malt or even roasted acorns, I think :D
Correct
What a MAN...
Thank you so much. You are a hero. Welcome home. The person giving you thumbs down is not a hero.
It amazes me why anyone would dislike such a story of a young 19 year old fighting for our freedom.
Mr Gibbs, I very much appreciate you sharing your story. Listening to your experience for an hour was probably more than I ever heard from my father in over 30 plus years of asking him questions. He was with the 305th, and his 17 was shot down in February '43. As much as my brothers and I tried, he spoke VERY little of the flying and the months of being a POW.
I'm resigned to going through the family trunk and using whatever my grandmother saved to piece together a story.
Wow this beautiful story is so similar to my father's. My dad was stationed in Spinazola Italy. B-24 crew member. Bailed out over Yugoslavia. Captured by Eustachi who were pro -Nazi right wing Fascists. They were going to hang the crew and some Wehrmacht soldiers came and rescued them. He was put on a train to Stalag Luft 1 in Barth Germany. On the way they spent the night locked in the train in a marshaling yard in Berlin which was bombed by the RAF. They were sure they're going to die until the brave engineer fired up the locomotive and pulled it out of the marshalling yard. They sat out of the war eating bread and rutabagas and water, starving along with their guards. One day they woke up and all the Germans were gone and the next day the Russians showed up. Dad started smoking Red Cross cigarettes in prison camp and never quit. Covid and COPD got him last year.
Sorry for him
ThAnx for your dads story.
Rip.
Officers got steaks, we got soup.
One of the most captivating stories I've ever heard.
That is one amazingly young looking/behaving 94yo... good on him. What an awesome man.
Thanks for keeping these men's stories alive. I wish more of them had the chance to tell their stories. Every one of them deserves that honor
what a guy, his age he makes me feel young at 72. man I hope I can be that sharp in 22 more yrs. bravo LoWWII 👍
hello, how are you doing. I hope you are safe and in good health. Looking for a new friend and i saw your pic here. I hope you don't mind thank you.
So many people haven't learned of the price that's paid in blood and tears directly from those who've paid it for us. Thank you so much for recording and sharing the experiences for history's sake.
I could listen to this man for hours.
He has aged very well. Wow. Amazing memory.
I can’t remember what I had for lunch.
An amazing man, rivetting story, priveleged to hear it told today in his own words. Unreal experience to be so lucky listening to his story.
Norm Gibbs is a legend in every sense of the word. Amazing to hear that the tank commander who rescued them from the prison is in touch with Norm to this day.
Thank you so much for sharing your story Norm, you are a hero, survivor, a natural story teller and an inspiration.
It also looks like you are defying the aging process admirably!
Happy Christmas to you and yours Norm Gibbs.
.
The tank commander sounds like he has a great sense of humor
hello, how are you doing. I hope you are safe and in good health. Looking for a new friend and i saw your pic here. I hope you don't mind thank you.
Thank you for posting this.
Thank you for posting this video.
Thus was really riveting. Thank you so much for sharing this!!
Good man we had the best God bless them all. 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇩🇪🇯🇵🇫🇷
hello Thomas, how are you doing. I hope you are safe and in good health. Looking for a new friend and i saw your pic here. I hope you don't mind thank you.
Unbelievable. This guy is amazing. We should all be in such shape in our 90's. Thank you for your service.
As a student of history i really appreciate the work you guys are doing
One veteran to another, I Salute you sir. My father was in the 35th infantry division in the battle of the bulge. He alway hated snowy, ice cold weather after that.
The Lord loves you.
Lol my Grandpa hated the snow also said he saw all he wanted n France. When I told him I was deploying to Iraq in 03. He said well at least you won’t have to deal with snow.
There were once real men who loved America.
There still are - just not blindly (as in Viet Nam). World War II was a united effort and a just cause. 🇺🇸
I’m sure all the troops who have spent the last ten years dying in the Middle East probably consider themselves real men who loved America
@@Alan.livingston There are always exceptions to the rule.
@@Alan.livingston but ultimately pawns to corporations who run the US.
Mr. Thompson, this isn't the place for you to parrot your anti-American agenda. If you respected this man you wouldn't be using him as a platform for your phony culture war.
Thank you for doing these interviews. It is important we have these amazing records.
Dear Mr. Gibbs, My uncle was with the 483rd out of Italy. He was a navigator. His B17 was shot down 18th July 1944 on the Memmingen mission. He did not survive. I think of his sacrifice for our country often. Thank you for sharing your story and for your sacrifice for our country. May God bless you and all of the men who fought to keep us free from tyranny.
Get this legend some CBD oil for his legs, he doesnt deserve to suffer not even one bit after what he went through.
I guarantee he would not accept it. These old Alpha males would look at you funny.
Alphas like him dont need snake oil.
@Ryan old people are hard and sometimes impossible to please
Cbd is garbage
What a damn interesting story in his prison years, i wish the interviewer asked about all his experience regarding that. I felt like the veteran felt judged that he didnt see action or had a violent story related to fighting...fishing for drama destroyed the interview by then. Focusing on the accident was thd cherry on the cake
These guys have great stories, my grandfather spent 15 months as a POW in Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany after his B-17 was shot down. I couldn't ever get him to talk about his time there but he had great stories about his other experiences in the war.
Thanks for watching! Please subscribe for more WWII interviews!
Thank you for your service and thank you for taking the time to record and let Mr. Gibbs just talk.
Remarkable interview. Thank you, sir. You are a great American!
What a story
Man o man
And lived to tell the tale
Thank you. This gentleman and his story are true treasures.❤
Thank you for letting us hear from these heroes that put their lives on the line for us all
My father talked about being assigned to one of the cigarette camps near Nancy, France after he was wounded for the second time. His job was to guard German prisoners. He became friends with a German doctor who was a POW and working at the camp. The cigarette camps were a series of camps set up for US troops to stop at as they were leaving France/Germany on their way home. They were named after different brands of cigarettes (Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, Chesterfield, etc.). He always smoked Lucky Strikes, I wonder if this gentleman traveled through his camp. Thanks for the memory of my father.
Great tale ! Thank you for serving during the trying times of our country.
What a great interview. Loved his story. God bless.
Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for your service. This interview puts today's struggles in perspective.
Oh..My Grandfather was in the 2nd Battalion The Rifle Brigade
Old man looks great for his age!! Well done
Thank you sir for serving our country, and sharing your story with us.
Thank you for this.
Thank you
Thank you Mr. Gibbs for your service. So interesting to know that later in the war that new ships like the B-17-G were transferred to existing crews & the new crews got the older planes.
Thank you for capturing the moments for us to here. And a special thanks to this Airman for service to country and sharing his stories.
Great shape at 95! Thank you for your service, and for telling us about it!
He looks and sounds like he's 8n his 60's
Great bloke a true down to earth person. I feel sorry for the German people getting screwed over by polititions.
To be fair the germans were the most prosperous people in all of Europe and it was all because of that one man we aren't allowed to talk about.
Great interview and thank you for your service!
hello, how are you doing. I hope you are safe and in good health. Looking for a new friend and i saw your pic here. I hope you don't mind thank you.