I'm 75 and retired now. My dad was a B-17 pilot. He was shot down on his 3rd mission on July 26, 1943 by Senior Flight Lieutenant Decker flying an FW-190. The target that day was the Hanover Rubber Works. En route, his plane was hit by fighters and flak killing the navigator, the radio operator, the ball turret gunner and the two waist gunners. His plane made it to the target and dropped his bombs, but on the way back to England, his plane fell behind the formation and was shot down. The pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, flight engineer and tail gunner survived. My dad was wounded, landed near a German village and the people were angry and ready to kill him when a German patrol interrupted them and saved his life. He spent nearly 2 years as a POW and was liberated from Stalag VIIA outside of Moosburg but the lead elements of Patton's 3rd Army. However, he wasn't able to return to his home until late August 1945. Ironically, Senior Flight Lieutenant Decker was shot down and killed 4 days later by an American P-47. He remained in the Air Force flying B-29's, B-47's, and B-52's until he died on active duty in 1971 at the age of 51. They were truly the Greatest Generation. As for me, I served 21 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer with 3 years in combat beginning as a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam 1968-69 and retired from the Marine in 1989.
My father was a navigator and was shot down over Germany in mid 1943. He spent 18 months as a POW. He weighed 170 when captured and about 100 when he was liberated. My uncle who was deploying to Germany a couple of months into 1945, told my grandmother that he would go there and liberate dad and he actually did liberate the camp that dad was in and found my dad in that camp.
I wonder what year these interviews took place, if these guys seem to be aged 68-71, they'd have been born in 1922 (age 22-23 in 1944), that would make this interview occur in 1990-1993. The end title card reads 2009, but they'd have been ages 87-90, but they don't look that old. Maybe it's a 1990s production that was re-released in 2009. Who knows.
I met a 98 year old guy yesterday. He was a waist gunner , in the 447th Bomb Group in Rattleston England. He completed 30 missions. His name was Sassaman. What a great guy.
I'm an old dog. Grew up completely surrounded by front line veterans of the army and airforce. One KIA, one a guest of the Imperial Japanese Army. Love them all . . . the long, the short & the tall.
My uncle flew B-29’s in the Pacific and he never mentioned it while I was growing up. The only way I knew was a couple of photos of him with his crew. Truly one of the greatest generations ever produced by this country. May they all Rest In Peace.
When ever I hear these stories of what these men went through I often get teary eyed. These guys were only young men, the same age as my sons and younger. They barred the weight of such an incredible task where the stakes were at their highest.
When I was a kid you had loads of these guys in the neighborhood. Now they are all gone. Videos like this are the one record we have of what they went through, All those veterans in the neighborhood in the sixties didn't want to talk much about what they had seen. These are important videos.
It's true, they never wanted to talk about it. As a kid, I'd ask... and they'd shrug or smile and shake their heads. You might get five or six words out of them, then they'd fade. But I noticed that during the larger family gatherings or church gatherings, all the vets would peel off and group together off to the side, and they'd speak in low voices. My dad, who was a vet, told me in later years, they'd always, always talk about The War. But never in front of the wives, never in front of the kids. Total silence. That generation really knew how to keep a secret too, by the way.
My dad was in the RAF and was shot down in a short sterling bomber over Germany on his 27th mission. He was wounded but successfully parachuted to the ground and hid for 24 hours. He was captured having been seen by a civilian going into a barn to hide. He was beaten, brutally interrogated and made to walk in the snow bare footed. He ended up in Stag Luft 1 for two years until the Russians arrived and he was liberated. I think my dad was particularly lucky to survive because quite rarely for the time, he was black and an officer. You can imagine how shocked the Germans were to see a black man in an RAF uniform!
@@mebeasensei Statistics are difficult to come by but only 25% of airmen safely exited Stirlings and Halifaxes and 15% from Lancasters. Sometimes crew members, particularly gunners did not wear their parachute in the turret and only put it on when the order to bale out was given. Finding a relatively small escape hatch in the dark, in a possibly burning and smoke filled aircraft out of control was very challenging.
@@eddysmythe708 thanks for your response. I have been asking myself this number for years. It seems fighter pilots routinely bailed out and survived, but only ‘seems’ so. There were tens of thousands of captured airmen the Stag Lufts , but I assume most of these stayed in their aircraft as they glided into the ground.
I had the opportunity to work under and learn from 2 gentleman that had been pilots/crew members on B-24s. One was an 8th grade typing teacher and the other guy was the purchasing agent for the first company I worked for after college. Mr. Lance was the typing teacher and Tom Roberts was the purchasing agent. They didn’t share too much but they sure taught us young knuckle heads many good lessons about life. They both had a calm/pleasant demeanor but you knew that they were running the show.
My step-dad was a navigator on a B-17 over Europe. That marriage didn’t last long enough for me to find out the adventure and loss that he experienced. Your interviews were riveting. These guys had guts whether they wanted to or not. Wow.
My uncle was a B-26 nose gunner. He never spoke to me about the war. But I have pictures of him and his buddies posing in front of their B-26. His name was Jim. He had 4 other brothers, including my dad who were also in the war. Very brave men. I did ask him once why they never talked about the war. His answer was: "Why would we"?
My dad also flew in 26’s. Second seat. He also never talked about many of his experiences until he was 80. My son who is now a history teacher once asked him if he knew what they were fighting for. My dad told him “sure we had some idea but really we were fighting for the guy sitting next to you. I was trying to keep him alive and he was doing the same for me.” All these guys were special.
My step Dad was Raymond Roscoe Pursley a paratrooper who made several combat jumps. I was never allowed to listen to the stories he told but as an adult learned of his service. These were men, they were hero’s, they came home to tell their stories as did Ray. Thank you for taking the time to listen and record.
My WWII relatives - 5 Uncles on father's side would never talk. I found out later why and don't blame them. My father was exempted from combat due to his skill set needed. I aways thought he would have been the one killed.
That sounds a bit excessive. Usually, 35 missions were enough to get you sent home. Initially 25 missions were to be the limit. But in 42 and 43, those were the deadliest years for ariel combat. Plenty of shoot downs w/ plenty of KIAs, POWs and WIAs.
Thank you for putting this together. For the life of me, I do not understand why anybody would give this a thumbs down-...But I must remember that there are at least 9% of the people out there that are insane
The greatest generation, I am 72 and have had to work with many veterans from WWII. I was fortunate to hear many stories from land, sea and air forces. Great guys and mostly all gone now. Miss them all.
As a lifelong WWII Scholar, I greatly enjoyed this vidya...My Father served in th Pacific Theater of operations, interceptin/decryptin Japanese code, an locatin their broadcast positions, via ADF...As a fellow veteran, with multiple combat tours, I have nuthin but th utmost praise an admiration fer alla them what fit in WWII, they are th Dad's of my childhood, an th Heroes of My Life!!! Without their sacrifices, none of what we have, an take fer granted would have ever been possible...God Bless them, an Grant Them Eternal Peace...Amen.
@@raymondmcfalone26 WAR . . . is brutal, in the end run - are there really any 'winners' ? People die . . . lives change, not always for the better ! The BEST 'war' . . . is successful negotiations be the first bomb, is tossed ! 😢 😬 😢
Thank you Mr. McFalone for documenting, before it became too late, and for many it sadly has, the thoughts and experience of the greatest generation of men and women who served in WW II. The world owes these heroes, every single one of them, a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. They were a magnificent bunch whose legacy we should remember for all the generations to come.
Outstanding interviews. Really brings home what these men went through, and seeing the emotion that comes back, are still going through. Thank you for this video.
The flunky Nazis of today are the only ones that would dislike any World War II footage even if they took that footage. They are pathetic nothings today. The Japanese lost as well. However, the Japanese are not a bunch of whiney idiots that do not know how to make the best out of something bad. While the Nazis are nothing but a bunch of stupid inbred, idiots, purpose made for prisons, Japan has risen to a world power with its new allies. After all, there are no more powerful friends than former enemies.
I was painting a house for a man in San Antonio. He invited me to have lunch with him on the back patio of his home. As we were enjoying the vista of the Texas Hill Country he shared with me his service as a captain of a B-17 during WW2. He and his crew survived 26 missions and were able to return home. His most harrowing mission was the ball bearing factory at Schwienfert. God bless you, Len and all brave servicemen of th Greatest Generation.
The stories brought me to tears ..... At any point in time they could have been killed ..... But weren't. There are far greater things than "Mankind" ...... I am sure of it.
Fantastic interviews. Those folks lucky enough never to have experienced war really have no idea what it was like. It's amazing to think that thousands of men, from both sides, have similar stories; and most are never told. These are invaluable records. Mr. McFalone has done an admirable job in preserving this history in such a clear, concise, and interesting way. Bravo! Thanks, so much.
He was behind ball turret gunner William Pace's B17 which was in the collision with another plane, who was interviewed at this same reunion and he mentioned that their here.
Thank you for this upload and for all of the interviews that you filmed. This is one of the most rivetting of the fascinating interviews with WW2 veterans that you have uploaded on your channel. I'm really enjoying the process of working through them all.
At one of my farm stops to pick up the mornings milking, the owner was a B-17 Navigator in WWII. When I found this out I asked him "So you did your 25 missions and came back home?" "No", He said, "I did two and a half - and stayed". Such a Vermont response...and what a good man he was
Very poignant for me. I am British but live in Germany. At the back of my garden a B17 came down. The crater still is there. Bits of metal under the surface - If you dig. All died. On the other side of my valley, a Lancaster came down. Again all died. Not so long ago, the families of the RAF plane were invited for a ceremony. They came from all over Britain and the Commonwealth to see where their husbands, fathers, grandfathers perished. I consider to make the same for the B17 crew. Could not find any records so far - as to which plane it was. I live in Elmshausen, Hessen.
Thank you for sharing this video. It’s so important that we share the stories of the men and women who served in WW2. Sadly, the inevitable is happening. But videos like this mean we will still keep some of the memories. We are lucky to have the technology and it’s affordable for us to share it.
Absolute legends and heroes in my world, l cannot express my gratitude enough for what you service men and women do and have done. I’m a brother in arms myself. Lest we forget
My uncle had the same thing happen in Italy. The S.S. Officer whose Staff car he had just destroyed rescued him from angry civilians gatherrd around a lake he landed in by parachute. My uncle said "you speak incredibly good English" to which he replied, I'm from Manhattan.
all we have & the liberties you appreciate every day of your life is because these kind of guys ,from this "Greatest Generation" of Americans, sacrificing themselves w/out trepidation in honorable fashion , for those who come after them to have the same , family based lifestyle they got to have. 🇺🇲 God bless them & sacrifices they made so selfishlessly.
I was a very young worker in a paper mill in Oregon in 1970. I worked with crew of men who were former WWII vets, Korean War vets, and Vietnam War vets. One was a former B-17 pilot named Jim who got shot down over Germany. He spent a year in a Stalag. As he bailed out, one of the airmen couldn't find his parachute,and he decided to jump on the back of another airman as they both left the plane. The airman trying to hang on to the other airman lost his grip and screamed all the way down as he fell to his death. Jim told many stories of life in a Stalag. I wanted to be a tank commander, as I was going through the Army Induction Center in 1971. I became a formulations chemist and developed armor and explosives suppression systems in the Arab world.
A lot of times they would move into the interview room with their walkers. Then the interview would start and they began reminiscing and it was like they were 20 years old again. Thanks for watching.
Wow....amazing stories....I never get over how old time vets can recall the time they took off, the guys name who was next to him or whatever, the city they went to or parachuted into....such a sureal time in history
These gents were all from the 390th Bomb Group ( 568 BS, 569 BS, 570 BS, 571 BS) , (Note the "Square J" Group Marking ) according to their Polo shirts . The 390th was based at Framlingham. There is a great Museum for the 390 BG on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
This was a great video, what an awesome one. Being retired AF, I can totally empathize. Of Course, I was in the AF 34 years after the end of WWII, but this is great info.
I almost fell out of my chair. My dad was a technical sergeant on a B 24 liberator during the second world war and he was on a bomber called”Ain’t Misbehavin”. He was not, As far as I know, not on the mission that George Hartman tells about. My dad was on at least one mission and possibly two, on the bombing raids of the oil fields at Polesti, Romania. All the men and all the women, in my eyes, are and were the Greatest Generation.
Beautiful tales of a time before I was born. We don't know what courage is; these guys had real guts. The interview that ended with the gift of the parachute to the bride-to-be was very moving..... thank you
Over 300,000 men died in the skies Over Europe. This is inclusive of all combatants combined. Still, that is an incredible number. Anyone who survived this Hell in the Heavens was indeed fortunate
What a miraculous story. So thankful he made it alive. Just goes to show - when its your time, its your time. Clearly it was not his. I am now 76 years old and have seen active service in Southern Africa. Me and my generation will always be so grateful for what these men did for us.
Thank you for preserving these incredible stories. They will be preserved for ever and they shall never die, for thanks to you they will be heard. Great job I enjoyed listening to them. I'm sure they are gone at this point, we can't thank them enough for the courage and service. May they all RIP...
These stories are AMAZING!!! I wish that 20-30 years ago, I had the same passion for these men, not that I ever disrespected or didn't appreciate them, but I wish that I could have met them and heard their stories. I am going to share these stories with my kids at school. We just finished our WWII unit in Texas History. I try to tell them as much as I can in the short time that we get to cover this time period. I am so glad that I stumbled across this video. Thanks for posting!!!
My Father Roderick James Stewart was a Maryland pilot WW2. He was a major in the South African air force, squadron 22. His plane was shot down over North Africa. He mqanaged to bring the plane down before he succumed to his wounds. His crew barring one also died of their wounds. I have a beauiful portrait of him with a citation signed by George R I. Rodwyn Mc Laren (nee Stewart)
I had a boss who volunteered in 1943 when he turned 18. Became a top turret gunner on a B17. Credited with 2 kills, was shot down and worked his way back to England. Refused to go home and went back on missions again. Shot down over Germany by AAA and spent the last 3 months in a POW camp nearly starving to death.
I have no words to describe my love and admiration for these ordinary American boys caught up in the war. Their courage, their fears, the trials they experienced. These common American boys who sacrificed their lives in the skies over Nazi Germany.
The greatest generation. My grandfather was in the second marines and another grandfather was exempted because of his ability to build oil refineries here in the states.
I have nothing but admiration for the men who had to make that ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we all survive in the future. To the men of the RAF and USAAF thank you. Even remembrance day, on eleventh day, the eleventh hour, on the eleventh month I will always cry for them and I will never forget them. I will remember them.
My dad was a tail gunner in a B-17 during the last few months of the war. He used to tell me I probably wouldn't exist if he had been there earlier in the war. I was shocked to hear he wasn't wearing his chute in the tail. In a flat spin, it would have been impossible to get to it, and the rear hatch. We owe so much to those brave men .
My neighbor was a radioman/gunner on a B-17 named "Alice Blue Gown" that was shot down over the English Channel. He told me that you could at least shoot back at the attacking fighters but that the FLAK was the worst part of the missions over Germany.
Just couldn't imagine being one of those ,bullets ripping thru them and the flak,and the midair collisions that on dosnt here about,plus direct hits in the bomb bay. God bless you men
When I was in college, I took a course on WW2, and the professor brought in someone who was a B17 crewman. He hated Merseburg because the flak was some of the heaviest in Germany.
To get an idea of escaping from a stricken B-17 Flying Fortress, you had to disengage your earphones and oxygen mask, remove your body armor and clip on your chest pack parachute, either exit the rear crew door or make your way to the bomb bay catwalk with your heavy shearling flying pants and jacket and jump clear, sometimes through flames and avoiding the horizontal stabilizer. Made all the more difficult if you had to set the controls as the pilot, grab your parachute chest pack frroom beneath your seat and clip it on, shinny around the top turret and out, or the ball turret gunner cranking the turret 'full down' and clambering out of the turret with help and putting on your chute and jumping. On average, each crewmember had around 45 seconds to do so before the plane went into its 'death dive'....Harrowing if you survived...
Thank you very your well thought out description. In a video we uploaded a few weeks ago - Shot Down Over Poland - we interviewed a B17 pilot in the cockpit of a B17. He describes how he bailed out. There was a bit of funny side to it because he said he had a fear of heights - but he bailed out anyway - no choice. You can find the video in my channel. Thanks for watching and, again, thanks for your helpful comments.
@@raymondmcfalone26 A lot of the crew had a parachute that was attached to their harness that they sat on if they had a seat! Also, a lot of times the smallest guys in group were assigned to be Ball Turret Gunners, so they could wear their chute inside the turret. Some of the newer models of B-17 had an enlarged hatch so the ball turret gunner was able to open his hatch and bail out without going back into the fuselage. Also, most cases, the crew did wear their parachutes. BTW, this is what I was told about the parachutes (by a b-17 waist gunner who served thru early 1945 until he was rotated home). I guess some units made do with what they had available, or other units ordered the type they wanted.
Those are some great stories, told by the greatest generation this nation has known since the days it was founded. God bless all our troops and brave soldiers past, present, and future. I'm proud to call myself a veteran of a wartime campaign and a brother in arms to men like these.
We owe these guys a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they made. All those who did not return RIP.
I'm 75 and retired now. My dad was a B-17 pilot. He was shot down on his 3rd mission on July 26, 1943 by Senior Flight Lieutenant Decker flying an FW-190. The target that day was the Hanover Rubber Works. En route, his plane was hit by fighters and flak killing the navigator, the radio operator, the ball turret gunner and the two waist gunners. His plane made it to the target and dropped his bombs, but on the way back to England, his plane fell behind the formation and was shot down.
The pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, flight engineer and tail gunner survived. My dad was wounded, landed near a German village and the people were angry and ready to kill him when a German patrol interrupted them and saved his life. He spent nearly 2 years as a POW and was liberated from Stalag VIIA outside of Moosburg but the lead elements of Patton's 3rd Army. However, he wasn't able to return to his home until late August 1945.
Ironically, Senior Flight Lieutenant Decker was shot down and killed 4 days later by an American P-47.
He remained in the Air Force flying B-29's, B-47's, and B-52's until he died on active duty in 1971 at the age of 51.
They were truly the Greatest Generation.
As for me, I served 21 years in the Marine Corps as an infantry officer with 3 years in combat beginning as a Marine platoon commander in Vietnam 1968-69 and retired from the Marine in 1989.
Thank you for sharing your family story. Very inspiring.
I really enjoyed that story,thank you.
RESPECT & LEST WE FORGET
Great story thanks for your service
Semper Fi Brother
My father was a navigator and was shot down over Germany in mid 1943. He spent 18 months as a POW. He weighed 170 when captured and about 100 when he was liberated. My uncle who was deploying to Germany a couple of months into 1945, told my grandmother that he would go there and liberate dad and he actually did liberate the camp that dad was in and found my dad in that camp.
God bless
Wow, what a brother!
thank you for your service
That was the best interviews I have heard. Those guys had guts. God bless them!
Thanks for watching. These veterans would have really appreciated your comment.
More than guts.
I wonder what year these interviews took place, if these guys seem to be aged 68-71, they'd have been born in 1922 (age 22-23 in 1944), that would make this interview occur in 1990-1993. The end title card reads 2009, but they'd have been ages 87-90, but they don't look that old. Maybe it's a 1990s production that was re-released in 2009. Who knows.
I met a 98 year old guy yesterday. He was a waist gunner , in the 447th Bomb Group in Rattleston England. He completed 30 missions. His name was Sassaman. What a great guy.
Had a uncle served in the 447th. 708th. Kia 12-30-44
@@robertmontgomery6060 Sorry to hear about your uncle.
Incredible stories from these vets. Great job compiling these accounts for present and future generations.
I'm an old dog. Grew up completely surrounded by front line veterans of the army and airforce. One KIA, one a guest of the Imperial Japanese Army. Love them all . . . the long, the short & the tall.
My uncle flew B-29’s in the Pacific and he never mentioned it while I was growing up. The only way I knew was a couple of photos of him with his crew. Truly one of the greatest generations ever produced by this country. May they all Rest In Peace.
When ever I hear these stories of what these men went through I often get teary eyed. These guys were only young men, the same age as my sons and younger. They barred the weight of such an incredible task where the stakes were at their highest.
thank you for your service
@@billysmith5721 I did not serve.
When I was a kid you had loads of these guys in the neighborhood. Now they are all gone. Videos like this are the one record we have of what they went through, All those veterans in the neighborhood in the sixties didn't want to talk much about what they had seen. These are important videos.
My neighborhood too..some of the dad's had tattoos with parachutes or ship names etc . Not really appreciating who the men were.
It's true, they never wanted to talk about it. As a kid, I'd ask... and they'd shrug or smile and shake their heads. You might get five or six words out of them, then they'd fade. But I noticed that during the larger family gatherings or church gatherings, all the vets would peel off and group together off to the side, and they'd speak in low voices. My dad, who was a vet, told me in later years, they'd always, always talk about The War. But never in front of the wives, never in front of the kids. Total silence. That generation really knew how to keep a secret too, by the way.
My dad was in the RAF and was shot down in a short sterling bomber over Germany on his 27th mission. He was wounded but successfully parachuted to the ground and hid for 24 hours. He was captured having been seen by a civilian going into a barn to hide. He was beaten, brutally interrogated and made to walk in the snow bare footed. He ended up in Stag Luft 1 for two years until the Russians arrived and he was liberated. I think my dad was particularly lucky to survive because quite rarely for the time, he was black and an officer. You can imagine how shocked the Germans were to see a black man in an RAF uniform!
Thank you for sharing your family story and thanks for watching.
Wow amazing! Thanks you from a grateful nation! It's great men like him who paved the way for me to serve as black OIF/OEF Veteran
Anyone know how many aircrew baled and survived in WW2？
@@mebeasensei Statistics are difficult to come by but only 25% of airmen safely exited Stirlings and Halifaxes and 15% from Lancasters. Sometimes crew members, particularly gunners did not wear their parachute in the turret and only put it on when the order to bale out was given. Finding a relatively small escape hatch in the dark, in a possibly burning and smoke filled aircraft out of control was very challenging.
@@eddysmythe708 thanks for your response. I have been asking myself this number for years. It seems fighter pilots routinely bailed out and survived, but only ‘seems’ so. There were tens of thousands of captured airmen the Stag Lufts , but I assume most of these stayed in their aircraft as they glided into the ground.
It's unbelievable, what these guys went through. But the saddest thing is, that mankind didn't learn anything from these stories to avoid war
Maybe they did.
Great interviews. They all tell them so vividly, it’s almost like it happened the day before. They really bring you there.
I had the opportunity to work under and learn from 2 gentleman that had been pilots/crew members on B-24s. One was an 8th grade typing teacher and the other guy was the purchasing agent for the first company I worked for after college. Mr. Lance was the typing teacher and Tom Roberts was the purchasing agent. They didn’t share too much but they sure taught us young knuckle heads many good lessons about life. They both had a calm/pleasant demeanor but you knew that they were running the show.
These men's stories are more precious than gold. God rest each and everyone.
My step-dad was a navigator on a B-17 over Europe. That marriage didn’t last long enough for me to find out the adventure and loss that he experienced. Your interviews were riveting. These guys had guts whether they wanted to or not. Wow.
Thanks for watching!
My uncle was a B-26 nose gunner. He never spoke to me about the war. But I have pictures of him and his buddies posing in front of their B-26. His name was Jim. He had 4 other brothers, including my dad who were also in the war. Very brave men. I did ask him once why they never talked about the war. His answer was: "Why would we"?
My dad also flew in 26’s. Second seat. He also never talked about many of his experiences until he was 80. My son who is now a history teacher once asked him if he knew what they were fighting for. My dad told him “sure we had some idea but really we were fighting for the guy sitting next to you. I was trying to keep him alive and he was doing the same for me.” All these guys were special.
My step Dad was Raymond Roscoe Pursley a paratrooper who made several combat jumps. I was never allowed to listen to the stories he told but as an adult learned of his service. These were men, they were hero’s, they came home to tell their stories as did Ray. Thank you for taking the time to listen and record.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching. Ray
My WWII relatives - 5 Uncles on father's side would never talk. I found out later why and don't blame them. My father was exempted from combat due to his skill set needed. I aways thought he would have been the one killed.
thank you for your service
How in the hell could anyone put a thumbs down to these men telling their stories.
Maybe they be German , eh.
@@falconeaterf15Don't think so. More likely some pacifists.
My grandfather’s brother flew 85 combat sorties in a ‘17, he flew 3 as a waist gunner and 82 as a tail gunner, made it through the entire war.
Your great uncle flew with an angel on his shoulder!
That sounds a bit excessive. Usually, 35 missions were enough to get you sent home. Initially 25 missions were to be the limit. But in 42 and 43, those were the deadliest years for ariel combat. Plenty of shoot downs w/ plenty of KIAs, POWs and WIAs.
85 missions🤔🤔
All excellent interviews. You let the interviewee speak his mind with few interrupting questions. Well done production.
Thanks for the nice feedback, much appreciated.
Thank you for putting this together. For the life of me, I do not understand why anybody would give this a thumbs down-...But I must remember that there are at least 9% of the people out there that are insane
Incredible stories. There is no word for how courageous these men were.
"...and the plane broke in half so then I just got out ..."
For the next time I think I'm facing a big challenge.
Ordinary men who were measured against extraordinary events, and met that measure. Respect.
These interviews are amazing. They could se easily be made into a movie.
Man they had some guts and determination.
We thank them for their service.
Thanks for watching.
The greatest generation, I am 72 and have had to work with many veterans from WWII. I was fortunate to hear many stories from land, sea and air forces. Great guys and mostly all gone now. Miss them all.
The Greatest Generation folks stole everything they could lay their hands on and mailed it home.
One of the best documentaries I have watched on UA-cam.
Well done Raymond!
Thanks for the nice comment - much appreciated. And thanks for watching.
As a lifelong WWII Scholar, I greatly enjoyed this vidya...My Father served in th Pacific Theater of operations, interceptin/decryptin Japanese code, an locatin their broadcast positions, via ADF...As a fellow veteran, with multiple combat tours, I have nuthin but th utmost praise an admiration fer alla them what fit in WWII, they are th Dad's of my childhood, an th Heroes of My Life!!! Without their sacrifices, none of what we have, an take fer granted would have ever been possible...God Bless them, an Grant Them Eternal Peace...Amen.
Thanks for your insight and thanks for watching.
@@raymondmcfalone26 WAR . . . is brutal, in the end run - are there really any 'winners' ? People die . . . lives change, not always for the better ! The BEST 'war' . . . is successful negotiations be the first bomb, is tossed ! 😢 😬 😢
Thank you Mr. McFalone for documenting, before it became too late, and for many it sadly has, the thoughts and experience of the greatest generation of men and women who served in WW II. The world owes these heroes, every single one of them, a debt of gratitude that could never be repaid. They were a magnificent bunch whose legacy we should remember for all the generations to come.
Glad you enjoyed it.
I can't imagine the he'll these guys went through weekly. True heros, all of them.
Thank you for posting my dear departed Grandfather was a RAF Lancaster Pilot 2 combat tours they had many USAAF friends
Outstanding interviews. Really brings home what these men went through, and seeing the emotion that comes back, are still going through. Thank you for this video.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching.
50 dislikes for heroes !!! shows what humanity has become ,Thank you USAAF from Yorkshire/England
And thanks for watching - much appreciated.
They quit showing the number of Dislikes, at least on MY cell O/S.
I assume most dislikes were from nazi’s in Argentina or kids.
The Greatest Generation sacrificed everything so today's gayest generation could be a bunch complainers.
The flunky Nazis of today are the only ones that would dislike any World War II footage even if they took that footage. They are pathetic nothings today. The Japanese lost as well. However, the Japanese are not a bunch of whiney idiots that do not know how to make the best out of something bad. While the Nazis are nothing but a bunch of stupid inbred, idiots, purpose made for prisons, Japan has risen to a world power with its new allies. After all, there are no more powerful friends than former enemies.
I was painting a house for a man in San Antonio. He invited me to have lunch with him on the back patio of his home. As we were enjoying the vista of the Texas Hill Country he shared with me his service as a captain of a B-17 during WW2. He and his crew survived 26 missions and were able to return home. His most harrowing mission was the ball bearing factory at Schwienfert.
God bless you, Len and all brave servicemen of th Greatest Generation.
Heroes, ever one of them. Thank you for your service and for bravely recounting your stories. May we never take you forgranted all these years later.
Thank you. I've just come back from Parham airfield. Spent all day there.
Just found this interview.
Thanks from a resident living in Framlingham.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching. Raymond
Thank you for producing and sharing this! I wish I could hear every story there is to tell, from people like them.
Thanks for listening
Thank you so much for this video. Maximum respect from the UK to the men of the USAAF.
The stories brought me to tears ..... At any point in time they could have been killed ..... But weren't.
There are far greater things than "Mankind" ......
I am sure of it.
It makes you think that these guys were just meant to survive. Thanks for watching.
Semper fi
Fantastic interviews. Those folks lucky enough never to have experienced war really have no idea what it was like. It's amazing to think that thousands of men, from both sides, have similar stories; and most are never told. These are invaluable records. Mr. McFalone has done an admirable job in preserving this history in such a clear, concise, and interesting way. Bravo! Thanks, so much.
Glad you enjoyed it!
My uncle was a P-51 Musting fighter pilot .We are proud of his service ...👍👊🇺🇸💪
He was behind ball turret gunner William Pace's B17 which was in the collision with another plane, who was interviewed at this same reunion and he mentioned that their here.
Thank you for this upload and for all of the interviews that you filmed. This is one of the most rivetting of the fascinating interviews with WW2 veterans that you have uploaded on your channel. I'm really enjoying the process of working through them all.
Glad you enjoyed it!
At one of my farm stops to pick up the mornings milking, the owner was a B-17 Navigator in WWII. When I found this out I asked him "So you did your 25 missions and came back home?" "No", He said, "I did two and a half - and stayed". Such a Vermont response...and what a good man he was
The best and mot well produced war stories I've come across on UA-cam.
Thanks for watching.
I have the utmost respect for any person forced to fight in war.
Very poignant for me. I am British but live in Germany. At the back of my garden a B17 came down. The crater still is there. Bits of metal under the surface - If you dig. All died. On the other side of my valley, a Lancaster came down. Again all died. Not so long ago, the families of the RAF plane were invited for a ceremony. They came from all over Britain and the Commonwealth to see where their husbands, fathers, grandfathers perished. I consider to make the same for the B17 crew. Could not find any records so far - as to which plane it was. I live in Elmshausen, Hessen.
Thank you for this information and thank you for watching.
Thank you for sharing this video. It’s so important that we share the stories of the men and women who served in WW2. Sadly, the inevitable is happening. But videos like this mean we will still keep some of the memories. We are lucky to have the technology and it’s affordable for us to share it.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for sharing these fascinating stories of survival by these lovely airmen. We must never forget. Peter
Glad you enjoyed it
Absolute legends and heroes in my world, l cannot express my gratitude enough for what you service men and women do and have done. I’m a brother in arms myself. Lest we forget
I pray you meet your lost comrades in a better place one day so you know that they're okay now.Thanks for your service .
Thank you, Raymond, Sally et al.
May your effort remain available for the many generations yet to come.
You're welcome and thanks for watching.
My uncle had the same thing happen in Italy. The S.S. Officer whose Staff car he had just destroyed rescued him from angry civilians gatherrd around a lake he landed in by parachute. My uncle said "you speak incredibly good English" to which he replied, I'm from Manhattan.
Great stories, fantastic that you have recorded their history, too much is forgotten or lost. Thank you gentlemen for your service.
Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for putting these up.
Glad you like them!
all we have & the liberties you appreciate every day of your life is because these kind of guys ,from this "Greatest Generation" of Americans, sacrificing themselves w/out trepidation in honorable fashion , for those who come after them to have the same , family based lifestyle they got to have.
🇺🇲 God bless them & sacrifices they made so selfishlessly.
Thank You....These are fantastic stories of American exceptionalism
Glad you enjoyed it
I was a very young worker in a paper mill in Oregon in 1970.
I worked with crew of men who were former WWII vets, Korean War vets, and Vietnam War vets.
One was a former B-17 pilot named Jim who got shot down over Germany.
He spent a year in a Stalag.
As he bailed out, one of the airmen couldn't find his parachute,and he decided to jump on the back of another airman as they both left the plane.
The airman trying to hang on to the other airman lost his grip and screamed all the way down as he fell to his death.
Jim told many stories of life in a Stalag.
I wanted to be a tank commander, as I was going through the Army Induction Center in 1971.
I became a formulations chemist and developed armor and explosives suppression systems in the Arab world.
Great personal stories recounted here. The memories still affect them alot, you can see it in their faces.
A lot of times they would move into the interview room with their walkers. Then the interview would start and they began reminiscing and it was like they were 20 years old again. Thanks for watching.
Wow....amazing stories....I never get over how old time vets can recall the time they took off, the guys name who was next to him or whatever, the city they went to or parachuted into....such a sureal time in history
These gents were all from the 390th Bomb Group ( 568 BS, 569 BS, 570 BS, 571 BS) , (Note the "Square J" Group Marking ) according to their Polo shirts . The 390th was based at Framlingham. There is a great Museum for the 390 BG on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, AZ
This was a great video, what an awesome one. Being retired AF, I can totally empathize. Of Course, I was in the AF 34 years after the end of WWII, but this is great info.
Were you SAC, MAC, or TAC ? 🇺🇸
I almost fell out of my chair. My dad was a technical sergeant on a B 24 liberator during the second world war and he was on a bomber called”Ain’t Misbehavin”. He was not, As far as I know, not on the mission that George Hartman tells about. My dad was on at least one mission and possibly two, on the bombing raids of the oil fields at Polesti, Romania. All the men and all the women, in my eyes, are and were the Greatest Generation.
Beautiful tales of a time before I was born. We don't know what courage is; these guys had real guts. The interview that ended with the gift of the parachute to the bride-to-be was very moving..... thank you
I could listen to these guys all day.
Over 300,000 men died in the skies Over Europe.
This is inclusive of all combatants combined.
Still, that is an incredible number.
Anyone who survived this Hell in the Heavens was indeed fortunate
I read somewhere it was 70,000 aircrew, but maybe that was only RAF.
What a miraculous story. So thankful he made it alive. Just goes to show - when its your time, its your time. Clearly it was not his. I am now 76 years old and have seen active service in Southern Africa. Me and my generation will always be so grateful for what these men did for us.
AMEN!
Thank you for preserving these incredible stories. They will be preserved for ever and they shall never die, for thanks to you they will be heard. Great job I enjoyed listening to them. I'm sure they are gone at this point, we can't thank them enough for the courage and service. May they all RIP...
You're very welcome and thanks for watching.
That was wonderful. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
These stories are AMAZING!!! I wish that 20-30 years ago, I had the same passion for these men, not that I ever disrespected or didn't appreciate them, but I wish that I could have met them and heard their stories. I am going to share these stories with my kids at school. We just finished our WWII unit in Texas History. I try to tell them as much as I can in the short time that we get to cover this time period. I am so glad that I stumbled across this video. Thanks for posting!!!
You're welcome and thanks for watching. Raymond
What an amazing chap and his even more amazing wartime tale ! Salute !
Incredible. Incredible. Incredible stories. We are all lucky to have seen this. We are all lucky these stories aren’t lost to history.
My Father Roderick James Stewart was a Maryland pilot WW2. He was a major in the South African air force, squadron 22. His plane was shot down over North Africa. He mqanaged to bring the plane down before he succumed to his wounds. His crew barring one also died of their wounds. I have a beauiful portrait of him with a citation signed by George R I.
Rodwyn Mc Laren (nee Stewart)
I had a boss who volunteered in 1943 when he turned 18. Became a top turret gunner on a B17. Credited with 2 kills, was shot down and worked his way back to England. Refused to go home and went back on missions again. Shot down over Germany by AAA and spent the last 3 months in a POW camp nearly starving to death.
Thank you for filming and sharing these stories. Such brave and humble men.
Thanks for watching!
Stirring stuff. Brave men that mere words cannot describe sufficiently.
Awesome interviews, perfectly done! We need more like these before all these heroes are gone.
Thanks for the nice feedback - much appreciated. And thanks for watching.
@@raymondmcfalone26 absolutely! Your very welcome!
I have no words to describe my love and admiration for these ordinary American boys caught up in the war. Their courage, their fears, the trials they experienced. These common American boys who sacrificed their lives in the skies over Nazi Germany.
And now , terrorists walk across the border with impunity.
The greatest generation. My grandfather was in the second marines and another grandfather was exempted because of his ability to build oil refineries here in the states.
Such good men. On both sides.
Its been a long time since I have come across an upload as good as this. I sincerely thank you for sharing this with us.
Thanks for the nice feedback - much appreciated.
Yes there were good men on both sides
I have nothing but admiration for the men who had to make that ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we all survive in the future. To the men of the RAF and USAAF thank you. Even remembrance day, on eleventh day, the eleventh hour, on the eleventh month I will always cry for them and I will never forget them.
I will remember them.
Thanks Raymond for all that you do.You are greatly appreciated .
You are very welcome
Great interviews. This must be at least 30 years ago because they appear to be in their 60s. Today, most vets are over 100
They were taped in approximately 2005. They have all passed on now. Thanks for watching.
My dad was a tail gunner in a B-17 during the last few months of the war. He used to tell me I probably wouldn't exist if he had been there earlier in the war.
I was shocked to hear he wasn't wearing his chute in the tail.
In a flat spin, it would have been impossible to get to it, and the rear hatch. We owe so much to those brave men .
Thanks for this interview of these amazing surviving airmen.
Thank u for sharing their stories. They are the greatest generation. Thank u.
Yes indeed and thanks for watching.
So glad I found your channel. Bravo and Thank You.
Welcome and thanks for watching. Raymond
Thank you so much. I have an understanding I never had before. My appreciation overwhelming.
You never see much on B-24s. My grandfather was wounded twice with 50+ missions. 443 BG in England. He would never speak of it to me.
this is incredible. deserves way more views and likes
My neighbor was a radioman/gunner on a B-17 named "Alice Blue Gown" that was shot down over the English Channel. He told me that you could at least shoot back at the attacking fighters but that the FLAK was the worst part of the missions over Germany.
I've heard air-crew tell me that the flak was so heavy , they felt they could leave the plane and walk on it !
Thanks so much for all these interviews !! HISTORY !!!
Thanks for listening
Just couldn't imagine being one of those ,bullets ripping thru them and the flak,and the midair collisions that on dosnt here about,plus direct hits in the bomb bay. God bless you men
When I was in college, I took a course on WW2, and the professor brought in someone who was a B17 crewman. He hated Merseburg because the flak was some of the heaviest in Germany.
No words, just humbled to hear such history.
To get an idea of escaping from a stricken B-17 Flying Fortress, you had to disengage your earphones and oxygen mask, remove your body armor and clip on your chest pack parachute, either exit the rear crew door or make your way to the bomb bay catwalk with your heavy shearling flying pants and jacket and jump clear, sometimes through flames and avoiding the horizontal stabilizer. Made all the more difficult if you had to set the controls as the pilot, grab your parachute chest pack frroom beneath your seat and clip it on, shinny around the top turret and out, or the ball turret gunner cranking the turret 'full down' and clambering out of the turret with help and putting on your chute and jumping. On average, each crewmember had around 45 seconds to do so before the plane went into its 'death dive'....Harrowing if you survived...
Thank you very your well thought out description. In a video we uploaded a few weeks ago - Shot Down Over Poland - we interviewed a B17 pilot in the cockpit of a B17. He describes how he bailed out. There was a bit of funny side to it because he said he had a fear of heights - but he bailed out anyway - no choice. You can find the video in my channel. Thanks for watching and, again, thanks for your helpful comments.
@@raymondmcfalone26 A lot of the crew had a parachute that was attached to their harness that they sat on if they had a seat!
Also, a lot of times the smallest guys in group were assigned to be Ball Turret Gunners, so they could wear their chute inside the turret. Some of the newer models of B-17 had an enlarged hatch so the ball turret gunner was able to open his hatch and bail out without going back into the fuselage. Also, most cases, the crew did wear their parachutes.
BTW, this is what I was told about the parachutes (by a b-17 waist gunner who served thru early 1945 until he was rotated home). I guess some units made do with what they had available, or other units ordered the type they wanted.
Even more difficult is when the B-17 is spinning with the crew attempting to escape and deal with the G forces.
I hope I will never be tested for this level of courage. God bless you, “Greatest Generation” !
Of course, the alternative was a bit worse. You'd be amazed what kind of incentive that is.
What are the odds of getting shot down over Germany and meeting a Luftwaffe officer from Chicago?
Astronomical .
Amazing!
Respect.. Thank you for these stories. Told and recorded so we now can hear what they have been through.
Thanks for listening
@@raymondmcfalone26 God bless you! I can’t even imagine what it was like.
Those are some great stories, told by the greatest generation this nation has known since the days it was founded. God bless all our troops and brave soldiers past, present, and future. I'm proud to call myself a veteran of a wartime campaign and a brother in arms to men like these.
Well said brother👍🍻