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1
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:08 pm to Darth_Vader
Almost any of them as long as it's not in the Pacific.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:08 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
A. Being assigned as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber crew with the 8th. Air Force
The scene in Memphis Belle when they open the door to the ball turret, and it's gone and Sean Astin is just hanging on by his seatbelt
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:09 pm to Darth_Vader
At 18 I would have definitely picked A. Just because I would have been in the air. And the idea of being up there shooting down other planes and likely thinking I was untouchable.. It would have been a no brainer.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:10 pm to Darth_Vader
Paw paw rouge was 22
He knew how to drive a truck, so they made him an airplane mechanic in the South Pacific
He had the correct "learn to code" skills for the time.
He knew how to drive a truck, so they made him an airplane mechanic in the South Pacific
He had the correct "learn to code" skills for the time.
This post was edited on 6/14/19 at 1:18 pm
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:11 pm to Darth_Vader
Heading to Canada...
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:11 pm to Spaceman Spiff
quote:
If I remember correctly, the 8th alone had some 20k KIA.
Wrong. It was more
quote:
Half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead). Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:12 pm to jchamil
Andy Rooney was a correspondent assigned to the 8th AF. He told a story of a damaged bomber coming back to England. The ball turret was damaged and they couldn't get the hatch open to get the guy out and the landing gear was damaged. They had to do a belly land with the ball turret gunner, still alive, under the plane. They were almost out of fuel so they had to crush their friend to death in order to save everyone else.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:13 pm to upgrayedd
4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:14 pm to Rouge
Grandpa Boo was in the 17th airborne and he made it home alive... so can I pick that one?
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:14 pm to upgrayedd
quote:
They had to do a belly land with the ball turret gunner, still alive, under the plane. They were almost out of fuel so they had to crush their friend to death in order to save everyone else.
Thanks for the nightmare tonight
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:16 pm to ksayetiger
quote:
Half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead). Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war.
To put that into perspective, the total number of Marines killed in WWII was just under 20,000.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:20 pm to upgrayedd
quote:
Andy Rooney was a correspondent assigned to the 8th AF. He told a story of a damaged bomber coming back to England. The ball turret was damaged and they couldn't get the hatch open to get the guy out and the landing gear was damaged. They had to do a belly land with the ball turret gunner, still alive, under the plane. They were almost out of fuel so they had to crush their friend to death in order to save everyone else.
poets.org - "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" by Randall Jarrell
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:20 pm to Darth_Vader
E. Being 18 in 2019 - facing the oppression of: white privilege, a racist president, and living in a fascist hateful country.
This post was edited on 6/14/19 at 1:21 pm
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:24 pm to upgrayedd
Yeah, I read that in Masters of the Air. Plane was all shot to shite and no landing gear. Big discussion on the radio about what to do. I think I remember it lasting 8 minutes, which Andy Rooney said felt like an eternity. Terrible story.
In 1943, the 8th was taking such a beating from the Luftwaffe and flak, your odds of surviving your 25 missions was remote. In 1944, after the Luftwaffe was marginalized, but not defeated, they raised the mission requirement to 30, and then 35. It was an extremely high risk occupation.
In 1943, the 8th was taking such a beating from the Luftwaffe and flak, your odds of surviving your 25 missions was remote. In 1944, after the Luftwaffe was marginalized, but not defeated, they raised the mission requirement to 30, and then 35. It was an extremely high risk occupation.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:24 pm to Darth_Vader
A for many would not even be an option. If I remember correctly you couldn't be over 5'9" or so due to how small the ball turret was. Talk about getting frick twice in life. 1 for being short, and 2 for having your arse shoe horned into that ball of death bc of it.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:25 pm to Darth_Vader
I'd take D. Because my uncle was a tank commander in the 3rd Armored.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:25 pm to SeeeeK
I'd have to say.. THis would kinda suck.. Not to mention even if I didn't take a direct hit... That Live in Fame go down in Flame part kinda rings really true.
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:27 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
C. Being assigned to the 101st Airborne Div. as an Infantryman
Didn't Airborne Pay a good bit more than the rest? And it was tougher to achieve.
I would have tried for that at 18 yrs old when really fit and fulla the piss.
Most Terrifying would have been the gunner on a B-17.
This post was edited on 6/14/19 at 1:28 pm
Posted on 6/14/19 at 1:29 pm to WWII Collector
Another thing about the ball turret: if the plane is hit and is going down, is there even a way for that guy to bail out with a parachute?
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