to go back and fight

[Karnak]

or the maybe world would be at peace and resemble Shangri-La ... who knows ... but millions of lives may have been spared from cruel and horrible inhumane deaths.

Yup.  The problem is we don't know, but we do know how this path turned out, and it was rough, but we've made it pretty well so far all things considered.  We'd be tossing out a known path in which we are successfully still here for an unknown.

[SlapShot]

Yup.  The problem is we don't know, but we do know how this path turned out, and it was rough, but we've made it pretty well so far all things considered.  We'd be tossing out a known path in which we are successfully still here for an unknown.

A conundrum for sure.

[Guppy35]

Thought about it a bit and realized I would go back...for these guys.   Having gotten to know the survivors and the families of the guys killed from this 454th BG B24 Crew, I'd be willing to risk my neck for them.  If somehow going back would let me do something to make sure they were not in the piece of air where that flak shell hit. It  killed the pilot Richard Fry. It decapitated the co-pilot Al Brody, seriously wounded the flight engneer Harry Kincaid, which lead to his dying in pain months later in a POW hospital.  It forced Bob Haws, Bob Jensen Russ Mars, Bob Slyder and Ed Stanton to bail out and endure months as POWs.  If I could somehow help Don Bucholtz or Earle Kulhanek out of the plane, instead of them being trapped and forced to ride it down to their deaths.  Earle was only 18 years old, just a kid and youngest of 8.  If I could convince Jon Shepard to bail out right after Slyder instead of staying in the plane and dying.    And maybe I can help Al Bender into a chute that works so that he doesn't fall to his death after getting out of the B24.

That's what I'd go back for.  Those guys matter to me.  They're 'my crew" and they'd be worth fighting for.  Nothing romantic or glorious about it.  I care about those guys and wish I could have been around to somehow stop what happened to them.  Would I go back just to get into the fight?  Nope.

[Slash27]

 

[Zoney]

Thought about it a bit and realized I would go back...for these guys.   Having gotten to know the survivors and the families of the guys killed from this 454th BG B24 Crew, I'd be willing to risk my neck for them.  If somehow going back would let me do something to make sure they were not in the piece of air where that flak shell hit. It  killed the pilot Richard Fry. It decapitated the co-pilot Al Brody, seriously wounded the flight engneer Harry Kincaid, which lead to his dying in pain months later in a POW hospital.  It forced Bob Haws, Bob Jensen Russ Mars, Bob Slyder and Ed Stanton to bail out and endure months as POWs.  If I could somehow help Don Bucholtz or Earle Kulhanek out of the plane, instead of them being trapped and forced to ride it down to their deaths.  Earle was only 18 years old, just a kid and youngest of 8.  If I could convince Jon Shepard to bail out right after Slyder instead of staying in the plane and dying.    And maybe I can help Al Bender into a chute that works so that he doesn't fall to his death after getting out of the B24.

That's what I'd go back for.  Those guys matter to me.  They're 'my crew" and they'd be worth fighting for.  Nothing romantic or glorious about it.  I care about those guys and wish I could have been around to somehow stop what happened to them.  Would I go back just to get into the fight?  Nope.




Now that sir, is worth going back for.  Very well said sir 

(Image removed from quote.)

[SKJohn]

Guppy - would it be possible for you to list the names of the men in that photo so we'd know who was who?

[DERK13]

I do agree war is not fun and not wanted, but if the time came i would go and fight as a pilot

[Guppy35]

Guppy - would it be possible for you to list the names of the men in that photo so we'd know who was who?

Back Row:  Cpt. Richard Fry (Pilot) KIA,  F/O Jon Shepard (Nav) KIA, Lt. Alvin Brody (Co-Pilot) KIA, Lt. Bob Slyder (Bombardier) POW

Middle Row: T/S Harry Kincaid (Engineer) POW-Died of wounds,  T/S Don Bucholz (Radio-Op) KIA, T/S Bob Haws (Top-Turret) POW

Front Row: T/S Earle Kulhanek (W-Gunner) KIA, T/S Ed Stanton (W-Gunner) POW, T/S Russ Mars (Tail gunner) POW

They were a lead crew and had a Radar Nav also on board.  Bob Jensen who was a POW, and a radar Bombardier Al Bender, who was KIA

They were a real cross section of the country too with Ohio, Alabama, Minnesota, California(2), Utah, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Pennsylvania, Nebraska represented.   Youngest was 18, oldest 28

[SKJohn]

Thank you Guppy!  It amazes me how young and full of life these men looked.  I suppose they knew the danger involved, but like most guys their age, always though it would happen to "the other guy."  I get kinda choked up looking at the photo and thinking of what happened to them.  Thanks again.

[YGSM]

Thought about it a bit and realized I would go back...for these guys.   Having gotten to know the survivors and the families of the guys killed from this 454th BG B24 Crew, I'd be willing to risk my neck for them.  If somehow going back would let me do something to make sure they were not in the piece of air where that flak shell hit. It  killed the pilot Richard Fry. It decapitated the co-pilot Al Brody, seriously wounded the flight engneer Harry Kincaid, which lead to his dying in pain months later in a POW hospital.  It forced Bob Haws, Bob Jensen Russ Mars, Bob Slyder and Ed Stanton to bail out and endure months as POWs.  If I could somehow help Don Bucholtz or Earle Kulhanek out of the plane, instead of them being trapped and forced to ride it down to their deaths.  Earle was only 18 years old, just a kid and youngest of 8.  If I could convince Jon Shepard to bail out right after Slyder instead of staying in the plane and dying.    And maybe I can help Al Bender into a chute that works so that he doesn't fall to his death after getting out of the B24.

That's what I'd go back for.  Those guys matter to me.  They're 'my crew" and they'd be worth fighting for.  Nothing romantic or glorious about it.  I care about those guys and wish I could have been around to somehow stop what happened to them.  Would I go back just to get into the fight?  Nope.

(Image removed from quote.)

For those that didnt come back   <Salute>