When Scott read about the Wings of Freedom Tour in our local newspaper, he was so happy to be able to fit in a visit to the Van Nuys airport to check it out.
You can also see the video by clicking here .
Enjoy looking at the pictures that we took of our tour:
Our friend, Jack McEwen, is a World War II vet. He was a pilot in the Airforce and he flew the B-17. When he saw the pictures that I took of our tour, he sent me this email.....
Ah,
Kathleen, me lassie, ya warmed the cockles of me heart! I flew the
B-17 in World War II. It was the sweet-heart bomber that brought one
home. Seeing your pictures was an appreciated blessing. This model was
the B-17G that had a controlled nose turret. I flew the E model in
combat in the South Pacific. (Guadalcanal) in 1942-43.
I was relieved of combat in July 43 being replaced by B-14s which we called flying box cars. They were easily damaged under fire, and couldn't make a water landing. I was the Base operation's officer in Kearney, Nebraska staging B-17Fs and Gs to England until VE Day and then B-19s to the Pacific.
I was to have gone on a Church mission in one month, but in the first national draft my number was the sixteenth number drawn. The Draft Board would have deferred me, but needed a letter from Salt Lake verifying my mission call. A personal letter from President Heber J. Grant informed me the Church would honor the military call, inasmuch as I was not a actual set -apart functioning full time missionary. With a broken heart, I spent the next four years in the Army Air Corps. The good Lord watched over and cared for me. Again, thanks for sharing the pictures.
Jack
It was a humbling experience for me to see and walk through these planes and imagine the sacrifices that were made by the people who were involved with them in the name of freedom. Thank you Jack, and all our veterans, for your service to me and our country.
