This is a picture of my dad (bottom row, center) and his B-26 Marauder crew and plane, The Deefeater, taken in England just prior to the Allied invasion of Normandy, France on June 6th, 1944. He and his crew were ten minutes out ahead of the invasion fleet bombing Nazi coastal positions and his plane-with the distinctive white invasion stripes-can be seen in war film footage of the invasion. Salute to them all! I wrote about them and this day in my book, “Storytellin’: True & Fictional Short Stories of Arkansas.”
Important to remember. Thank you.
My dad was a bombardier/navigator on a B-17. Twenty five missions out of England. He got a small platinum plate in his skull after the last one. They were only supposed to fly twenty, but casualties were so high there weren’t enough warm bodies to fly. His stories, what he was doing at 17 made my teenage traumas seem petty.
Incredible story, Phil. Thanks for sharing. Your dad was a hero. Salute! My dad spent the first two years in the Pacific as a radio/gunner on B17’s before being transferred to England and the B-26. Nothing but respect for those men and those who served and sacrificed. May they always be remembered.
Thanks for sharing, Jack. Great photo and great service to the country and the world. 😀
Thank you, D.