Big Week- Feb. 20th -25th 1944

[Resica]

The goal of Big Week was to achieve Allied air superiority over the Luftwaffe, which was absolutely critical in advance of the upcoming D-Day invasion. My 3rd cousin from Clermont(Gainesville) was a right waist gunner and assistant engineer on the B-24 "Flak Alley". They were with the 44th Heavy Bombardment Group, 68th Bomber Squadron out of Shipdam England. Their run was over a Messerschmidt plant in Gotha, Germany. After the run their 2 left engines washed out and they fell out of formation and were hammered by ME-109s. Most , if not all bailed out, some died before they hit the ground from wounds. I believe 4 lived and 6 died. My cousin, Wiley Haynes Jr. died today 79 years ago today. He was 22. Just wanted to recognize my cousin.

 

[Whitefeather]

RIP to a fallen hero

 

[Resica]

RIP to a fallen hero

Thank you sir!

 

[oldfella1962]

RIP to a fallen hero

Agree! Such an important mission/job but very necessary but also dangerous.

 

[Toliver]

The men of the 8th Air Force went through **** and back every mission. It's amazing that you can get people to do stuff like that.

 

[Resica]

The men of the 8th Air Force went through **** and back every mission. It's amazing that you can get people to do stuff like that.

God Bless them all!!

 

[basstrkr]

Salute.

 

[dwhee87]

He's in good company....

On this day in 1836, advance units of President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reached San Antonio de Béxar and began a 13 day siege of the Texian defenders of the Alamo Mission. By mid-afternoon, 1500 Mexican troops were occupying Béxar. When they raised the blood red “No Quarter” flag, Col William B. Travis responded with a shot from one of the Alamo's cannons. 13 days later the Mexicans attacked, and indeed, no quarter was given. The delay, however, gave General Sam Houston time to consolidate his forces, and on April 21, at the Battle of San Jacinto, his forces slaughtered Santa Anna's. In just 18 minutes, the Texians killed, wounded or captured over 1000 Mexicans at the cost of just 11 dead patriots. The Republic of Texas was born!

Also...

OTD in 1945, US Marines raised the American flag over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. AP Photagrapher Joe Rosenthal was there, and he snapped one of the most iconic war photographs of all time:



Salute!

 

[Toliver]

He's in good company....

On this day in 1836, advance units of President General Antonio López de Santa Anna reached San Antonio de Béxar and began a 13 day siege of the Texian defenders of the Alamo Mission. By mid-afternoon, 1500 Mexican troops were occupying Béxar. When they raised the blood red “No Quarter” flag, Col William B. Travis responded with a shot from one of the Alamo's cannons. 13 days later the Mexicans attacked, and indeed, no quarter was given. The delay, however, gave General Sam Houston time to consolidate his forces, and on April 21, at the Battle of San Jacinto, his forces slaughtered Santa Anna's. In just 18 minutes, the Texians killed, wounded or captured over 1000 Mexicans at the cost of just 11 dead patriots. The Republic of Texas was born!

Also...

OTD in 1945, US Marines raised the American flag over Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. AP Photagrapher Joe Rosenthal was there, and he snapped one of the most iconic war photographs of all time:

View attachment 1212171

Salute!

Amazing how fate intervened for Joe since he got the opportunity to photograph the 2nd flag going up to replace the smaller one already hoisted. And along with the men of the 8th, all them island hopping boys had serious brass.

 

[dwhee87]

Don't make them like that anymore.

 

[Whitefeather]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in a plane over enemy territory and know you’re going down.

 

[oldfella1962]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in a plane over enemy territory and know you’re going down.

IMHO being taken prisoner is the second worst thing about combat. Third is getting killed, first is getting injured to the point that you are a burden on your family for years if not decades. That said the Germans actually treated POW's relatively decently. The Japanese not so much. and the North Vietnamese (different war of course) for example were horrendously brutal.

 

[oldfella1962]

Don't make them like that anymore.

They still do. I just hope that my (or any of our) kids & grandkids aren't ever forced into a war where they are required to do these types of things.

 

[Resica]

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in a plane over enemy territory and know you’re going down.

I've thought about it. Adrenaline is pumping and you are doing your job but that fear must come into play pretty quickly. Hate to think of the last moments in their minds.

 

[oldfella1962]

One time when I was stationed in Germany, we had a field exercise where we set up our radar & flight operations on an actual military/civilian airport that was used in WWII and was still in operation. The Germans who ran it said it got attacked and the towns & factories adjacent to it were too. It was pretty cool imagining what it must have been like back then under those conditions.