I got a phone call from a WWII vet......

I thoroughly wish my grandfather hadn't died when i was 6.  He was a VVS mechanic in prussia in '43.  Went on to be a jet materials engineer after the war.  died of colon cancer after a botched surgery.  aside from all he could've told me about the design specifics of aircraft from 4 nations of origin along with a personalized history of the jet age, it would've been great to have him around.

but i did get plenty of interaction with my grandmother (of the other side of the family).  i doubt she would've been too happy to talk about airplanes much however.  remember her telling me that she much preferred the shelling:  you know the shells are going to land on one side of the street whereas the bombs can end up anywhere.  her brother is still alive and still stammers because of the bomb that landed on the shelter they were in during a bombardment.  not that she was too crazy about artillery either:  always screamed her head off at me whenever i dug up any shell fragments or rifle-caliber rounds in the woods around the house. 

There are a few good links that tell more about Ted Dejewski and his WW2 experience. You will find the links on the :

http://www.armyairforces.com/forum/m_95245/tm.htm

 I research American missions to targets in Poland in WW2. In two weeks I will go to the Polish mountains to look for Ted's pilot, who was never found.

 Szymon.

When I was a teenager I used to drink in a little pub run by a guy and his wife. Both were in their 60's and had run the pub for years. I always drank in the Public Bar, never the Saloon, but one night myself and my mates had to use the Sallon due the other bar being full.

What a shock! On the walls were pictures of Lancasters etc. On seeing me looking at these the landlord explained that he had bee a rear gunner on a Lanc.. He recounted the tail of how a nightfighter lunged out of the darkness, before performing a wingover and disappearing back into the murk. All so fast that the landlord never had time to fire his guns. That apparently was his closest brush with the Luftwaffe.

Karl

Leigh,
that's a great story, I hope you are able to get in touch with the rest of the crew. My friend says his father in law is going to take the model I built to his RAF vetrans meeting and show it off. I wish I had the time off work to be there!

Dominic,
A lot of my family have seen conflicts over the years and most of them will tell little of their combat experience, so I try not to ask too many questions. However, once in a while my grandfathers would drink a little more than usual and swap war stories. I was very young at the time and I cannot recall all of the experiences I heard now. I wish I could go back in time and tell them how thankful we all are to those who have gone before us and to hear their stories one more time. I know I'll never forget them or those like them.

Darren.

While awaiting an appointment at my HMO (health clinic), I had the good fortune to make the acquaintance of a fellow patient who happened to be a WWI U.S. fighter pilot. Absolutely fascinating tales and old photos of some legendary A/C's and fields.

Afraid my own direct experiences relate more to being a POW from the "War on Poverty!"

"Should we prosper it shall be as is our custom...by Miracle!"

nice story
I've gone and talked to a few WW2 vets and its a great experience

I have always listed to my grandfathers when they spoke about their lives in the war. It was interesting as the Grandfather that went to Europe was tapped for intelligence and was always near to,but kept off, the lines, he talked about what combat was like, what the Germans, Italians, white- Russians, red- Russians, Vichi French, free French etc etc etc were like. His stories while interesting, were never glorious. The best one being, while I knew German at a high school level and could read and speak the language, Hande- Hach! was all I ever really needed...Or how he travled across the world to meet a German soldier that had lived in South St Louis less that a mile from his home. My Paternal grandfather (God Rest His Soul) Was in the pacific as a LCI and LCVP driver. He NEVER discussed combat. The Japanese were there, he was there, and the US Marines were there. There was more. He just wouldnt say. My father served in Vietnam. I suggest when discussing Vietnam use alot of discretion. I know it goes without saying, but I had a friend whose father was an APC driver. When we put togather an APC kit for him he promptly locked it up and later destroyed it. Since becoming a semi driver and set out to roam the countryside I have met Holocaust survivors, Montaniards from the Highlands of Vietnam, Vietnamese who were conscripts in the NVA,(in Canada) Israelis, Lebanese, Palestinians, Former Soviet soldiers,including one spetsnaz paratrooper circa Afgan war, several Germans and thier children,and finally A Cuban Spec ops man that came here to Live the dream. He does, he owns his own Semi and is a mover with a moving company. I have come to realize that all these people Have come here to do one thing, live in peace as Americans. If there is one thing I would like to add to close this lengthly message is that our veterans of all conflicts have made the American Dream possible for these people to come here and lead good lives. Always keep that promise, and those who kept it in mind.- Dominic

Adam,

Thanks for the story.
My dad was on Saipan too in 1944-45 with the Marines.
I wonder if they may have crossed paths or been there at the same time?
We will never know as my dad passed away two years ago also from cancer.

Mike

Darren, that is a truly amazing story you related to us. I am glad that i happened to look at this as I have some fond memories of build for a verteran myself. I was working for a blueprinting firm in NYC, who's sister operation was an art supply store. One of the store's customers was a painter by the name Tad Dejewski. He was a member of the 15th AAF, 459th Bomber Group. Mr. Dejewski came into my office one day as I was fiddling with a new model that I had purchased that day. He had asked me if I was interested in building a replica of the plane he was the navigator on during WWII. I jumped at the opportunity. I made 2 Liberator models for him, one in 48th scale and the other in 72nd scale, to be used as a presentation model for the surviving members of his plane. The plane in question was the "California Rocket", B-24 Liberator Serial # 251714. He was very pleased with these models, and I was very happy to build them for him. He even asked me to buil a replica of his 1957 Ford T-Bird.
All this aside, I was very fortunate to have the ability to "GO BACK IN TIME" and learn about the period from someone that was there. Unfortunately Mr. Dejewski passed last may, but I will try to get in touch with the remaining members of his bomber.
Hope i didn't bore anyone

Leigh

Really it is important and, I would say, a necessary experience to talk with Vets about their experiences. It is live history. Some years ago a friend of mine knew a He-111 pilot (he was his home neighbour) who had flown in the Battle of Britain. Later in the war he flew transport (cargo) missions and suffered injuries, he was "grounded" and survived the war. The pilot showed to my friend some interesting He-111 wartime photos, including some pics where some He-111 had "tail art" (instead "nose art") drawings. I saw some of the photos, too; they where amazing! The style of the "tail arts" were similar to the american WWII "nose art" but not with ladies, only cartoons.
The pilot said the "tail arts" lasted only a few days, the commander of his unit ordered that all drawings were removed. I regret we were not able to chat much more with the pilot (sorry, I don't remember his name); he passed away in 1995.

...and there are many "famous persons" Vets. Actors, for example; Paul Newman was a gunner in some type of torpedo plane (a TBM Avenger?) in WWII; Charlton Heston was a B-25 crew (radio-operator?); Jack Palance was a bomber pilot; and so on.

Jeremy,
I have just seen your gallery and I'm mightily impressed! I have a friend who also builds professionally and I must say I'm quite envious of you both!
I am not the most talented modeler by any means so when once in a while someone asks me to build for them I feel very honored. When they call so say they like the model too, it's a wonderful feeling. When a vet takes the time to tell me of their experiences I am in awe of them and could listen all day and learn so much. I honestly wish I had more hours in the day so I could speak to more of them.

By all means talk to a vet; they are an invaluable source of information and inspiration. My father was a WWII and Korean war vet. Most of my uncles served in the same wars.I have served for 22yrs so far and had my wars too. I have built each vehicle I have crewed or commanded. I have also made models for my comrades as going away gifts. It is a most satisfing feeling when you get it right.

I agree completely Darren. It is a wonderful thing to let these vets relive their glory days by giving them a scale replica of whatever they served on or in. I recently completed a B17F for a co-pilot of the "Rose O' Day", 91Bg, 322 Bs, 8th AAC. It was delivered on Christmas day, and his son called me a few days back to let me know that receiving the replica of the Rose made his father well up with emotion. It was a perfect replica of his plane. It is now a family hierloom. My client makes a regular trip back to the crash site every year, and will be taking the replica with him when he goes this year. Talk about a good feeling.

You can see replicas that I have recently finished for my clients at:

http://newmexicoreplicas.50megs.com

Sign on and let me know what you think!

Keep up the good work everyone!

Jeremy Connell

I just discovered this thread and it struck a cord with me... by all means if you know a vet make the effort to talk to them. My grandfather was a Seabee, he was at Pearl after the attack (metal worker) and on Saipan among other things. He was a very tough gut...had a purple heart (he climbed out to the end of the guns during a battle to repair them and took some shrap.) I never tried to penetrate his tough exterior...in fact as a youngster I was really very scared to even talk to him. I really wish I had now... two years ago last Dec. 16th he passed... it was throat cancer (he never smoked or drank a day in his life.) Last fall my grandmother gave my dad an album that my granddad kept all of his service pictures and memorabelia in. Among other things were two pictures...one of a bombed out control tower on Saipan... the other of the same tower rebuilt by the Seabees. I can't tell you my daily regret for not having talked with my grandfather about these experiences, or just gotten to know him better. Trust me it's best to get these stories before they are lost...and all that is left is an album full of pictures that you wish you had explanations for.

I'm sorry if I went long on this... I had to get it off my chest.

Robert Spreckels -- the German Luftwaffe pilot who shot down Britain's most celebrated night-fighter pilot, Bob Braham. After reading Bob's book, Nightfighter, I contacted him and verified that both Bob abd Robert had enjoyed many whiskeys together after the war.

Duke, I'm sure you'll rise to the occassion. You must feel very proud to be asked to complete that model. I look forward to seeing it when it's finished.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Skywarner It is quite an honor! When you finish the shuttle, post some pics for us.

I shall try. My digicam isn't up to the task, so I'll get someone at my model meeting to take them. Once he e-mails me the copies, I'll have them posted.

My wifes Grandfather was a WWII vet and tod me of all his experiances before he died.

At 15 he joined the Navy, and was at Pearl, and the Battle of Midway, while awaiting his actual post as a Demolition expert on a Sub that did sabatoge in the Japanese harbors.

His wife still has his Flight Jacket from the Stint he did as radio operator on the Enterprise.
I've been trying to convince her that jacket needs to be interned at a museum, but at the moment she's unwilling to part with it.

Great stories guys, thanks for sharing. My only brush with a vet was meeting one in a flea market. Can't remember his name, but he fought in the Pacific in some tof the major battles. He showed me a scar on his face and described how he got it. It was on Okinawa and a Japanese soldier was quite close and shot him in the face and the bullet passed through both cheeks. He fortunately shot and killed him. One reaction that he made that I won't forget is, after I thanked him for his service and told him how very brave he was to endure all that fighting, he responsed "Brave?, Hell I was scared to death!" I just couldn't imagine the hell those guys went through.

It is quite an honor! When you finish the shuttle, post some pics for us.

Ona similar note, there was a gentleman wwho was a member of our model club who was very deeply involved in the development and construction of the Space Shuttle. After he retired, he started building the Challenger for his Wife. Shortly after the Challenger disaster, this gentleman passed away, leaving behind a partially-built Challenger Space Shuttle. She brought it in to ask if someone would finish it for her, and somehow the job fell to me. It is almost done, and will be presented to her at our January meeting. I can only hope my work is worthy of Mr. Stoner's model.

Being able to finish something for someone like this is an Honor that I only hope I deserve.

You're absolutely right Skywarner, we should never forget what others have done in service of their country. I was very lucky to be invited to a newly formed model club recently where I met a gentleman who used to fly Halifax's in the RAF. We sat down with a couple of pints and I just listened for a couple of hours. I was so lucky to meet him and listen to his experiences. I won't be asked to build for him though, he builds his own-to a very high standard!

My father, a WWII vet who worked on P-38's and later B-29's (with the 509th) recently passed away after a very long illness.

I knew that time was critical, so I picked up and went to work on an Academy P-38L which was the type of Lightning he maintained in the Pacific. I was so glad I was able to present it to him before he went into the hospital for the final time.

I will never forget his happiness when he was presented with the plane nor his stories of his war experiences.

The plane now stands in front of his flag on the mantle as a tribute.

We all should never forget the courage and the honor of that generation. Nor, for that matter, later generations...

We had quite a contingent of airwar vets at my Lutheran Church. Henry, the B17 guy went there along with a German named Adolf who was a mechanic in the Luftwaffer and always joked about Heny's bad aim at dropping bombs. Both were on the Church council and became good freinds, but every now and then would disagree about something and would re-start the war again. Adolf became a guest of Canada as a POW when he was transferred to a Coastal Patrol squadron and was a crew cheif on a Condor that was shot down.

Adolf aways had many interesting stories to tell in his broken English about life in Europe during the war, politics of the Lufftwaffer and feelings towards the Riech, and of being a POW. He had a sense of humor and got along very well with all the allied vets in town. He liked Canada and the US so he became a citizen and a farmer. Both men are no longer with us, but many of their stories are still being re-hashed in my home town.

I never could get from Adolf the exact details of the Condor he flew on, or else I would model one.

QUOTE: Originally posted by scottrc The B-17 has a funny story, I built it when still in highschool and had the rear door open. My reference photo was a negative so I figured the door would open from the left. The crewman whom I presented the model to, told me the door opened the wrong way. I asked that why on earth they would design the door to open into the slipstream, and he replied; "I was asking the same stupid question while trying to open it to bail out over Holland".

This story has me cracking up.

I remember working at a hobby store and meeting a gentleman who fought with Gen. Paulus' Sixth Army at Stalingrad. He was a Tank driver in Panzer VI's and escaped just before the encirclement cut them off completely. He says they left by heading south with a Russian-speaking Polish officer who lead them out. Later he went on to fight in Italy with Kesselring's 10th(?) Army. I only regret losing touch with him and not being able to learn more. It was extremely interesting to be able to talk with someone who fought on the "other side", and it is an experience I shall treasure forever.

Great story Sottrc! It is certainly true that we can always learn from those who have been before us. I think as a group we should all try to make the effort to show our vets that they are appreciated by the younger generation.
The gentleman I built for was certainly touched when someone 50yrs younger wanted to hear of his experiences.

Hehehe... that's funny! Well, i guess there was a lot to think about during the war to bother with something as "trivial" as an egress hatch.

I have never really talked to a WWII vet before, although i do know of a jesuit priest that was a captain during d-day, before he entered the order, and was part of the invasion force. i don't think he likes to talk about it much because he changes the subject whenever i try to bring it up. i guess a lot of those memories are painful ones...

To hear the stories and visit with Vets is a major reason I model. I have built B-24s. B-17s, C47s, F4s, ADs, and am now finishing a B26 for a local guy who was a gunner. It is amazing the reaction I get when they are done, from the family who asked, and then the look on the face when we present the model to the Vet. I always have a tape recorder, and if ok, a video camera to record the stories. The model really then becomes a part of history and has special meaning to me.

The B-17 has a funny story, I built it when still in highschool and had the rear door open. My reference photo was a negative so I figured the door would open from the left. The crewman whom I presented the model to, told me the door opened the wrong way. I asked that why on earth they would design the door to open into the slipstream, and he replied; "I was asking the same stupid question while trying to open it to bail out over Holland".