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A View From Above |
Meet the Crew |
Dale VanMeter: (1922-1990). From Delphos, Ohio. Dale was our pilot and was 23 years old when he went on his first combat mission. He was a quiet and great leader; I would have gone anywhere with him. He seemed to think things through thoroughly. One could tell he was a happily married man and that his wife and child would always come first. He was also a leader who would take care of his men first. Tom Funderburk: (1925-present). From Lake City, South Carolina. Tom, our co-pilot and had just turned 20 years old when he went on his first mission. He was a born purist pilot that ended up in a slow bedraggled B-17. This was just not his style. Tom was a P-51 pilot if I ever saw one. He was one of those people who, if you asked for volunteers to check out a rocket that was going to the moon, he would hold up his hand first. Red, as we called him when he did not have his full dress uniform on, was going to be a success in life no matter who said otherwise. Before entering the service, Tom completed his first year of college at the Citadel Military College in Charleston S. C. After the war, he received a degree in Chemistry from Wake Forest College in South Carolina. Although Tom left the service in November 1945, he stayed in the Air Force Reserve and retired after 20 years. He has over 5,000 flying hours and continues to enjoy flight. Jack Egan: (1925-2006). From Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jack was our navigator and a nice all around guy. If you could not get along with Jack you could not get along with the good Lord. Since I was the radio operator and assistant navigator, Jack and I worked very closely. If I was in trouble, Jack was in trouble, and vice-versa. I would not have wanted to trade Jack for any other navigator in the Eighth Air Force. Jack passed away in September 2006 and I miss him. Bill Feeney: (1920-1966) From Muncie, Indiana. Bill was our bombardier. He was married and either 22 or 23 years old. Bill was a good bombardier; however, we had to remind him to take his bombs with him. He loved to explore ice caps. He was pleasant and fun and about the happiest-go-lucky guy I ever knew. He, also, is missed. Frank "Pappy" Priestly: (1916-1989). From San Antonio, Texas. Frank was a master seargent, our flight engineer, and he was 29 years of age. He had been in the Army Air Force since 1934. He was married and was a "Head Honcho" at the base in San Antonio, Texas, where, in 1943, he volunteered for combat duty on a B-17. He had to get formal authorization to fly in combat. Pappy was an excellent poker player and enjoyed a good laugh. He was a dedicated military man who exuded a feeling of confidence that affected everyone on our plane, and we felt that, no matter what happened, we would return safely. Carl (Dick) Petit: (1925-present). From Charleston, South Carolina. (Me) Best radio operator, best looking, bravest, bombed cousins in Hamburg, Germany twice, neatest, best athlete, and the nicest and kindest person you could ever wish to meet! I was nicknamed "The Deacon" by some of my crewmembers as I did not drink or curse and was in church every Sunday if possible. I was 19 years old when I went on my first combat mission. Victor Wisnewski: (1925-present). Victor was from Wallington, New Jersey. Victor was our waist gunner and assistant bombardier and was 19 years old when he went on his first combat mission. He did not have much of a beard, but he did have some peach fuzz above his upper lip that he called a moustache. It was fascinating to watch him groom it every morning. Vic's father was a barber by profession and Victor knew a bit about the trade. He used to give us all haircuts. You knew that Victor would go along with whatever the other fellows decided, no matter how dangerous. It was easy to like Vic. What else can I say about this guy other than he was the one who saved my life. Bill Lander: (1923-present). From Lebannon, Oregon. Bill was our tail gunner and was 20 years old when he went on his first combat mission. Bill did not like any plane coming up from behind us, no matter what nationality. He quit school in the ninth grade after his Father took ill. Bill went to work in a sawmill and became a professional lumberjack. He was single when he entered the war and he was a likeable fellow. Bill was adamant about the fact that he was not going to leave his bunk no matter how many buzz bombs the Germans sent over. Well, one day a buzz bomb came over our field and ran out of fuel over what sounded like our barracks. Well, guess who was the first man off his bunk and heading for the ditch outside of our barrack's back door? While in gunnery school Bill set a new record. He was one of the top five people of the 600 attending gunner school. He received a sterling silver bracelet that he still has today, in 2007. Bill also did well on the 50-caliber machine gun. David Frye: (1925-2002). From Needles, California, later moved to Olalla, Washington. David was our ball turret gunner and was 19 years old when he went on his first combat mission. To me all ball turret gunners should have had a special medal for bravery just to get in that "thing," as it was cramped and if one had to get out fast - good luck! The closest thing I can relate to it today is going into an MRI machine for 20 to 30 minutes. David was a nice person and an all-around good guy, and we miss him. |