Wings Over the Rockies
It's been a very busy week. I had a cousin visiting from Southern California who journeyed to Denver to meet with a contact for the nonfiction book he's writing on the airmen of World War II. As life would have it, there was a B17 Fly-in scheduled by the Wings over the Rockies museum right here at Centennial Airport.
It's pretty amazing to stand beside one of these famous airplanes and think about the history it embodies, the lives of the men it both saved and took. Can you imagine laying in one of these turrets, hanging from the belly of the plane, a target for the rockets launched from below and the bullets flying around you from enemy aircraft? The space is barely big enough for a small child.
So many of the airmen who flew these airplanes individualized them with nose art that either held some significance for them personally or was a reflection of the popular culture at the time. The museum has a wonderful collection of photos.
And as sometimes happens, we ran into someone we knew: a fellow RMFW member and WWII aficionado, Rick Gustafson.
My cousin is undertaking a monumental task. But it's an important one. Soon, these heros will be gone. My dad and my cousin's dad were part of this extraordinary generation, as were the warm and welcoming men who greeted visitors at the airfield.
I couldn't help but think of my dad yesterday. And all the other dads and grandads who made it possible for us to live as we choose. It would be a great shame if their memories were lost.
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Almost forgot...Jaye Wells has a brand new novella up on Amazon: Meridian Six. Check it out
here:
Just the thing to start off your summer reading campaign!!
Labels: B17, Jaye Wells, Rick Gustafson, Wings over the Rockies