歪歪漫画

I was asked by David Quam, a local videographer, as to what enticed me to fly in a B-25.

I told him that my uncle flew 19 missions over Europe in WW II as a pilot, and I wanted to experience just a little of what it was like to fly in a similar bomber that helped win the war. Notice I said, "somewhat."

It would be impossible for me even to come close to getting the same feeling he and his crew experienced. On his 19th mission, his plane was shot down and crashed into the Baltic Sea to be rescued by German soldiers and placed in a prison camp until the war ended.

After each mission, my uncle, John Raedeke, had to file a report on what happened. Here is an abbreviated report on one of his missions over Germany in a B-17 in 1944.

"The plane was vibrating and pitching unbelievably as a result of all guns firing, fighting prop-wash, and avoiding collision with our own as well as enemy planes. The sky in front of us was a solid mass of exploding 20mm shells, flak, rockets, burning aircraft, and more enemy fighters. B-17s were going down in flames every 15 minutes and enemy fighters seemed to explode or go down in smoke like flies dropping out of the sky.

"The Luftwaffe attacked us in ME 109s, ME 210s, FW 190s, JU 88s, and some we couldn't identify. The enemy fighters made suicidal attacks at us continuously, coming within about fifty feet before turning away. It seemed that the greater part of the attack was aimed at our ship, perhaps for the following reason. Our ship was the only one in the group that was not firing tracer bullets and they apparently thought we had no guns or were out of ammunition.鈥�

What was the survival rate for the B-25 planes and crew? During the whole war, 51% of aircrew were killed on operations, 12% were killed or wounded in non-operational accidents, and 13% became prisoners of war or evaders. Only 24% survived the war unscathed.

The pilots and crew of those flying fortresses and liberators were between 19 and 26 years old. After their 25th mission, they could return home. Each one of those aviators was a true hero in the best sense of the word.

If you recall from your high school history, Jimmy Doolittle led a flight of 16 B-25s that dropped bombs on Tokyo a few months after Pearl Harbor. Because they didn鈥檛 have enough fuel to return to the aircraft carrier, all but one had a crash landing. Miraculously, only eight men were killed.

So, did I learn anything from the experience of flying in a B-25?

The first thing I learned is that I hope the world never has to experience a time when the sky is filled with thousands of airplanes dropping bombs on people. Should it ever happen again, it won鈥檛 be thousands of bombs; it will just be one or two, and the damage will be far worse.

If you are claustrophobic, flying in a B-25 is not for you. It seems like everything is pushed and pulled together to utilize every inch of space. My seat was probably twelve inches across, directly behind the pilots. The knees of my co-passenger, John, sitting across from me, were touching my knees.

The roof of the plane was 6 inches from the top of my head. I was reminded these planes were built to drop bombs and shoot down other planes and were not built for convenience and comfort. There were no stewardesses coming around to offer you a cold beverage and macadamia nuts.

It was a much smoother ride than I thought it would be. Once we were airborne, I could enjoy the marvelous landscape surrounding Bemidji. It truly is spectacular. Filled with lakes and every imaginable shade of green and blue and more lakes and fields, I told someone the next day that I thought I was flying over the Garden of Eden. It鈥檚 easier to appreciate the world we live in from thousands of feet in the air.

I learned that we need to thank all of the people involved in restoring these sacred artifacts so we can learn from them and imagine a time in our history when they liberated us from tyranny. We hope the time never comes again. I was happy to see many young people touring the planes. These wings of beauty make history come alive. I hope they go back to their schools this fall and tell others what they saw.

I need to add a commercial for David Quam and his relentless energy in recording these events. You can see all of his videos online by searching for 鈥淒avid Quam B-25.鈥�

Riding in a B-25 was a Father鈥檚 Day gift to me. I was reminded of how little I know about so many things and how fortunate I am to be surrounded by others who know much more than I know. I could say once again, as I have said many times, 鈥淚 learned a lot since I knew it all.鈥�

I often hear people fret about today鈥檚 generation and whether they could handle what the Greatest Generation handled in WWII. Our world is much more complex today. We are totally interdependent on one another. Although our schools are faced with many challenges, I have absolutely no doubt that the new generation can also become known as the greatest generation. Why? They have no choice. I believe they can and will help create a better generation.

Riddle: What did the mother cow say to the baby cow? (Answer: It鈥檚 pasture bedtime.) It never can be past our bedtime to learn about those unsung heroes who flew those bombers in WWII.

The hotline (218) 444-STAY is also for students who are struggling in school. Spread the word.

John R. Eggers of Bemidji is a former university professor and area principal. He also is a writer and public speaker.