- Jul 27, 2018
- 3,259
- 7,028
Serious Random Posts
- Thread starter Treebeard
- Start date
- Jul 27, 2018
- 3,259
- 7,028
I should do one of those. Unless you have been there, it really hard to understand.
- Jul 23, 2014
- 11,861
- 27,004
- Jul 20, 2014
- 20,414
- 15,431
Damn I had forgotten about this thread. The transcript from the Lets Roll Flight 93 was almost impossible to read. I didnt see this video posted but Im sure we had it somewhere. I have watched a few times lately and it hammers me each time with the immensity of the sacrifice. The cemetaries just keep getting bigger and bigger.
I met quite a few who came back from that war. Still awes me to this day
I met quite a few who came back from that war. Still awes me to this day
- Jul 24, 2020
- 16,015
- 44,443
The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
BY RANDALL JARRELL
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
----
If you were a machine gunner on a B-17 during the second world war, the ball turret was without question, the last place you wanted to be. Conditions were impossibly cramped. Temperatures at altitude were often 40 or 50 below zero. There was no room to move or stretch or turn around, for hours at a time. Sometimes, for many hours.
4,735 B-17's were shot down during the war, most with crews of ten men. Some survived, but very few in the ball turret did. And yes, those who perished were often washed out with a hose.
Not a pleasant thing to contemplate, but it's D-Day, and some things shouldn't be forgotten.
BY RANDALL JARRELL
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.
----
If you were a machine gunner on a B-17 during the second world war, the ball turret was without question, the last place you wanted to be. Conditions were impossibly cramped. Temperatures at altitude were often 40 or 50 below zero. There was no room to move or stretch or turn around, for hours at a time. Sometimes, for many hours.
4,735 B-17's were shot down during the war, most with crews of ten men. Some survived, but very few in the ball turret did. And yes, those who perished were often washed out with a hose.
Not a pleasant thing to contemplate, but it's D-Day, and some things shouldn't be forgotten.
- Dec 23, 2015
- 5,076
- 26,634
There is an account I read from WWII which I will repeat here poorly.
Some army infantrymen were on r & r in England, and ran into some air force/air corps personnel from the local base at the pub. Army guys mocked the air guys for sleeping in warm beds every night, hot food, clean uniforms, pub trips every night, etc. One air guy says to a same size army guy he would trade positions with him right there. Trade off uniforms, rank, pay, everything.
Army guy is already to take him up on this, but thinks to ask "What do you do?" Air guy says "ball-turret gunner."
To which the infantryman's response was " You can go straight to hell sir."
Some army infantrymen were on r & r in England, and ran into some air force/air corps personnel from the local base at the pub. Army guys mocked the air guys for sleeping in warm beds every night, hot food, clean uniforms, pub trips every night, etc. One air guy says to a same size army guy he would trade positions with him right there. Trade off uniforms, rank, pay, everything.
Army guy is already to take him up on this, but thinks to ask "What do you do?" Air guy says "ball-turret gunner."
To which the infantryman's response was " You can go straight to hell sir."
Spectator
Well-Known Member
- Jan 15, 2021
- 913
- 1,667
The MTV Moon Man from the MTV Awards in 2004 in Miami is a 15ft tall styrofoam statue sitting in a surplus yard in Sanford, Fl.
I quit watching MTV long before 2004, but thought this is cool because I worked with them for a lot of Daytona Spring Breaks in the 80s.
I quit watching MTV long before 2004, but thought this is cool because I worked with them for a lot of Daytona Spring Breaks in the 80s.
Spectator
Well-Known Member
- Jan 15, 2021
- 913
- 1,667
A race car caught fire and stopped in front of me today. I was there in seconds with an extinguisher but the rear end was engulfed. It took several more bottles and a truck to put it completely out. I figured it was a $100k - $200k car. Just found out it was a Million dollar car. 1996 Porsche 993 GT2 EVO :(
Spectator
Well-Known Member
- Jan 15, 2021
- 913
- 1,667
I was driving home today, wish I had a dash cam. A good size bald eagle flew into my view over the road, then slowed down and landed. I was going 50, slowed to about 20. It snagged a piece of roadkill and flew straight away still over the road as I let off the brake. Nice close view right in my windshield, about 10-20 yds ahead. On SR44 near Camp Boggy Creek.
BeachGator
Well-Known Member
- Mar 10, 2018
- 266
- 291
CD, don’t know where you found this, but it’s fantastic. You are to commended for posting this. When I saw what was, brought a tear to my eye.
