The Collings Foundation was at the Lyon Air Museum again yesterday. (May 11, 2013) Jeffrey wanted to see the planes again. We went over and looked around again. There were not as many people as last year. I learned that the man who started the museum and it is named after, General William Lyon lives in Coto de Caza.
While Jeffrey was walking around looking at the planes I had to have a rest. I sat down on the chairs in front of this plane.
There was a man in a wheelchair being pushed by a caregiver and his daughter was following them around. He was talking to a girl probably about 20ish. I joined the conversation. What a privilege it was. Tom was a pilot of a B-17 During the later part of the war. He was just going to have his 90th birthday. He said that he was supposed to fly this plane but Truman was washing them all out because he said they only needed 2 planes for atomic bombs.
When I told him that my in-laws were married right after high school just before Pearl Harbor he said, "Oh that was the time we would sing I love you truly,dear; See you in a Year"
He told us about getting 1000 planes in the air at the same time. A cave of bats were the inspiration for that. They would have the first level come out and circle then go up, another level of planes would come out and do the same thing until all the planes were in the air.
Hap Arnold was in command when Tom was flight. Hap had learn how to fly from the Wright Brothers. It has been a very interesting thing to look up and read about.
I am writing this to remember.
Tom was born in Pasadena, When he was 3 months old his parents moved from there to Salt Lake City. His father was with International Harvester. They were shipping trucks out of L.A. to build Hoover Dam. They stopped and started shipping the truck out of Salt Lake, so this man moved his family. That is all the story I got. The people that were picking their party up were there to take them home. It was such an honor to get a few minutes with this man.
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