Normandy ... 11/JUNE/44 ... D-Day + five



Martin B26 Marauder and One Last Drag Before Heading Into Who Knows What

B-26 Marauder and a B-24 Liberator (below) suffer mortal hits (flak) from eighty-eights

Contrails




"Forts" from the 390th BG stay the course as their Little Friends engage the Luftwaffe

BOEING B-17G #44-6835 FO-A "STARDUST" (BP-MW95) 24-Nov-44/AI 11-Jan-44/AOS (ETO) 19-Jan-44/G379BG 12-July-45/
RTN ZOI 13-Dec-45 ~ Kingman, AZ. (Mf#368)

Back row, l to r: 2nd Lt. Alford, Herbert B. ~ Co-pilot; Capt. Royall, John M. Jr. (pictured as 1st Lt.) ~ Pilot; Staff Sgt. Pitchford, Robert E. ~ Engineer/top turret gunner; Flight Officer Munson, James A. ~ Navigator/bombardier. Front row, l to r: Staff Sgt. Sines, Elmer E. ~ Ball turret gunner; Staff Sgt. Gfrerer, Phillip C. ~ Nose gunner/togglier; Staff Sgt. Fullmer, Robert D. ~ Radio operator/gunner; Sgt. Kazar, Louis ~ Tail gunner



Keeping memories of a pilot, his crew and their bomber, alive



Bombs symbolize the required 35 missions flown by Royall & his crew (Jerome Urbaniak, artist)


STARDUST ~ A Boeing B-17G 'Flying Fortress' bearing the name of Hoagy Carmichael's timeless tune, Stardust (1927)


The 379th's Bomb Group Symbol, the Yellow Triangle K ... the #1 signifies, The First Bombardment Wing ...
(4)4-6835 is Stardust's serial number & FO A, her radio call letters

379th Bombardment Group Patch (by, J. Urbaniak)


Symbolism contained in the 379th Bomb Group patch
The orange/red outer circle represents the Rising Sun of Japan and immediately next to that circle is a sundial. The top-turret guns of the B-17 are firing at the 3 in the sundial, the tail guns at the 7, and the left waist guns at the 9, which gives you the designation 379. The bombs indicate that of a bomb group and the B-17 is the plane used in the 379th's operations. The inner circle of orange represents Hitler and the zig-zag line is for the lock of hair that always fell over Hitler's left eye, while the black rectangle in the center is his moustache. "Potestas Accuratioque" means "Power and Precision."

Silver Bullion Pilot Wings, Name Tag & 527th Bomber Squadron Patch (527th by J. Urbaniak)


San Michele Capri Bell ... good luck charm worn by many air crews in the WW2 ETO

Capri Bell (explanantion) link: http://www.warwingsart.com/12thAirForce/luckybell.html

First In Flight, Wilbur Wright ~ Kitty Hawk, NC 10-Oct-02



North American P-51D Mustang ~ Also known as, "The Cadillac of the Skies"
Packard Merlin P-51D: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNe1aAMCVNA&feature=related


Republic P-47D Thunderbolts ~ "Wanna make ace, get in a Pony (P-51) squadron. Wanna make (home) base, go with a Jug..."
Thirty-Seconds of Chills!! P-47s at Run-up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkdXrMbDOvo&feature=related




Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress ~ "The best bomber which was ever built. She could handle extensive damage and still stay in the air." General Ira C. Eaker
First USAAF Raid Over Germany (unedited crew interviews): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgO6DX_9z0I


Consolidated B-24D Liberator ~ Though the B-24 had a slightly higher top speed and greater range than the B-17, they weren't quite as rugged and had a propensity to catch fire upon taking hits ... as such, Luftwaffe pilots would go out of their way to engage B-24s. Because of their appearance, the Liberator became affectionately known as "the crates that B-17s were shipped in" and when flying joint missions with B-24s, B-17 crews would quip: "The Liberator is the best (Luftwaffe) fighter cover a B-17 could have!"
B-24s In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENnZKNXsFQ&feature=related

Northrop P-61C Black Widow ~ The United States' first designated nightfighter and in this role, the P-61 was without peer.


Lockheed P-38L Lightning ~ Wehrmacht ground troops called her, "The Twin-Forked Devil"
Ode to the Lightning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhORZrWOUfo&feature=related



The Supermarine Spitfire ... what a thoroughbred!



Restored Spitfire Mk IX footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StnYrDhU76c


(Above) Messerschmitt Me 109-G 'Gustav' ~ Throughout the hostilities, it was the '109 that served as the Luftwaffe's backbone. (Below) Yet another Me 109-G



Restored Bf 109 G-10 "Red 7" footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzgYkfq9OVw



A Focke-Wulf Fw 190-D9 (top) & 190-D12 "Dora" ~ Along with the Ta-152s, Doras were considered by pilots on both sides of the conflict as the most formidable piston-powered fighter in the Luftwaffe's inventory.

Focke Wulf Ta 152H (Bottom) ~ Though the B-29 did pay a visit to the ETO, it never did enter into hostilities. However, having caught wind of the B-29, the Ta-152H, a high-altitude fighter/interceptor bearing FW's lead designer's (Kurt Tank) initials, was built specifically with the Superfortress in mind ... the Ta 152H had a top speed of 478 m.ph. and a service ceiling of 48,600 feet.




Dornier Do-335 Pfeil (Arrow) ~ In the ETO, this was fastest piston-powered fighter of the war. Following VE day, a captured Do-335 was flown from Oberwiesenfeld (near Munich) to Cherbourg, France, escorted by two P-51D's. The Do 335 easily outpaced the escorting Mustangs, arriving at Cherbourg 45 minutes before the P-51's.
D0-335 Footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CReTXZwIsEw

Each of the rivers and streams, each fish, each of the friends, each loved one, and everything else that has happened on a trout stream stays with me, filling my memory with images of wonder ... Steven J. Meyers


First fish on a new, 7-1/2' 3/2 #4 South Creek Ltd rod & 3/4 reel


Twilight Brown


'Hole In The Rock' run




With my firstborn, on our first trip back (in nearly three years) to the post-Hayman Fire, South Platte River ... please forgive the MI regalia, as he's only 15



All the pretty horses




A thoroughly perfect moment ...

... and when I'm alone in the half-light of the canyon ...



And yet another perfect moment ...


The Arkansas River, on a glorious September afternoon


Great friend and equally amazing fishing buddy, Scott ... on a high-prairie, Wyoming pond


Michael D. Clark, South Creek Ltd. ... 'Rods built by fishermen who fish'