Special to the Recorder
Looking inside the body of a World War II B-17 plane gives you a small glimpse of what veterans of that war endured. And, the organization dedicated to preserving these planes and the veterans who served, the Liberty Foundation, brought history to the Craig Airport in Jacksonville Jan. 21.
One of the B-17s landed at Craig Airport and offered rides in the plane that was painted to look like one from WWII, called “Ye Olde Pub.” That plane suffered heavy damage in the war, with half the crew wounded or dead. It was escorted to safety by a German pilot—an event called “one of the most incredible encounters between enemies in World War II.”
The Liberty Foundation’s plane was built toward the end of the war and never saw any combat. But, painted to resemble “Ye Olde Pub,” it brings back memories of the men and women who served in that war. Some of veterans of the war were on hand to talk about their memories of that time.
One veteran, Cliff Miller, recalled that he entered the war in 1943, and was sent overseas in 1944, where he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. Returned to combat, he was subsequently wounded again, then continued to fight until he was discharged in 1946. “I don’t talk much about what happened,” he said. “I remember liberating a camp that held Jews, where people were stacked like cornrows. It was terrible to see.”
Donald Scheer, a veteran of the Navy, served on the flight deck of the USS Princeton, which was sunk by the Japanese. “We had to abandon ship, and only the Bible I had on my shoulder saved me from a fierce blow by a Japanese soldier,” he said.
Howard Mathias entered the war late, but chose to learn paratrooping in Georgia, but when he arrived overseas, found that “they didn’t need me in the air, so I served on the ground in the 9th Infantry.” He was part of a Christmas Eve lull in fighting in 1944, in which “someone from our side started singing ‘Silent Night,’” he said. “Suddenly, we heard it coming from their side, in German. By the next morning, Christmas morning, they were gone.”
These veterans and others, including a Gold Star Mother (a mother who has lost her son in combat), were brought to Craig Airport from Moosehaven by bus.
The Military Vehicle Preservation Association supports the Liberty Foundation’s efforts to preserve these planes by appearing at these events in period-correct uniforms and vehicles, mainly Jeeps, which are exactly like those used in WWII. William “Butch” Hines explained that “our presence gives people another layer of World War Ii to see, and we have carried dignitaries, mayors, and sheriffs and people of all walks of life. This organization is international, with chapters in England, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, and many other countries.” He added, “We’ve seen guys just come and put their hand on an aircraft and there are tears in their eyes. It’s amazing to see. We feel that we are bringing history to life and we want to pass on the enthusiasm not only for these vehicles, but also remembrance of that time in history.”
