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05-20-2004, 03:53 PM
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#151 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
Posts: 20,412
Country:  | *for
__________________  with my one last gaping breath id apologise for bleeding on your shirt... | 
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05-20-2004, 03:59 PM
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#152 | | the old Sage
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere
Posts: 9,511
Country:  |  laughing icon extreme !
Guys I have been doing this since the early 1960's when I was in the 6th grade. I had an uncle serve as a lt. colonel in the US Air Force in Wiesbaden. things developed since he was in a flying club with former German Luftwaffe perosnell such as Erich hartmann, The Prinz Krupinski, Günther Rall and others. He became friends of course chatting about the old days and modern flying techniques while flying bi-plane trainers and gliders; gliders was my uncles love when he returned to the staes in the 1970's. anyway he got me in touch with several veterans and this developed as I got older interviewing local veterans in the US air Force. two good friends now deceased served in the German Heer on the Ost front.
all came together as I approached college and my interests grew even further as my "GErman" relatives wished me wwell and told me of two relatives on my mothers side that served in the day and night fighter forces. Both killed in action.
as I pursued more data into my data bases I became a member of the US 339th, 352nd and 355th fighter groups as well as the now defunct US night fighter association. I keep in touch with several US fighter pilot vets of these groups. In addition I have interviewed over 50 US bomber crewmen of the 8th, 9th and 15th air forces. 1 particular friend was a pilot of a B-26 in the 394th bomb group and remains one of my best customers. another P-51 pilot friend served in the Pacific with the US 8th photo recon, first lflying un-armed and unarmored P-38's on high altitude recon.
and not to drag this out too long but I am personal friends with at least 5 former German ngiht fighter pilots, 3 of them I keep in close contact by email. with the many associations I have been involved with the last 15 years I have quite a large German Luftwaffe adresse base............
cheers friends ! 
Erich | |
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05-20-2004, 04:01 PM
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#153 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country:  | that's cheap spam, you know as well as i do there's a edit button on your last posts you could've used..............
__________________ 
"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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05-20-2004, 04:03 PM
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#154 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
Posts: 20,412
Country: | who edits their posts 
and erich, you lucky sod
__________________ with my one last gaping breath id apologise for bleeding on your shirt... | |
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05-20-2004, 04:06 PM
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#155 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | as a mod usrely you should be setting an example.............
__________________
"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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05-20-2004, 04:06 PM
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#156 | | Master of Ewes
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 19,959
Country: | *surely..............
__________________
"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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05-20-2004, 04:09 PM
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#157 | | Konfused with a 'K'
Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Turin, Italy
Posts: 20,412
Country: | oh ha ha most of the people on the site are accurate typists though so ha
__________________ with my one last gaping breath id apologise for bleeding on your shirt... | |
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05-20-2004, 08:34 PM
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#158 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,043
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by Erich laughing icon extreme !
Guys I have been doing this since the early 1960's when I was in the 6th grade. I had an uncle serve as a lt. colonel in the US Air Force in Wiesbaden. things developed since he was in a flying club with former German Luftwaffe perosnell such as Erich hartmann, The Prinz Krupinski, Günther Rall and others. He became friends of course chatting about the old days and modern flying techniques while flying bi-plane trainers and gliders; gliders was my uncles love when he returned to the staes in the 1970's. anyway he got me in touch with several veterans and this developed as I got older interviewing local veterans in the US air Force. two good friends now deceased served in the German Heer on the Ost front.
all came together as I approached college and my interests grew even further as my "GErman" relatives wished me wwell and told me of two relatives on my mothers side that served in the day and night fighter forces. Both killed in action.
as I pursued more data into my data bases I became a member of the US 339th, 352nd and 355th fighter groups as well as the now defunct US night fighter association. I keep in touch with several US fighter pilot vets of these groups. In addition I have interviewed over 50 US bomber crewmen of the 8th, 9th and 15th air forces. 1 particular friend was a pilot of a B-26 in the 394th bomb group and remains one of my best customers. another P-51 pilot friend served in the Pacific with the US 8th photo recon, first lflying un-armed and unarmored P-38's on high altitude recon.
and not to drag this out too long but I am personal friends with at least 5 former German ngiht fighter pilots, 3 of them I keep in close contact by email. with the many associations I have been involved with the last 15 years I have quite a large German Luftwaffe adresse base............
cheers friends !
Erich | Erich, do you live in CA? Because if my information is correct, there is a German Veterans club fairly close to where I live...
Oh, und wilkommen! (Ich nur spreche kaum Deutsch) | |
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05-20-2004, 10:32 PM
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#159 | | the old Sage
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere
Posts: 9,511
Country: | vielen Dank GrG. bist du Deutsch ?
I am aware of an American aces group that meets in southern California about twice a year, but not the German vets group. Could you send me a private on this bitte ?
I live in southern Oregon actually.
Are you familiar with the Me 262 recon a/c on display at Chino airprot, California. About two years ago friend Hans Busch had a mini seminar in his time with KG 51 and his bombing days flying the Me 262A-2. About 350 of us were present an drooled over the wonderful 262 as it was pulled out of it's narrow waiting area onto the Tarmac. On the other side of the barrier wall sat 3 gorgeous P-51's and across the field was a wonderful B-25. A great time especially after the attendance left and around 5pm Hans got a chance to sit in the cockpit of the Chino warbird and gave us (about 6 of us) a full flight description and ready to take off just like 60 years ago all in Deutsch. Great to relive the past............well almost.
thanks for the greetings
Erich ~ | |
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05-21-2004, 09:57 AM
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#160 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,061
Country: | Please don't start speaking German, I hate it when people speak German for one reason; in school I always said I'd never need it, and when people speak German those words come back to haunt me.
Erich, you're a very lucky man. I don't know anyone that was in World War 2, let alone in any AF. Well, I tell a lie, my Great-Uncle was a mechanic in the RAF and served on Malta.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004  To those in that club. | |
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05-21-2004, 10:35 AM
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#161 | | the old Sage
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere
Posts: 9,511
Country: | thank you .............but since you live in the UK you have the prime oppourtunity to check on and with your local museums to seek out living RAF veterans if this is your interest. You maybe surprised when they roll out a Lanc or another of the RAF's finest and see whom may show up. Take the books, and notepad in hand and take copius notes...........many a friendship has started up this way.....
two cents of thought for ya
E ~ | |
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05-21-2004, 12:05 PM
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#162 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,061
Country: | I just might do that. I don't really visit museums often though, I'll have to next time I go though. 
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. | |
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05-21-2004, 12:57 PM
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#163 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,512
| I know a couple of gentlemen who served on B-24s. One was a navigator in the 15th, wounded by flak. The other was a flight engineer/ top gunner in the Pacific. His plane made a 600 mile trip back to base minus the tail turret. I've got a copy of his memoirs around here somewhere.
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05-21-2004, 01:58 PM
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#164 | | the old Sage
Join Date: May 2004 Location: Platonic Sphere
Posts: 9,511
Country: | LG is he still alive and kicking ? if so grab him and finish up any type of interview that is in the back of your mind. these vets are falling to fast and that portion of history is lost forever............
v/r
E ~ | |
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05-21-2004, 10:36 PM
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#165 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 2,043
| Quote: |
Originally Posted by Erich vielen Dank GrG. bist du Deutsch ?
I am aware of an American aces group that meets in southern California about twice a year, but not the German vets group. Could you send me a private on this bitte ?
I live in southern Oregon actually.
Are you familiar with the Me 262 recon a/c on display at Chino airprot, California. About two years ago friend Hans Busch had a mini seminar in his time with KG 51 and his bombing days flying the Me 262A-2. About 350 of us were present an drooled over the wonderful 262 as it was pulled out of it's narrow waiting area onto the Tarmac. On the other side of the barrier wall sat 3 gorgeous P-51's and across the field was a wonderful B-25. A great time especially after the attendance left and around 5pm Hans got a chance to sit in the cockpit of the Chino warbird and gave us (about 6 of us) a full flight description and ready to take off just like 60 years ago all in Deutsch. Great to relive the past............well almost.
thanks for the greetings
Erich ~ | I CANT REMEMBER WHAT VIELEN DANK MEANS!!!! IT DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!
Anywho, nein, ich bin Hollandisch und Brazilianisch. I didnt know about that reunion group, could you send me a pm on that? About the vet's club, my mom told me, and she got it from #411 or operator and thats not always reliable. I've searched online and have found nothing out. I guess I'll just have to loiter around the doors someday soon. | |
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