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Yeah, Pop never talked either. Only thing he said very late in life was "the damn Messerschmidt would sneak up on us through our vapor trail". Learned most of his hair raising journey through a book put together by his 401st bomb group full of first hand knowledge, pictures, etc.. In going through his stuff after he passed, I came across all his medals, and that book. Completely changed my outlook on him, as I realized why he was one of few words all through life, only one or two close friends, one being the radio operator. Not even close to being a "milk run".
Community begins with Aloha
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My step dad was 401st as I recall. We have their bomb group book. Quite a volume. The only comment he gave me was that he saw too many friends die to want to talk about it.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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About a year ago the Volcano area lost one of it's longtime core community members. Mitch Mitchell (husband of unofficial Mayor of Volcano, Betsy Mitchell) had been a bombadier in a B-29 Superfortress in the Pacific, making raids on Japan. He would readily answer questions about his experience though I never felt the desire to ask what I thought might be uncomfortable questions of him.
My grandfather was a dogface infantryman, slogging through Italian mud with rifle in hand.
