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Started By
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WW2 joyride goes wrong
Posted on 1/6/26 at 7:44 am
Posted on 1/6/26 at 7:44 am
quote:100th bombgroup FB
From the archives — During a court martial proceeding in January 1944, Lt. Frank Valesh was fined $100 and reprimanded, but he pressed ahead, commenting to his family “I’ve been flying missions since then [the accident] and everything has cooled down.”
The accident “Big Frank” referred to occurred on November 26, 1943, when he was joined by Russell “Pinky” Flack, and Albert Campion as they decided to take a “joy ride” in Hang the Expense with two of the Red Cross girls. Valesh made it three hundred yards down the main runway when the tail wheel sheared off and Hang the Expense veered sharply to the right, heading right towards Farmer Draper’s barn. Hang the Expense hit the barn, killing a bull, and the aircraft was totally destroyed. All on board escaped, a little worse for wear.
Valesh went on to complete his combat tour, flying his final mission on July 19, 1944. When he passed away in 1984, Capt. Bill Carlton said Frank Valesh was “universally admired by the 100th...a man who lived every second of life to the fullest extent...recalling him brings back warm memories. Big Frank would have wanted it so.”
8
Posted on 1/6/26 at 7:53 am to bigjoe1
A childhood friend of my dad’s was a fighter pilot in the Pacific theater during WWII.
He came home afterwards and flew a fighter under the Golden Gate Bridge.
It was bar bet related.
He got his ticket taken and busted.
He ended up being an executive at Eastern Airlines, retired before they went out of business.
In retirement he bought ~100 acres and built a compound on it, did all of the civil work himself.
He came home afterwards and flew a fighter under the Golden Gate Bridge.
It was bar bet related.
He got his ticket taken and busted.
He ended up being an executive at Eastern Airlines, retired before they went out of business.
In retirement he bought ~100 acres and built a compound on it, did all of the civil work himself.
This post was edited on 1/6/26 at 7:54 am
Posted on 1/6/26 at 9:52 am to bigjoe1
Pics of Red Cross girls?
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:14 am to bigjoe1
Having a pilot with the ability and courage to fly over Hamburg in broad daylight was more valuable than the plane he wrecked.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:17 am to bigjoe1
quote:
they decided to take a “joy ride” in Hang the Expense with two of the Red Cross girls. Valesh made it three hundred yards down the main runway when the tail wheel sheared off and Hang the Expense veered sharply to the right, heading right towards Farmer Draper’s barn. Hang the Expense hit the barn, killing a bull, and the aircraft was totally destroyed. All on board escaped, a little worse for wear.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 10:19 am to PsychTiger
quote:My late former next-door neighbor was a Red Cross “girl” in Burma during WWII. She said there were 2 of them (girls) and around 3,000 GIs where she was.
Pics of Red Cross girls?
She wasn’t much to look at (even when she was young) but she was a wonderful woman.
Smart too and a good Episcopalian.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 12:05 pm to soccerfüt
quote:
She wasn’t much to look at
I bet you those 3000 GI's tell a different story.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 12:37 pm to bigjoe1
The Greatest Generation, indeed.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 12:48 pm to bigjoe1
My dad was six years old during the Louisiana maneuvers. A company of the Pennsylvania National Guard was bivouaced near their house and his family got to be friends with some of them. They corresponded with them after the unit shipped out-to the Phillipines. Once the war started they never heard from any of them again. They assumed most or all died in captivity.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 12:58 pm to bigjoe1
Horribly written.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 1:05 pm to bigjoe1
Those are the guys who became bikers in the 50's...
Posted on 1/6/26 at 5:53 pm to wahoocs
quote:Yuuup
I bet you those 3000 GI's tell a different story.
She ended up marrying one of them, moved to Minnesota (White Bear) with him and became a Landscape Architect.
Great neighbor, born in 1920 so two generations ahead of me. Told me it was OK to have a vice. Not any more than one though. Solid advice, it turns out.
Two or more simultaneous vices (e.g. alcohol and gambling) will ruin your life.
Posted on 1/6/26 at 9:19 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
Pennsylvania National Guard
Became the 28th Infantry Division and shipped out to England, then fought across France and Germany. Not the Philippines.
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