OMAHA Bill Harrington knew how fragile life could be.
Fifty times during World War II he took off in the bombardierâs seat of a B-24 on bombing runs over France, Germany and Austria. Fifty times he landed safely.
Two decades ago, the retired Air Force colonel wrote an autobiography for his family when he learned that he had a heart condition that might take his life anytime.
Bill Harrington MARK HARRINGTON
Still, Harrington lived to celebrate another 20-plus birthdays â the last one, his 101st, Feb. 2 at Papillion Manor, where he lived.
âI have no idea how God selected me to live all these years,â Harrington told the World-Herald in late January.
They saved democracy from fascism
World War II veteransâ numbers are dwindling, but their spirit endures Dick Maley represents the World War II veterans in the Mount Angel parade this Fourth of July. âWe think we do a lot of good,â he says of the Mount Angel American Legion Post 89, of which he is a member. The group helps veterans in need with wheelchairs, walkers and other daily necessities, spon-sors scholarships and provides a color guard for veteransâ memorial services. He also belongs to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. (Kristen Hannum/Catholic Sentinel)
select World War II veterans attend the dedication of the WWII memorial in Salem on the Capitol building grounds in 2014. WWII memorials were relatively slow in coming, despite the fact that 407,000 Amer-icans were killed in the war with hundreds of thousands more wounded. About 150,000 Oregonians served in World War II. (Courtesy Mike Pungercar)
How the B-25 Mitchell Bomber Became a World War II Legend
Nicknamed “Billy’s Bomber” and “The Sweetheart of the Services,” the Mitchell was beloved by pilots because of its ability to wreak havoc on enemy targets.
Here s What You Need to Know: The North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber proved a versatile combat platform in all theaters.
Little more than four months after the disastrous attack on Pearl Harbor, America went on the offensive against Japan with one of the boldest and best remembered bomber raids of World War II. Led by Lt. Col. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle and laden with extra fuel, 500-pound bombs, and incendiary clusters, 16 North American B-25 Mitchell bombers lumbered 500 feet along the wooden flight deck of the 19,900-ton Yorktown-class aircraft carrier USS
Flying the Hump involved some of the most dangerous missions of the war.
Here s What You Need to Know: The 7th Bomb Group concentrated on bombing railroad bridges along Japan’s supply line to Burma, including the famous Bridge on the River Kwai.
Thirty-five Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress bombers of the 7th Bomb Group happened to be on their way to Asia the morning the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. They had been sent to reinforce U.S. Army Air Corps units in the Philippines. Eight of the B-17s arrived at Hickam Field while the Japanese attack was in progress. Three were attacked by Japanese fighters and damaged; one was set afire, becoming the first American-flown B-17 destroyed in World War II. The encounter was one sided; the B-17s’ machine guns had been removed from the bombers to reduce their weight for the long flight over the Pacific. It was a dramatic introduction to World War II.
CATHEY: Colonel Shuller saved lives in WWII before 40 years as McAlester pediatrician mcalesternews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mcalesternews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.