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WWII veterans remember flying, fighting |
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Thursday, 12 November 2009 |
By KELLY DANIELS
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U.S. pilot veterans are nothing to yawn about.
They flew, fought, came out alive, and they’re still here to talk about it.
In anticipation of the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, falling on August of next year, members of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum hosted a roundtable story session for pilot veterans to share what it was like flying where it wasn’t safe to fly.
“We had to believe in our airplanes,” said Ernest Russell, who flew a P47. British soldiers called the airplane a jug, because it resembled a juggernaut.
“We escorted P17’s. That was our job,” Russell said.
When Russell was called to serve in World War II, he had no idea where he was going until he got on an airplane.
“Everything was secret,” he said. Russell’s plane was headed to England.
The second time he was confronted with an enemy airplane, he was in Germany.
“When you see an enemy, you don’t know what’s gonna happen,” he said. “It’s an experience you’ll have to live yourself.”
When it was over, Russell was all by himself. His group had left him. “It was a lonesome feeling,” he said.
A yellow light came on, telling him only 15 minutes of fuel was left. He was 23,000 feet in the air and had only one engine. By the time he landed on an English marsh, his plane had reached crash mode.
Russell finished his service having completed 64 missions.
He wrote a book about his experiences called “Mississippi Fighter Pilot in WWII.”
Scott Wofford, who is around Russell’s age, served in the war for about a year before it ended in Europe.
He flew a P-38 “Lightning” from the Aleutian island Islands, where he was stationed. “I was flying the best airplane in WWII,” he said.
“I don’t know (about that),” Russell cut in.
The audience laughed.
Nelson Jones was still a young child playing in his grandparent’s yard when his father received news of the Pearl Harbor bombing.
“He was in WWII. I was not,” he said.
But the Vietnam veteran did get to take B-52’s into the air from the Columbus Air Force Base. He ended up carrying 33 missions over Vietnam.
“That was kind of crazy,” said Jones, who later worked a pilot for American Airlines for 28 years.
World War II veterans are encouraged to contact Wayne Hemphill at 323-1693 to have their stories archived at the Center for America’s Veterans at MSU. Interviews are taking place every Wednesday.
Local aviation research
In addition to documenting World War II veteran stories as part of history, members of the Heritage Museum, mainly Bill Boe and president Joan Wilson, are hoping to archive the history of aviation research in Starkville and the Oktibbeha County.
Stuart Vance, a longtime flight enthusiast, also spoke Tuesday, remembering when the local airport was located at Bulldog Lanes.
Vance was a lifeguard at Mississippi State University and watched over the children of Dr. Gus Raspet, a pioneer of aviation technology.
“He was using gliders to work on better airflow,” Vance said.
High-speed photographic imaging helped Dr. Raspet to record the flight of buzzards. By incorporating the same aerodynamic patterns of the buzzards to airplane building,
Dr. Raspet was able to see the first composite-material airplane built in Starkville.
“Starkville really does have a tremendous history in aviation,” Wilson said.
The museum will host a talk on Dec. 8. called “Christmas During World War II,” where people will remember how the celebration of Christmas changed because of rationing and absent family members. World War II-era Christmas decorations will be on display.
For more information, contact Joan Wilson, Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum Board president, at 323-5220, or Jennifer Glaze, Friends of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum Board vice president, by e-mail at
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or 323-3322.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 16 November 2009 )
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