I spent my teens running an aviation history newsletter, Aviation Review. During that time, I had the opportunity to interview a number of World War II veterans. Some of their stories had been told far and wide; others may have been told virtually nowhere else. Especially with that latter group in mind, I’ve decided to re-post my feature interviews.
- Charles Hanline (B-24 navigator)
- Glenn Rojohn (B-17 pilot)
- Sam Korday (P-47 pilot)
- Miles Shipley (P-47 pilot)
- Theodore Mason (Tuskeegee Airman)
- Bentley Gilbert (B-24 ground crew + gunner)
- John McNaull (Tank mechanic)
- Wilfred Billey (Navajo Code Talker)
- Eugene Yarger (B-17 pilot)
- Miles Shipley (P-47 pilot)
There are two names I particularly regret not having on that list.
When I was 9, I went to church with Jay and Mildred Bosh. Jay was a B-17 tail gunner. Meeting him was my impetus for diving headlong into an interest in WWII aviation. He was infallibly patient with the infinite questions I peppered him with. I did not start this newsletter in time to capture his story.
Also, perhaps my closest WWII friend was Maj. Gen. Jack Kidd. He was a B-17 pilot and one of the officers of the legendary 100th Bomb Group. We traded dozens of letters over a multi-year period. He came up in book reviews, but sadly, I never did a proper feature interview.
Nevertheless, I remain infinitely glad for every opportunity I had to sit at the feet of the greatest generation—both those few conversations that became a feature story and the many shorter conversations that did not.