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Bill Greenwood
02-22-2014, 10:42 AM
Last night the outside visit from the convention was a private showing at the former Texas School Book Depository which is now a Kennedy Museum. It sounds a little macbre ( sp?) but it is a large part of history and interesting and something most everyone should see.
I am glad I went, and thanks to Ladd Gardner Ins for sponsoring this.

Tonight is more traditional and is Bar-B-Q dinner at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum.

More, later.

We just had a memoirs speech by Jim Yellin, P-47 and P-51 pilot near the end of the war.
Part of it was appealing, after basic in Phoenix in Stearmans, he was sent to Hawaii for 50 hours of P-40 training. Then on to combat. He saw the intense fighting and dying at Iwo Jima, then began 8 hour long range escort missions of B-29s over Japan. He was in on the last mission,when they didn't get the official word that the war wa over and he lost a wing man that flight.

It sounds like a soap opera, but after a lot of hostililty on both the U S side and Japanese side, after the war Jim's Son went to Japan and met and married a Japanese girl. Her family didn't like it, but her Father approved the marriage, and he had been a Kamakazi pilot who did not make the fatal flight.

Bill Greenwood
02-23-2014, 11:39 AM
Last evening at the Cavanaugh Museum was a very nice touch, the took Jerry Yellin for a Stearman flight on the aniversry of the day he soloed one in training in 1944! He was moved and beaming after the flight.

This morning is a bit nostalgic, saying good bye to friends and hoping to see them again at EAA and fearing some you may not see again. Such is our avocation, it can be fun, but can be cruel also and not tolerant of foolishness.