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    Jim Reily Sr. Was a bombardier in the end of World War II. His job was to sit up front in the nose of the plane and set the bomb onto its target. After the war, he took to driving trucks at night for the Philadelphia inquirer.

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    Jim Reily Sr. Was a bombardier in the end of World War II. His job was to sit up front in the nose of the plane and set the bomb onto its target. After the war, he took to driving trucks at night for the Philadelphia inquirer.

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    32 Ansichten2 Seiten

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    Jim Reily Sr. Was a bombardier in the end of World War II. His job was to sit up front in the nose of the plane and set the bomb onto its target. After the war, he took to driving trucks at night for the Philadelphia inquirer.

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    AGoodGeneration

    TheairsoundedwithdeafeningBoomsasflakrocketedthroughtheskyandrained
    overthesouthofFrance.TheHeavyUSbomberrockedbackandforthasit
    experiencedturbulence.Suddenly,the10mancrewinsidewasthrowntotheleftand
    anearpiercingalarmwentoffinthebombardier.Theplanewasgoingdown,andfast.
    Weregoingtohavetojump!clamouredthecaptain

    JimReilySr.wasabombardierintheendofWWII.BornandraisedinPhiladelphia,
    Pennsylvaniahegrewuparoundplanes.Jimoftenwenttothelocalairporttowatchthe
    planesforhours.Attheyoungageof16,hesigneduptojoinWorldWarII.

    ...EverybodyintheentireclasswantedtoflytheMustang.Thatwasthefighterofthe
    day.Andmetoo,IwantedtoflytheMustang.Butunfortunately,theydidn'tneed
    additionalMustangpilotsatthetimeandIendedupasabombardier.Thefellawho
    dropsthebombs.

    AsAmericawasdrawnintothewar,peoplebecameresoluteinwinningandjustifying
    themselves.Jimhadnotroublejoining,thegovernmentwaslookingforrecruitsandin
    hiswords,hisfamilyathomewas,allrahrahaboutthewar.Whenaskedifhehad
    anygoalsinmindwhenjoiningtheAirForce,Jimshookhishead,Iwouldthinkthatmy
    goalwastobecomefamiliarwithflyingandsomehowchoosethatasmylifelong
    approach.

    Sadly,onlyafewmonthsafterWWIIended,Jimwasdischargedandreleasedbackinto
    thecivilianworld.Afterthewar,Jimflewasaninstructor.Sinceflyingcouldnolonger
    behislifelongapproach,JimtooktodrivingtrucksatnightforthePhiladelphiaInquirer.
    ItwasahardlifetoraiseafamilyonbutJimmanagedtosucceed.

    Despitebeingayoungrecruitintothearmy,Jimsucceeded.Asabombardier,Jimsjob
    wastositupfrontinthenoseoftheplaneandsetthebombontoitstarget.Toincrease
    accuracyforbombers,CarlNordenwascontractedbythegovernmenttocreatethe
    NordenBombsight.Thiswasadevicethatcouldcalculatetheexactmomenttodropa
    bomb.Itwasofficiallyintroducedintothebombersplanesintheearly1940s.Although
    thisbombsightwassuperiorandmoreadvancedthananythingofthattime,itwasnot
    thefirsttobecreated.Butbecauseofitsaccuracyandimportance,alltencrew
    membersofabomberwereswornunderoathtoprotectthesecrecyofit.Jimwouldbe
    swornfirstashewastheoperatorofthedevice.

    Yeah,wehadtheNordenBombsight,veryfamousbackinthosedaysandIthinkwe
    probablydidverywellintermsofaccuracy.

    Jimonlywentonabouttenmissionstotal,andeachtime,Jimandhiscrewwouldbe
    senttoGermanyandgiventargetstodropbombson,usingthebombsight.
    Once,whileflyingoversouthernGermany,Jimsplanewasshotdown.Whenthecrew
    hadsafelygottentothegroundtheyweretakeninbytheNazis.

    Thenwewenttoprison,totheGermanprison.Wehappenedtogotoaprisonthatwas
    forairguys...wewenttotheStalagLuftIII

    StalagLuftIII,locatedinPoland,wasaPOWcamp.Originallybuiltin1942forBritish
    sergeants,itwaslaterreplacedwithAmericanAirmen,untiltheirliberationonApril29,
    of1945.

    Wewerethereforprobably...ahalfyearandthreequarters.BecauseoftheRussians
    movinginfromupclosetoGermany,theGermansmovedusout.Movedsouthtoget
    awayfromtheRussians.

    FromtheStalagLuftIIItheairmenwereforcedtomarchinthecoldsnowtotheStalag
    VIIA.

    Wewerethereformaybefourorfivemonths.Wecouldhearthegunsandthenext
    morningcameaJeepandGeneralPatton...Andthatwastheendofthewarforus.
    Afterbeingprocessed,thePOWsweresenttotheLuckyStrikecampinFrance,tobe
    cleanedupandsentbackhome.

    IhadlostalotofweightandIgotsomekindofavirusandwedidn'thavemuchtoeat,
    wehadsomeprettytoughtimesinthatwholearea.

    Withallhismemoriesandrecollectionsfreshinhismind,Jimmakesafewfinal
    remarks,Thatwasagreatgenerationbytheway,youknowmanypeoplewilldisagree
    withthat.Wewereagenerationthat,wedidn'thavethelollipopsandallthat...Soitwas
    adifference,weknewwhatwecoulddowithout.Itwasagoodgenerationofguys.

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