Where Have The Heroes Gone?
March 8, 2009 6:52 PM
Andy Rooney discusses modern-day heroism or the lack thereof and recalls the abundance of heroes from years past.
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no more athletes or movie stars on it. Just those that day in and day out stand
next to an operation table, with blood oozing and merely save another life. Much
like Peter Knight at Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital. He doesn't play hip-hop
music, sing western songs, carry a gun, nor hit home runs, but he's my hero!!!
Al Redman
Hatten?s face bloodied from hitting the right window frame as each pilot had their heads out their respective windows to see for the landing. Bud all hyped up with his only thought to destroy the wreckage before the Germans got it. He went to get the Spiked Incendiary?s of which each B-17 had three. Take it off the wall. Jam it down as hard as possible over the gas tank so the sharp spike would penetrate and then it would go off and cause an explosion and fire that should do the job. There were no incendiaries. Now what? Still on mental auto-pilot, Bud got the flare pistol and two flares and opened the gas tank. Big hole. He stood 8 feet away and aimed for the hole. Flare bounced off the wing. He reloaded and pointed the flare directly into the gas tank. No bang! Just a 3 foot flame. No fire or explosion. Forget it! Tried. Bad day. Bud then took Hatten to a nearby farmhouse and tried to get the man watching them - to assist in medical help. The man replied in perfect English, ?I speak English, you are in Denmark ? I am sorry, but can?t help you, as the Germans will kill me if I do?. His wife bustled out of the house, took them inside and was tending to Hatten?s wounds when a German with burp gun came into the house. He commenced yelling. The man then said to Bud that ?this German is going to kill you if you don?t drop your pistol?. It was only then, Bud realized he had jammed the empty flare pistol into his front belt. Slowly, one finger and thumb lifted the flare gun - and dropped it to the floor.
Thanks for giving us our Freedom
Captain Clay and his crew of 9 were interned that May 24th. They were rescued from a POW camp in southern Germany one year later. (That is another story). It took fifty years for the people of the island of Als and Sonderborg, Denmark to find Bud. They mailed him a wonderful photograph of his plane in the field. There is a picture of the young girl in her wedding dress from one of the chutes hid from the Germans. They held a thank-you party for Bud and 5 of his crew that could travel, on May 24th of 2001. Seven thousand Danes came to thank Bud and crew - for America giving them their Freedom.
I had enough money to pay expenses for the crew to get there - , Maybe someday? In the meantime Bud still lives in Bountiful. A pilot I?m proud to know.
The major heavy Bomber in Europe was the Boeing B-17-G. Out the door price was $250,000. Four 1,850 hp supercharged engines. Ten man crew. The Pilot was generally a Captain. Co-pilot, Navigator and Bombardier were Lieutenants. One enlisted radio operator plus five gunners located in the Top Turret; Bottom Ball Turret; Left Waist; Right Waist; and the Tail. The G model had two nose machine guns that provided the Bombardier retaliation against head-on attacks favored by the German FW-190 and Me-109 fighter aircraft.
Statistically, Americans in the European Bomber Command had a greater casualty rate than any other branch of service on either side. The average for most of 1943 and 1944 was a 25% loss. Take Utah resident, former USAF pilot Captain Robert (Bud) Clay. Now a Bountiful school crossing guard. After two years training and 16 missions into Germany, due to experience, losses and new replacements, Bud worked his way from tail end Charlie, where all the new guys were first placed in the formation box - up to be leader of the normally 18 plane formations. Depending on how far and the gas load, up to 3 tons of bombs in each plane was hauled from England to wreck havoc on Germany. For all of 1943, the Bombers had no fighter escort into Germany.
Mission 17
On May 24th, 1944, Bud?s Bombardier was on a visual run to drop bombs on Berlin. It was a comfort to see those new P-51s providing escort. They could keep German fighters at bay. Then the left inboard engine (with over 200 hours) packed up and quit. Bud dropped out of his lead. Bombs away. Turn 180 degrees. Go home. The rest of the planes crossed Berlin another 10 miles to the meet point where they assembled and turned for their formation flight back to the North Sea - half way to England.
A P-51 fighter escorted the crippled Bud to the coast, then dipped a wing and left. Another over 200 hour engine packed up and quit. Not enough oil pressure to feather the prop. The three flat blades caused too much drag to get home. Bud reversed course for a try to Sweden. As he passed over Helgaland he could see in the clouds, black puffs of flack from German radar controlled flack guns. A hit took out the right inboard engine. The remaining single engine (outboard left) was cranked up to full power with 44 inches of manifold pressure. Only inboard engines provided essential accessory things like vacuum for instruments to function. Bud knew water landings were deadly. Few survived. Slow descent from 12,000 feet using only needle, ball and airspeed. No gyros. The magnetic compass was (typically) not really steady. He put the yoke where he figured it should be. Keep the needle centered which kept the plane right side up. Both pilots left feet holding the rudder with corresponding wheel control to compensate for the engine way out there on the left side that wanted to turn him to the right.
They continued tossed everything overboard. Machine guns, the new self erecting bombsight, ammo, anything not nailed down - got pitched. Breaking out at 5,000 feet found ice on the windshield. There was only water ahead. Tail said land behind.
Jump!
Easy - careful - left turn. Once established over land, Bud ordered his crew to bail out. When it didn?t happen the Navigator and Bombardier went back and found the crew standing around the door. It would not open. They hauled off and kicked the door. Off it flew. Out they went. Bud said if he let go of control, the plane would spin preventing him from bailing out. Co-pilot, Lt Hatten refused to jump saying he would go down with Bud. Where to set down this near incontrollable B-17? Six miles later a fair sized open field was selected. Circle left again. Right tip hit a ditch bank. Cross the road. Belly impact. Slide. Rotate. Stop. Tail end nearly tore off and rotated crossways. Two engines torn off. Good landing. Quiet. Birds chirping. I have the entire story but takes double this space also have photos and maps and German notice of the capture - am at art@beehive.net
Captain Sully did not volunteer for the tuff mission, he was there and he did his job remarkably well. He had no choice in that matter but to save his own life and the lives of others. We can not misuse the word of ?hero? just because we want to praise these very competent people.
Bill Hopple, USAF - 1968-1972 *Not a hero, but I did my job.
Andy...I think you were "Right on". You usually are. respectfully...Bill Hopple
He did not perform an heroic act. He did not risk his life. He was the pilot of a plane that was in trouble and he did his job. He successfully landed his plane under extremely difficult conditions. He had no choice. He didn't see a burning building and decide to risk his life by running into into it to save someone. He was already on the plane. Trying to land it safely was not only his job, it was also an act of self preservation. I am not denigrating him. I have to think that pilots everywhere are thinking that the man deserves kudos for his piloting skill. Let's applaud that, but let's not call him a "hero." Let's save that title for someone who voluntarily puts their life on the line in the hope of saving someone else.