My grandpa’s B-17 flight crew during WWII along with his bomber jacket and accolades. He was a waist gunner.
by Swaying_Plains
My grandpa’s B-17 flight crew during WWII along with his bomber jacket and accolades. He was a waist gunner.
by Swaying_Plains
35 Comments
Must be the family heirloom. That is awesome. You have true warrior blood.
You are so lucky to have such wonderful mementos of your grandfather’s service. I bet you and your children will always treasure them.
That is indeed ‘old school cool’!
I think I see a DFC, Purple Heart, and Air Medal?
Grandpa was a badass.
True heroes, I hope he was able to enjoy his life after his service. Be Proud,
Oh, this is fantastic. You must be so proud, deservedly. Which one is Grandpa in the photo?
So cool! Thanks for sharing this.
>He was a waist gunner
I bet all the ladies called him that back in the day
The fact they can even smile speaks volumes
Insanely cool.
Very cool r/aviation would love this.
What a total boss! These are the displays I love to see. So much history here man. And your grandpa had some serious stones.
That’s so dope. I’m fascinated with that generation. Just packed full of full on hero badasses that just came home and worked at a gas station for the rest of their lives. It’s wild. Even most of the actors and other celebrities. Just took a 4 year break to do the most unbelievable shit in the world and then back to their normal lives.
I would strongly advise to get a actual mannequin form, ( not one from a store closing that you get out of the trash) if you want that jacket to stay intact. Hangers are a nono for things this old. So many Class A uniforms and leather bomber jackets have been ruined from decades on hanger.
Do the 2.5 German crosses represent 2.5 confirmed shoot downs of enemy fighters?
The Mighty Eighth!
My grandfather was also in the Eighth Air Force. 364th Fighter Group. They were based at RAF Honington, near Bury St. Edmonds in Suffolk, not far from the 452d’s base in Norfolk. The 364th provided fighter escorts for the bombers.
You’ve got some great memorabilia there.
Extra level cool!
Hire a professional to preserve that jacket
Very cool! Iconic really
Cool shit you should donate it to a museum for more people to see. You can’t take it with you man.
Proud of all these men for fighting fascism. Wish they were here today to get the GOP checked.
Very cool!
Please thank him for his service!!!
Man what a lovely display! Well done to gramps. Which one is he in the picture?
Grandpa was a goddamn legend!
Being able to smile after dealing with that shit… Damn
That is bad ass!
Brave mofos! Hats off to all of them.
He brought Honor to Your House. May you continue to bring honor to his memory…and may his memory a blessing.
Grandpa was a badass!!! DFC, PH, Air Medal x2!!
That is some proper old school cool, cheers grandpa. 🥃
That jacket is a true piece of history. The artwork these crews incorporated in their aircraft and uniforms were amazing.
That is simply awesome!
He’d be happy as hell to see what his country’s become 80 years later /s
A badass indeed. Waist gunners had some of the worst survival rates with 19% killed and 21.1% wounded.
I swear I saw a jacket just like that on Antique Roadshow. Is it the same jacket Or maybe your grandpa was in the same squadron? If you want I can try to direct you to the exact episode