B-17 Flying Fortress - Miracle in the Sky

[gryphonshire]

Did Lt. Wooldridge actually write "...There were a few scattered clowds down on the deck,...."? If so, please insert "[sic]" into the text to inform readers of that fact. Otherwise, please spellcheck!

[CFloridaWW2Museum]

@gryphonshire You caught me. It was a type-o and too late to correct.

[gravdiggr47]

Many of the guys who flew in those awesome planes were only 18 or 19 years old. I'm sure they were scared beyond belief when they flew a raid, and so many of them never made it back. I have the utmost respect for every single soul that flew into battle. So many of our youth have no idea as to the sacrifices that have been made for their freedom. I make sure my son knows and that he remembers.

[rickbar123]

I used to work for a guy that was a tail gunner in a B17. He told me he shit his pants every time he went up. Brave men, all of them.

[Colonel1947]

Macr records show that the Navigator-George L. Matten and Bombardier-Wendall O. Palmer were KIA on this mission.

[camp69]

I can't imagine the terror or the bravery of these men.

My grandfather was a 24 co=pilot but would never talk about it. Wasn't till I was volunteering at a VA hospital in the early 80's that I heard some of the stories of what they went through. Always have my respect.

[derekuk2000]

unbeleivable

[martind586]

the song is mad world - tears for fears sang it wrote it i think 1983 - since then many more have sung it .

[martind586]

what happened to the 2 that bailed out - did i miss it - did they live?

[CFloridaWW2Museum]

Great question martind586. This account was taken from the diary of Lt. Wooldridge. Unfortunately, there is no further mention of the 2 that bailed out in the diary. Their fate is presently unknown.

[MarioAndrettiFan]

Well Done..never never forget!

[TheBuickGranSport]

WOW!!!!!  thats insane!!!

[lenexa17]

that story was so heart racing i am definatly going to watch it again

[CFloridaWW2Museum]

This video is best viewed in High Quality.

[johnofnz]

Thanks for posting this story, awesome vid!!

[TOPACE352]

simply incredible!!!!!!!!

[SkatePunkMan1980]

Awesome incredible tale.! My Dad was a B-17 and B-24 Instructor pilot in WW2. Lucky for him he never went on a mission like that!

He did however, crash in the Pacific at one point and was afloat for 2-days on a life raft, before being rescued. He got Malaria from that incident and had night sweats even when he was in his 70's.

He later flew for Strategic Air Command on B-47s out at MacDill AFB in Tampa. I was born at MacDill hospital literally during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

[TheHandymanQld]

Brave brave men. We owe them so much.

[syntaxerror9]

could someone tell me the title of the song?

[CFloridaWW2Museum]

The song is "Mad World" and comes from the "Donnie Darko" soundtrack.

[syntaxerror9]

Great text, video and music!

(not easy to read as fast as necessary... i'm french!)

[9sec2valve]

Great video.

[mattstambaugh]

Good stuff. I am the husband of LTC Wooldridge's granddaughter Marija and found the video very moving. I will say the text disappears too fast and I found it hard to read and I am a fast reader.

[CFloridaWW2Museum]

This video is best viewed in high quality.