PBY Catalina: My Grandfather at Age 26, WW2 over Tahiti

[Code3forever]

I enjoyed this film as it reminded me of an old friend who was a Marine pilot in the Pacific during WW2. He flew Wildcats and later on, the Corsair. Like the DC 3, the Catalina was a tremendous asset during the war. The long endurance of the Catalina and the ability to carry cargo made it a valuable tool. Bearing in mind the Catalina would cruise around 160 mph or so, it was a target for Japanese fighters. Many Navy & Marine pilots owe their lives to the crews of the Catalina too.

[thomaswilmer]

You are blessed....the footage is like a time machine. How rare to see your grandfather in his prime!

[Sodiumreactor]

What is he wearing? 1942 was wartime. The PBY was a military aircraft. Whats up with that shirt? His hair looks long too for a military man. Any info on the mission he was on. Looks like maybe a camera hes running, as a civillian?

[spanishmackerel]

@Sodiumreactor Looks like some kind of t-shirt to me. I never asked him about it. There is also movie footage of him and his men diving naked from the wings of that plane at Bora Bora during the war. Hopefully soon I will post an article he wrote about that plane which has some info about his career and missions. I typed up the article for him when I was a kid and it was published in a magazine called Foundation in 1993. One of the many photos in the magazine shows Lt. Haber in full whites.

[JSKONEIII]

@Sodiumreactor I have several pics of my grandfather over there. My grandfather served in the pacific on a PBY too. They all had longer hair, and a casual look. Different times then. 

[lst1195]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[PaleHearse]

God bless your grandfather. A wonderful tribute to a WWII aviator.

I hope you show the other footage as well one day. Seeing these wonderful birds in use always makes me smile.

[spanishmackerel]

@PaleHearse Hi, PaleHearse, thanks for your note, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I will release more footage eventually, plus an article he wrote a few years before he died about his love affair with this particular airplane.

[dickwa]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing. It sometimes can be weird to think that old people were young at one time. Your pops was a brave man for America and you should be proud.

[waikikigun]

@dickwa Well, he was my grandpops, but yeah, I am very proud.

[hevelhorst]

This is just beautiful! My Dad, John G. Hevelhorst, who passed away 2 years ago, was a Chief Aviation Metalsmith, and worked on PBYs and Corsairs exclusively in the Pacific during WW2....

[BurgerBoy405]

That is some great footage. My grandfather flew in PBYs over the Atlantic as a bombardier. How did you get the raw footage?

[spanishmackerel]

@BurgerBoy405 I guess he had the film reel tucked away in a drawer for about forty years, and then maybe around1990 he had it transferred to a VHS cassette. I don't know what happened to the original film. There is also footage on the cassette of he and the crew swimming nude during a stop at Bora Bora, where they dive off the wing into the sea.

[springerdude1]

Thats cool !!

[mush1955]

One of my " Fav " aircraft.......The danes used to use them in Greenland before they got helios !

[kaa522]

My Father-in-Law was a radioman on PBY's during WWII and into the 50's on PBM's. He retired from the Navy in 1965. He'll turn 89 in a few days, he's legally blind but his mind is still sharp and he's still involved with Ham Radio, he uses only morse code and he's still very good at it. He was 49 when I married his youngest daughter. Best Father-in-Law ever.

[spanishmackerel]

@kaa522 that is very cool. My gramps would be about 94 now. I wonder if they could have met. Norm got out of the Navy around '46 or so I think, and became a pediatrician in Palm Springs.

[TreacherousJaywalker]

Next to Norman, why I am the Haber closest to Pearl Harbor? Blake - get your ass out here!!!! ;-)

[TreacherousJaywalker]

This man L@@KS strangely familiar... hmmmm

[waikikigun]

He looks a lot like you in this video, Quinn.

[dna1101]

Wow, very touching video

[91Bear]

My grandad was also 26 in 1942 and flew PBYs over the Med from North Africa. Those were the happiest days of his life too.

[MaryMagpie]

Once one has flown your eyes are always to the skys, My Great Uncle was in WWII he retired as a vice Admiral. My Father was a Sea Bee in Korean times, and a pilot I was in Defence work MAG

[TonyAirlines]

My hat off to him.

My grandfather was stationed in San Francisco on LCS-13 (Landing Craft Support Ship) 1945-46, saw no combat though.

[bill2502]

uau...

[otoevst]

Added to favorites!

[sammybiker]

Excellent, thanks for posting :)

[captainkurt66]

I wish I had some film like that of my grandfather.

[playboybahne]

i dont wish it because my grandad was german all soldiers was trou heroes but dont the ss, the other german army just does ther job.

sry my english is bad im just 14´.

[captainkurt66]

My opa was a hauptman in the german army and spent 10 years in a russian pow camp in Siberia. It is almost impossible for me to find out about his war record.

[playboybahne]

all soldiers in world war 2 just did there job.

[robertwmartens]

I felt like I was sharing somebody's happy dream. Very touching.

[halmc]

Thanks for sharing. I hope your gramps remembers the joy of flying where ever he is.

[GOHALO64]

Beautiful:) he seems so happy and humble, beautiful movie.

[luuko656]

it somehow disturbing how little we are in world history and how much we are in humans eyes...

[PanzerAngriff]

Great film to see. Makes me smile also!

[Slider388]

Great video, wonderful to see someone so happy.

My uncle used to be a PBY pilot too, luckily for him he never saw combat, only flew his PBY around tropical islands, doing pretty much whatever he felt like.

[spanishmackerel]

That sounds pretty good to me. Gramps saw quite a lot of combat but I think he liked floating in Bora Bora lagoon a lot, too. :)

[luuko656]

what was the name of the soundtrack?..it fits very very well to the video..

[spanishmackerel]

I'm afraid if I say what it is, the soundtrack narcs here are more likely to bust me. Sorry. :(

[luuko656]

can you email it to me?

[EXAir113]

Even though that was such a short video and I've never met him, I feel like tearing up seeing how happy he is. Beautiful!

God Bless!

[spanishmackerel]

He lived a very happy life but I think that was the happiest time of all for him. Today on Memorial Day I am thinking of him and all his friends who died during the way. He has shown me black and white photos of 20 or 30 of his buddies standing together on deck and most of them had died in combat.

[dror91]

Incredible footage. He looks really handsome and happy. Its an incredible treasure to be able to see your grandfather as a 26 year old.

[spanishmackerel]

Thank you. I think is one of the true blessings in my life.

[zabotlivaya]

WOW so cool !! That was truly the finest generation America ever produced. My Grandfather was a career military man and I remember him fondly !! What incredible people !

[dolphinDog]

See you in heaven Gramps.

Merry Christmas

[skarpar]

great footage, and great tribute to your grandfather.

[nighttrain1067]

You can see the happiness on his face. What a great family treasure! Thanks for the post...

[spanishmackerel]

I really hope they are able to get together up there too. That would be great! I bet they are.

[zack044042]

How great it is that you have this video to remember your grandfather! I lost my Father last year at 83 years old, he was a B 24 Pilot during WWII. I hope all those aviators who have left us get together up there and have great times! They truly are the greatest generation. Bless you

[tedfitzgerald]

Hi, This is really excellent footage, please don't ever lose it.

all best ted Fitzgerald.

With the Warbirds

[BBKKBD]

that's sweet

[spanishmackerel]

Luis, that is very very true.

[luismon2005]

I think to you is like traveling through time seeing your grandfather when he was very young.

Luis, Valencia venezuela

[spanishmackerel]

This is my grandfather flying a WW2 seaplane called a PBY Catalina, in 1942 over Tahiti. He died in 1996 at age 80. When he would learn of the death of a fellow PBY'er, he'd say he'd "Gone to that golden PBY in the sky." So I guess that's where gramps is now.