A WING AND A PRAYER

My dad, Ned Smith, was a member of the 414th Bomb Squadron which was known as "Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer". There was also a song written about the group. The All American B-17 almost had it's entire tail section cut off but made it back. I put this slide show together with some of my dad's pictures and some I got off the internet.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• a wing and a prayer
• B-17
• All American
• World War II

[mizenksr]

I flew 25 missions as a tail gunner with this squadron when it was part of the 97th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force flying out of Foggia, Italy. The incident gives graphic testimony to the solid structure of the plane coupled with the inordinate luck of the crew. Why the hell the tail didn't fall off remains a mystery to me.

S/Sgt. Marty Mizenko

[orcstr8d]

Wow! Hats off to your dad. He must have really appreciated the plane that day it landed after getting so heavily damaged.

[postatommasopalermo]

Hi, I'm Tommaso Palermo from Italy.

You can see a video footage of raid over Foggia made by 414th Squadron on the website named CRITICALPAST Search for "Foggia 1943" and you can see a flight over Foggia with various B-17. One of them has tail number 230436.

[AryanKnight]

@jasmyyn007 <----------am 95% sure it is the wonderful lilting voice of the lovely refined singer/actress ' Ginny Simms ' (-paste her name into the above search-box next to the Utube-logo.)

[skypilot39b]

@mizenksr Thank you!

[Lokuulio]

@terrancesimms Don't worry, they will pay. They will pay with their lives.

And be rewarded for their damn fine service. To all of you service men and women, I salute you. Keep fighting the good fight!

[scrubbygoat]

My father flew 51 missions as a Navigator with the 429th BS, 2nd BG. That's in the 5th Bomb Wing, right next to the 97th BG. Bombs Away!

[jameszerukjr]

the guy who claims his dad was ned smith has his facts off. SSgt Mizenko is way more credable!

[stormdudeful]

@Phantasm911 MY grandfather (paul galloway) was the radio operator waist gunner on this plane! HE actually received the distinguished flying cross for pullin the tail gunner out of the hole after the collision. I was lookin trhough some old pictures just this week and saw one of my grandfather and you uncle at a reunion several years ago. We're lucky to know such great men!

[Pazelya]

@RoVeR28may you ppl are rly impossible.. you think you made this victory and you dont think about millions of americans, british, french, czech, polish, etc soldiers who fought for this victory. screw you and burn in hell!

oh and btw, its strange to read this kind of bullshit from a guy from ukraine.. sad, we still have such kind of ppl in Ukraine ;(

[Phantasm911]

My Uncle Ralph (Ralph Burbridge) was the bombadear of the All American. He celebrated his 90th birthday last July. I did not know there was a song wrote about it. Many thanks. Happy Veterans Day.

[jasmyyn007]

does anybody no who this song is sung by??