The Lobo Tank Busters
By: Stan Jordan
Our P51D’s have covered many hundred of miles since I wrote the last time. Colonel Bainbridge came over a few days ago and wanted us to use our rocket on some German Radar sights in southern France down on the Mediterranean on the area of Monaco.
As I understand, the allies air guns invaded southern France in that area from the sea and we are to destroy all of the German radar towers that we can with our rockets.
All of this area is controlled by the Germans, so we must fly on over to Rome in Italy after we make our run. That will be another four hundred miles. We flew out of that air base called Spaghetti air base, a few months ago. I’m lucky, I remember their radio channel and call letters.
The crewmen had our planes ready to go and we left our air base at Anthony, France. All of our bearings and flight lines were given to us by the colonel.
We flew at about 10,000 feet altitude at about 300 mph to make the best mileage we could with our fuel.
As soon as we saw the coast line of the Mediterranean Sea, we turned to the east and toward Italy and dropped down to about 700 feet altitude. We were told to stay out of Marcella and to destroy any of their radar equipment that we could. Their towers rise close to 400 feet tall.
We were in single file and I could soon see a tower ahead of me, I had already cleared my guns and turned on the switch to my rockets.
We wanted to destroy the towers from where the legs are fastened to the ground, but had to beware of any guy wires and cables. If you would hit one of those guy wires with your plane you were a dead duck. If the crash didn’t kill you the Germans would. I spotted my tower and put one rocket on a leg and blew it right in two. The other rocket tore up the other leg, and by now I had just went on by.
I flew on to the next tower and fired one rocket and it tore that tower leg in pieces. I made a big swing out over the sea so to make room for the other pilots. Lt Barnes followed me and used three of his rockets, but that tower is on the ground; it’s useless now. Then Lt Barnes, my wingman, made a big circle out over the sea, like I had done.
The other two pilots were able to knock down a tower with their five rockets by now, so we had six rockets left. We swung in from the sea side and blew up one tower and all the communication buildings we could find. We downed three towers, but we will be back.
See Ya!
ON THIS “GETTING OLD” CRAP
By: Stan Jordan
You have heard some of the glorious lines about the sunset years, the golden years, the beauty of getting old and many other flowery lines about the active life in your later years written by some young fellow.
Yes I know you are very fortunate if the powers that be let you live to be in your 90’s. That brings you into the metallic years, silver in your hair, gold in your teeth, aluminum in some of your joints, iron in your blood, lead in your fanny, and sometimes even iron rods in your bones.
You are lucky if you live to be 90, as you are bombarded with lead all of your life in some form or other. Such as, lead in your gasoline, lead in paint, lead in the use of x–rays, your fishing sinkers were made of lead, ceramics contain lead, everything, even batteries contain lead. If you are in the military, you use bullets and they have lead in them, and the government outlawed some of their usage.
There are many elements that see to it you don’t live to be 90. You are considered an old man, you are slow, unsteady, shaky, top heavy, can’t think or remember things. – and don’t want any help. Your fingers are stiff and you can’t button buttons, you don’t see very well, you can’t hear very well and you probably have store bought teeth. You grunt when you are putting on your socks, someone has to explain to you the punch line of a good joke. If you have Medical issues and are on medicare with a supplemental insurance you are as welcome as the flowers in May at any medical institution. A fellow told me once, a worker works January, February, and most of March before he has paid all of his check deductions.
This year the federal government has seen fit not to allow the cost of living raise to senior citizens, but did see fit to raise the amount you pay for your Medicare insurance. If they would pay closer attention to some of these so called “non–profit” hospitals, they could reduce our taxes. Ben Franklin told me once, “There will always be death and taxes.” That phrase is 250 years old and is just as true today. But for us to keep up this beautiful living, in this greatest country in the world, we must pay our taxes.
I have been in this country for 91 years and would like to enjoy a few more yet.
See Ya!
One of Paulding Counties Older Veterans
By: Stan Jordan
John “Jack” Willitzer was born in Independence, over in Defiance County, in 1931. His parents were Joseph and Helen Willitzer, there were s 10 children in the family.
He attended Heffol and Emerald Center schools, and then attended high school at Paulding. Because of circumstances, he was unable to graduate when he should have, but was able to graduate and receive his diploma with the Paulding High School Class of 2013.
He belonged to the National Guards in Defiance and he served in the Merchant Marines in 1949 and 1950. Later in 1950, the government called him and he chose the United States Navy. He served two years with the sixth fleet mainly around the Mediterranean, Italy, Rome and Niece.
His father passed away and he was sent home to take care of the farm and the six kids that were still at home, that was in 1952.
In 1954, he married Rose Reynolds, and they had six children over the years and lived in the Defiance area. He drove truck for Dinner Bell for years, and then Controlled Freight of California for 2 years while he lived in that area. He drove for Freightway for 25 years and retired from there in 1993. He drove a total of 3 million miles.
His hobbies include hunting, gardening, auto racing and he is a life member of the VFW, Eagles, and K of C, all in Defiance. He is also very active with the VFW Honor Guards, funeral detail for the veteran funerals, the firing squad, etc. He has 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and one on the way. Our newest employee with the West Bend News, Crystal, is his youngest child and will be a new grandmother in February.
Well, Jack, it was very interesting and enjoyable talking to you and doing this column.
See Ya!
My Ramblings at Thanksgiving time
By: Stan Jordan
As I sit here at my desk at the West Bend News and look out across town here at Thanksgiving time my three–quarter horse powered mind coughed up the action we have had in the last 12 months.
Last winter, we had some snow and cold but there were folks that had over 100 inches of snow and no power for months. They had a number of bad storms, but here in this area, we didn’t have any. We are thankful for that.
We had a long drawn out wet spring, but some states had twenty four inches of rain and that was more than once, and we are thankful we didn’t get that.
Some states burned up with heat this last summer, but we only had a few days in the 90 degree range and we are thankful for that.
A lot of the states had many tornadoes and millions of dollars of destruction. Here in our area, we just had a few strong winds and we are thankful for that.
Right now, we pay $1.89 a gallon for gasoline for our cars, a couple of years ago is was $2.00 higher and we still had to pay for it. We are thankful that is cheaper now.
The farmers in this area didn’t have recored crops, but it was almost average around here. It certainly could have been worse, and we are thankful for what we got.
The Rib fest, the Big Boy$ Toy$ cruise in, the day in the park, the high school reunion, etc. All had good weather and was well attended. We are thankful for that.
This fall, the so–called Indian summer came and stayed for weeks and weeks. We are thankful for that. Veterans Day came, and all over the nation people stopped to thank all of the veterans, men and women, for keeping our nation safe.
That is the big picture and each one of us know that we have many more reason to be thankful. Just lower this paper and reflect back on your past year and think about the good times you had.
See ya!
