Vet's get to see WWII memorial!

[Luissa]

Spokane vets tour World War II memorial | Spokesman.com | Jul 26, 2009


Garinger and another Spokane-area World War II veteran, Kenny Hitchcock, were among a small group of veterans from across the country to visit the World War II Memorial for the first time Saturday. Their trip, which included other Washington memorials as well, was sponsored by Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting veterans to the nation’s capital to see the memorials built in their honor.

 

[bodecea]

Spokane vets tour World War II memorial | Spokesman.com | Jul 26, 2009


Garinger and another Spokane-area World War II veteran, Kenny Hitchcock, were among a small group of veterans from across the country to visit the World War II Memorial for the first time Saturday. Their trip, which included other Washington memorials as well, was sponsored by Honor Flight, a nonprofit organization dedicated to getting veterans to the nation’s capital to see the memorials built in their honor.

Went there myself a few days ago. Very nice with the fountains and all, but it was hot and sunny and all that white rock really hurt my eyes.

 

[Luissa]

never been myself, heard it gets hot and muggy there.

 

[bodecea]

never been myself, heard it gets hot and muggy there.

It was indeed.

 

[Old Rocks]

I was there a few years ago. In November, cool, not cold, with a slight drizzle. Took pictures of the Memorial in the dark. It is quite beautiful, and the darkness and light in the fountain gave it a feeling of solemnity that the daylight could not match. I wish my father could have seen it. More than that, I wish that my father could have been with my son and I when we toured a B-17. Dad worked on the 24s during the war, but the 17 was his favorite plane.

 

[Luissa]

I was there a few years ago. In November, cool, not cold, with a slight drizzle. Took pictures of the Memorial in the dark. It is quite beautiful, and the darkness and light in the fountain gave it a feeling of solemnity that the daylight could not match. I wish my father could have seen it. More than that, I wish that my father could have been with my son and I when we toured a B-17. Dad worked on the 24s during the war, but the 17 was his favorite plane.

where was your father stationed. My grandfather was worked on planes also but I don't know which ones. I do know he was stationed in Coffeeville Kansas and was suppose to go to Africa during the war but missed his flight which if he would have made it he would have never met my Grandfather. My father never talks about what airplanes he works on, mostly because I think it is hard for him to talk about him.

 

[Old Rocks]

Dad was stationed at the base just north of Salt Lake City, the name escapes at the moment. He worked on 24s but would get rides on just about any plane they had. Since he was a good mechanic, that wasn't hard to do. His unit was practicing low level bombing, and some of the planes would come back with sagebrush in the wheelwells. Dad was on some of those practice flights. His unit went to North Africa, but he was hurt shortly before they left, and was in the hospital for most of the war, having his eyes worked on. He was lucky to come out of that with only minor vision loss.

Had he gone with his unit, I probably would never have known him, because his unit was pretty beat up in the war, and he would have flown with them any time they would have let him.

 

[Luissa]

Dad was stationed at the base just north of Salt Lake City, the name escapes at the moment. He worked on 24s but would get rides on just about any plane they had. Since he was a good mechanic, that wasn't hard to do. His unit was practicing low level bombing, and some of the planes would come back with sagebrush in the wheelwells. Dad was on some of those practice flights. His unit went to North Africa, but he was hurt shortly before they left, and was in the hospital for most of the war, having his eyes worked on. He was lucky to come out of that with only minor vision loss.

Had he gone with his unit, I probably would never have known him, because his unit was pretty beat up in the war, and he would have flown with them any time they would have let him.

I asked my dad I guess he worked on P38 he thinks and he was suppose to go to north africa. If he would have gone to north africa I probably would be here, because they then sent him to Kansas where he met my Grandmother.