I've been in the Air Force 30 years my mom was a wac during World War II in the Army Air corps she tested radios and was a parachute packer my Uncle J Franklin Wallace was it tallest major in the 8th Air Force at six six he was a flight surgeon on B-26 Marauders and b-17s
I am a medic in the Air Force in statistically we are losing approximately 1, 000 World War II veterans a day how sad it is to see them go the ones that are gone now are turning over in their graves from what the Liberals are trying to do to this great nation
They sure are. I've been fortunate in that in my lifetime I've gotten to listen to quite a few WW Two vets stories. One of them being my maternal grandfather who was in the navy. These stories never get boring.
The gentleman had "presence" on-screen, in other words you feel as if you could ask him a question, because he's so here and now. Growing up I remember a lot of WWII and Korean War Veterans. One whom we knew as "Slim" did mud and sheet-rock work as a profession and he finished most of the walls inside our house where I grew up. Whenever Slim would come to the house to do sheet-rock work, usually around 9:00am, we'd invite him to sit down for coffee before starting to work. Slim would start drinking coffee with my folks and begin telling stories and by 11:15am they'd all still be drinking coffee and talking. Slim was a great guy and as a kid I loved hearing his stories. Many years later, I learned that Slim had been present at D-Day as an infantryman. ...The easy going manner of Kirk John in this video brings back a lot of memories of Slim and those days of growing up around this caliber of gentlemen. I wish I could sit down and hear those stories again today. Great video! God Bless our Military
Or a part of his brain working under his conscious understanding processing something his exceptional eyesight had seen as he approached the gun . Which do you think makes more sense? 🤪
Amazing. These guys were 20-21-22 year olds out of country, flying crazy missions with such high mortality rates... This gentlemen is a true hero with 37 missions in a Mustang- WOW.
Hero yes, but make no mistake the high mortality rate was in the bombers, not the fighters, the guys in the bombers got slaughtered, a full one third of all US combat killed and wounded in the ETO were 8th Air Force men and the vast majority were from bomber crews.
My Uncle was a Spitfire pilot in the 322nd RAF-Dutch Squadron- He was a fighter pilot who was shot down (killed) in the last week of April 1945... 10 days prior to V-E Day.
@@hankgs Yes, fighter pilots got shot down, but the "high mortality rate" was in the bomber crews, many more bombers were shot down than fighters and each one had ten men in it compared to one in a fughter, the men in the fighters got bloody, the men in the bombers got slaughtered.
@Patrick Ancona As I said, 1 fighter goes down that's one guy, 1 bomber goes down that's 10 guys, why do you think fighters were sent in to clear out air defenses at targets before the bombers went in once they got close enough for fighter bombers to do it, look at the numbers of bomber crew losses compared to fighter pilot losses, and I never suggested that no one ever died in fighters, but the numbers were far worse with bomber crews, they didn't even wear their parachutes during the mission, quite often they couldn't get to their chute or it had been destroyed during an attack.
Fighters were not sent in to clear air Defenses during bombing missions like today. Like right, they were going to try to take out all the 88's for the bombers? They would have been slaughtered by the 20mm 37mm 40mm and MG42's that can't shoot high enough to hit B17's that flew above the 10,000 feet limit of the small caliber stuff. The Mustangs had water cooled engines not radials and one lucky rifle shot could eventually bring down a Mustang. @@dukecraig2402
My father would only hire vets from WW2. They were/are my mentors just like my dad. Its shocking to see them dropping like flies since ive known so many from the late forties till now. Theres only 4 left in this small east texas community still alive. There once was dozens.
Oh yes they do make them like that you just wait and see wait till we start kicking these commie bastards asses that are trying to tear our country apart.
He’s from Coatsville Chester County which borders Delaware County not far from Philadelphia. His accent is typical of the area. I worked in Phili, Marcus Hook, Trainer, etc, at oil refineries. I’m retired now, but in my mid 20’s when I started working that area, it was so cool to listen to the old timers that were still working at that time. You did what they told you if you wanted to learn your job and if you didn’t you’d get a browbeating, they’d ride you until you straightened up. Yeah, most youth of today would be offended and their feelings hurt if they worked at the time I did. Loved this interview! What an American treasure!
Killing nazis! Fighting across a sea to protect and preserve our values of liberty and justice! Damn right they were the best but also in that same generation we had evil regimes like the nazis.. looking at society today I think it hasn't gotten better, we are slaves to mega corporations and so is the government.
Best generation, possibly. Still had racism , sexism etc.. but obviously the US still has these problems today, mixed with a growing love of proud ignorance.
The Statement God or Angels yelled at Him to .."Look Down"..........With Machine Gun Nest.........Shooting at him...Heard many of these statements of Men in Combat..........an Voices commanding Them..........Very Cool..........
maik baumann Yes I agree with you. I know many solders asked God for safety no matter what side they were on. I am sure God spoke to all who sought him and did so in many ways. Best regards to you and respect.
Canadian viewer. What a worthwhile and fascinating project. Thank you for the opportunity to hear this Veteran's experience. He sounds like a class act.
"Then i flew 37 more missions after that!" Damn! Thank you Mr. John for being a all out bad ass Mustang pilot and laying it all on the line. You men gave us 70 yrs of the most prosperous years the world has ever known. My sincerest apologies that its being destroyed but we may have a say in it yet! Salute to the greatest generation
@Jordan Sharpe Um...huh? Dude, you can't even communicate using complete, coherent sentences. What in the hell do you know about anything? If you can't take the time to write something we can even understand, why should anyone take seriously *anything* you have to say?
I'm a Navy vet and know what he is talking about at 28:30 when he was in a storm on the Queen Elizabeth. I did a North Atlantic cruise back in 71 on a destroyer and went through seas like he explained. I never got sea sick either and could eat as much as I wanted cause everybody else was sick and they were just going to throw the food away. My dad went to war on the Queen Elizabeth as well...
Tin can sailor here too, '69- 73 Yankee Station so. China sea, fire support, surface raids up north. If inport for an extended time I made it simple for breakfast- dry toast only, until I got my sea legs back, you'd see the replacements (fng's) scarfing down bacon, sausage, eggs, etc. later after we pulled out you'd see the remains barfed all over the main deck, sometimes the passageways too, ahhh, such memories. ☺
At 57 years old, I grew up listening to these WWII guys. Thye were my heroes then and are now. They shaped my life and the way I think to this very day. Love those old guys!!
Sounds like L. gave 'em Hell. Lt. L. Kirk John I salute you sir. Thank you for your service to this country & all freedom loving people everywhere. You sir are a glowing example of the Greatest Generation. Listening to you fills my heart with pride to be a citizen of this great country. Hopefully we can soon reignite that spark I see in you as you tell us about your exploits. This nation IS worth fighting for. MAGA!
This interview was done 2 weeks after my Father passed on at 89, USN Signalman. He still remembered the Morse Code and Semaphore at his death. Amazing man. Alfred Rodriguez USN WWll
These great men will never be replaced. It's sad, but this is so true. The early 1900s produced the greatest generation in the history of mankind. These were driven, patriotic and good men. I stress the word good.
Amazing...from the crash landing to attacking the trains to chasing the Me262 to meeting the Royal Family... all within a period of several months...incredible.
My dad used to tell the same story about coming home on a Victory ship. He said he stayed sick the whole way back. God Bless him, it’s sad that he passed.
With Elwyn Reghetti being his squadron cammander, that would make his unit the 55th Fighter Group. Reghetti went down in April of 1945, though. Not June. The war had already been over by June, of course, but we can forgive that little loss of memory. Good story. I never get tired of listening to these guys.
My father flew F4U Corsair in the Pacific during WWII from 43-45. Saw and did terrible things. I pestered him for stories about his "adventure" but he would never talk about his time (I think my mother forbade him). He has passed on but my brother (who did attend seminary school) did tell me he asked him if he was going to hell for all of the people he had killed. He had never truly make peace with what had happened in the war.
It's tragic when a nation must send its young men and women to do unspeakable things, and then go on like nothing happened afterwards. I can't imagine the demons that haunted your father. RIP to him.
Thank you for your service........My father was in the Pacific.theatre.....! Got to hitch a ride on a P-47......traded ride for an Arisaka rifle.....riding in radio compartment of said P-47..... It was placed behind cockpit and had a jump seat for testing...... new equipment.....pilot was good.....made Dad puke breakfast and lunch....!
Call it what you wish but it is a real phenomenon and I have experienced it twice in my life. The first was while serving in Vietnam (67-68) and a voice out of no where told me to "GET DOWN," and as soon as I did we were attacked. Another time was while skydiving and I had stupidly gone too low on a jump, I was maybe 1500 feet above ground when "that voice" in my head screamed "PULL" (open your parachute) and I looked down and saw a pond becoming wider and wider while I deployed my chute. That chute breathed once and fully inflated just before I landed hard beside the small pond. Saved twice by "the voice."
I've noticed a common theme with combat veterans. Either we find faith and humor or bitterness and hatred set in. This man is incredible. The men from my unit (served in Afghanistan) have for the most part chosen to be bitter. 5 suicides this year. Some have chosen faith. A few are actually preachers now. Strange how combat effects people differently.
The wars were different. Fighting WWII was the last war in the US that was "respected" . Every single one since has been some level of disgrace, defeat, disgust or all three. That's why the vets don't do well.
@@vibratingstring And the underlying theme in the wars since? Politics. In the days of WWII the world was truly being threatened by tyrants who were committing mass murder. Six million (or more) Jews murdered in Europe, and 8-10 million (or more) Chinese and other Asians murdered by the Japanese in the Pacific Theater. The Nazi and Japanese war machines were TRUE threats to the world. No war since then has really posed that sort of global threat. With the more recent wars we seem to have politicians deciding that thug A or thug B be taken out, but only if it suits their political aspirations and/or appeases their base. Our politicians have too much power these days, and too much ability to start shit they have don't have to own. When's the last time you've heard of a US President, Vice President, or even a cabinet member sending one of their kids off to be sacrificed in a war? IMHO, I would say that WWII was probably the last war that really NEEDED to be fought in the manner it was. In Korea and Viet Nam, it was the politicians who dictated how/when/why things were attacked. We didn't go to war to win per se, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe the first Gulf War is the exception here, but it seems that the rest of the "wars" since then have been fought as much for political convenience as for any other reason. And the "war on terror" is totally fucked-up! How do you stop a seemingly infinite supply of would-be terrorists, when trying to do so only seems to create more terrorists?!? It's a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, but when the people making the ultimate decision(s) to go to war have never themselves been under fire, then what business do they have making that decision? So it seems to me that the real people to blame for all the wars since WWII, at least for the US, are the citizens of the US. I mean, we keep voting for politicians who 1) have no experience fighting a war, 2) have never been under fire, and 3) are using the US military to try to keep themselves in power. I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat, but the only guy I think really got this was George H. W. Bush, a combat pilot in WWII and was actually shot down by the Japanese. Under his command the US got into and out of Iraq in pretty short order. Say what you will about the man, but at least he went to war to do what it took to win...quickly.
My father in law served , wounded , decorated . For 35 years as his son in law, i picked his ww2 brain every chance. It is the same as hearing John Kirk talk about the P51 . What these men and women went through for our countries is something else. These veterans deserve more than just Memorial Day. every day , when i can i thank a vet. a couple living around the block , i make a point of saying thank you. my father in law is gone long ago , but listening to folks like John Kirk brings back memories of things they went through. bravo to every vet.
Bet he was in Lakeland Fla. for primary flight training. Al Lodwick, owned it. He was Howard Hughes' friend and the 1938 Around the World flight manager. They rode together in the ticker tape parade in July 1938.
I love these old guys, telling the stories of their experoences is priceless. And I noticed how they all ask the Lord for help., And we know, help they got! The Lord was with them all the way. They lived to tell their stories !,They sure had faith ! God bless you Sir for your service to our country . 🇺🇸
Age really is a bitter-sweet thing. It’s such an amazing experience to talk to someone who has 40-60 years on you. The only sad part is the deterioration of the memory.
I live in West Chester Pa. and it’s so great to know that somebody close to me is a hero from the Second World War, so proud to have someone that contributed and risk his life for freedom and democracy
he sounds a lot like me. I'm 12 and I really want to fly. I go to school not far away from HUNTER ARMY AIRFEILD and whenever a mh47 or ch47 passes over I think to my self I want to fly those!
Hey bud, I go to a great aeronautical school with the intent of becoming a Warthog pilot by the end of it. I'm in the AFROTC program here, and that's something that I wanted to do throughout my entire life. It's been hard, and it is going to be tough keeping up with your studies, especially with exercise. However, if you want it bad enough, you will never lose sight of your goals.You are going to have to give it your all if you want to be apart of the most elite aviators in the world. I can tell you that it is rewarding when you do things right. Just keep doing things right, keep up with your academics and stick out from your peers. Go to a school with a decent aeronautics/aeronautical science program and never stop chuggin. You will be able to do it, BUT IT WILL BE HARD YET REWARDING. Aim high, fly, fight, win!
I only wish we had more time to capture their stories & learn what life is really about. God bless him, them & America & all the allies that answered the call.
The squadron commander he talks about being shot down and crash landed just before VE day. The story sounded familiar. Col. Elwyn Righetti from San Luis Obispo CA. Waved off his pilots after surviving a crash landing, but was killed by civilians, just as the war ended. The more of these stories you hear and read, the more likely they overlap. War is a rotten rotten thing.
@@aj3751 you can see gun camera videos of US planes strafing houses and everything that moves. Including farm vehicles. so yes I can see the girmins were a bit sour about it. Is it nice to hang pilots? no
Emerson Martin of Bloomfield, Indiana...my ex-wife's grandfather....he was an Infantryman during WW2, in early 1945, and was wounded by shrapnel fighting the Nazis in Germany. He was knocked unconscious and woke up in a French hospital 2 weeks later. He tried sharing his story with us, but couldn't go five minutes without crying. All he could tell us...the war was too horrifying. Too many people were killed through his eyes. I remember holding his Purple Heart, and reading his V-Mail letters his wife (Jean) kept over the decades. She had lots of those redacted letters. Emerson (Papa Martin) passed away 3 years ago. Wonderful man, and another man to which we celebrate our freedom.
29:56 is powerful. People say war is hell but this guy demonstrates it. Makes me think of my grandfather and thank God he made it out alive. 6 years of air force service. Staff sgt flew in every single bomber plane. I'm sure he had some moments he was preparing to die.
What a fantastic memory and fascinating insight! That's one of the greatest ever interviews I have seen! God bless this man!🙏I am truly humbled. Millennials I hope you are watching and listening carefully!!
I was lucky as a kid. My Dad used to take us to the annual EAA flyin at Rockford Illinois then Oshkosh Wisconsin when they moved and because he was the Americacn distributor for a Romanian WW II Luftwaffe pilot who defected in a Heinkle 410 in 44 that went on to live in Paris and was the first person to design plans for scaled down 1/2 and 2/3ds Mustang homebuilts I got to go to gatherings of WW II pilots from the US, England, France and even Luftwaffe pilots and I'd sit there a starry eyed listening to their war stories. It was cool that the two sides got along so well. Most of the German pilots had come to America as POW's abd stayed when the war was over because the towns they came from had been destroyed and often their families had died in bombing attacks or other war related ways. One of my favorite pilots to listen to and I became yearly friends with was a short British pilot name Harold Best-Deverall. I'm so glad there's organizations recording these old WW II Vets stories. It takes me back to my youth. I'd love to have met this Gentleman.
I've had it happen to me three times, when the Lord shouts from behind. Each time he saved my life. The first was when I was wading in the water, down in the Florida Keys, fishing. He shouted, "LOOK AT YOUR FOOT!". I looked down and there was a shark, right over my foot, with it's mouth wide open. I screamed and literally walked water back to shore.
