34 combat missions in the B-17 over Nazi occupied France and Germany. For his service he was awarded many medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, World War II Victory medal, and the Knight of the Legion of Honor medal from the people of France and Western Europe, France's equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor. He was my Great Grandfather and the last of the greatest generation, the last heroes. Rest in peace, Grandfather. I'm sorry the country you risked your life for has become what it is. I can't apologize for leaving it and returning to Europe, where our ancestors are from. I know wherever you are in the afterlife, you understand that. You were a Hero. You cheated death for 95 years. You won and now you can rest. You were a one of the proud and few.... Metal Machines. And you are Legendary. FEBRUARY 15, 1925 - APRIL 19, 2020
Просто помни о своём дедушке и рассказывай о его жизни следующим поколениям. Возможно что ещё не рождены те кто смогут сделать этот мир более справедливым, но память о подвигах предков позволит вырастить поколение новых героев. Просто старайся помнить и передай эти знания молодым 🙏
Er saß im Bomber um Zivilisten zu töten, meine Großmutter wurde im Alter von 2 Jahren Luftschutzbunker verschüttet und Tage später gerettet. Phosphorbomben auf Zivilisten werfen, das waren die Alliierten. Mörder Vergewaltiger und Folterer, zum Glück brennen diese Verbrecher in der Hölle.
My dad flew C-47s dropping paratroopers into European combat zones for over four years. He was shot down near Grave, Holland, during Operation Market. Luckily he was picked up by the Dutch Underground who eventually got him to safety. He, too, received medals. Your grandfather, like my dad, was a true hero. Thank you for letting us know what a remarkable man he was. That history is fading and being lost. Obviously. My dad and your grandfather fought against fascism in a world war. Today we're fighting against fascism in America. I never thought I'd be glad my father is dead. This would have broken his heart.
You can tell this isn’t War Thunder by the fact that the bombers actually flew in formation, the gunners actually hit something and the bombers don’t disintegrate from like one shot from a fighter.
The hardest thing B-17 pilots had to do was to stay in formation while under attack from fighters and flak. General LeMay insisted the pilots maintain the combat box through the bomb run. Incredible courage and discipline. I saw a restored B-17 in flight a few years ago. The sight and sound of the four-engined bomber moved me to tears. Imagine what 1000 of those airplanes looked and sounded like over Germany in 1944. I wept in admiration and respect.
My math teacher in junior high back in the late seventies was a tail gunner in a B-17 during World War Two. He actually only got to fire his guns just once...for about three seconds. He made it through his twenty-five (I think that's how many missions it took before you could go home) sorties, then came home. His last name was Zontini, and a life-long West Virginian, Army Air Corps volunteer, and a fine teacher. I remember him telling us, after we all badgered him to no end as kids will do, that what you see in the movies is nowhere near accurate. The speed of battle is so much incredibly faster than what's portrayed on the big screen. Crews weren't anywhere near afraid of the fighters as much as they were the flack guns. There was no fighting back with the German 88's. They just had to hold the plane straight and true... and ride it out. There was a lot of "fratricide" coming from bombs hitting the planes from another one on top of you and from Allied gunners mistaking them for German planes. Before the arrival of the P-51 Mustang which could escort them all the way into Germany and back, one in three bombers were shot down on every mission. American bomber crews lost more men than were killed on the ground by the Army or Marines, and the Navy on the oceans. Plus, he added that he had to lay on his stomach to man the guns in the tail for the duration of the mission. That day was the only day that he ever talked about it... I guess he got tired of us "bratty" kids constantly asking him about it. As young as we were back then we couldn't grasp the sacrifice he made and the courage it took for him to do what he did.
My English teacher my Junior year of high school was a Marine in the Pacific theater . Memorial day each year he would either bring in a veteran (or he himself) to "tell their story" . Guy was as hard as a railroad spike but one of the few people I have met in my life that I actually respected . RIP Mr. Wilkins .
He knew you would get it someday. Anyways his story is now yours to tell. If we ever loose the tech that we depend on that’s how history will survive. Now tell his story often and remember it for future generations. That’s how you honor what they did
@@I_am_Diogenes he did that so you’ll remember their stories after they’re gone. Honor them by remembering and telling others. I’ve got 100s of notebooks with their accounts in them. I believe if technology ever fails us then it’s my obligation to print them
0:29 the music drop, flak shell explosions, dozens of B - 17s flying in a formation through it at high speed. This scene is perfect, i felt goosebumps.
Apart from a history lesson this song is an ode to metal songs of the most magnificent kind,brings nostalgic memories of our youth years.Thank you Sabbaton!
@@TheEventHorizon909 Wikipedia says HIO could be Hillsboro Airport ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsboro_Airport ). That strikes me as being more probable than Hiroshima.
@@elainesantander75 The much more powerfull engines of the B-29 are likely to gave a more impressive acustic experience on the ground thn the B-17 ones.
@@godzillamon2 he actually says "come suck my metal machine" right after he says, "we're masters of the world". www.sabaton.net/discography/primo-victoria/metal-machine/
My favorite plane ever. I want to ride in a B-17 before I die. Been in 3 when they visited Purdue airport. Loved it. Can't wait for one to come back. I'll be there again.
I got to go up once when I was 14. My dad and my younger brother. It was pretty fucking cool. Engines shake the the plane pretty good just before take off. Got to fly over the bay area. Only thing I wish we could of done was fire a few rounds from one the waist guns. But still it was badass. Unfortunately I read a story that the same plane actually crashed. On takeoff recently. Not many that still fly today. Hopefully you get your chance. Side note. I also got to go inside a ww2 panzer 5. Before it was sold off to germany. It was so cramped inside. Couldn't imagine being inside on for hours let alone days
My father was a bottom ball turret gunner in a B-17. Almost a duplicate of the video. But they made above Poland before the pilot called to jump. The pilot helped my father out of the turret and they were the last out of the plane. Whole crew made it home eventually after being presumed dead.
I have a phobia, a fear of the dark Afraid to shoot strangers, the animal talks Guns scare me shitless, but love gun’s my friend The Sentinel’s coming, but is this the end? Riding on this crazy train I’m going paranoid Watch me lose my mind and break the law (breaking the law, breaking the law) I’m a metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon I’m a metal machine The rainbow in the dark is shining Unholy metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon I’m a metal machine The kings of metal ride the sky Is this st. Anger, the ultimate sin Or have I really a black knight within? The gates of Babylon are open and wide Shout at the devil, there’s nowhere to hide Fighting for the world to keep the wild child in its cage Broke my metal heart against the wall (balls to the wall, balls to the wall) I’m a metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon Unholy metal machine The rainbow in the dark is shining I’m a metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon Come touch my metal machine The kings of metal ride the sky Come touch my metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon I’m a metal machine The rainbow in the dark is shining Come suck metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon I’m the metal machine The kings of metal ride the sky Come blow my metal machine It’s close to midnight and he’s barking at the moon I’m a metal machine The rainbow in the dark is shining Come touch my metal machine No, we will never fall We’re masters of the world Come suck my metal machine No, we will never fall We’re masters of the…
Whenever I listen to sabaton I listen to it when I'm playing a type of a war game either war thunder or some on the ground FPS shooter (mainly world war II based)
Not only is this a tribute the the bomber crews of World War II, it's also a tribute to heavy metal. It includes references to metal groups that influenced the band! They refer to stuff like Fear of the Dark (Iron Maiden), Crazy Train/Paranoid (Ozzy Osbourne/ Black Sabbath), Wild Child (WASP), and Metal Heart/Balls to the Wall (Accept) just to name a few. Good stuff on Sabaton's part.
Seen Madras Maiden in person at an air show she has since then been repainted to resemble Ye Olde Pub the plane referenced in No Bullets Fly. I hope to fly in one of these before my time here is up. I respect what these men did. The greatest generation they will always be.
@@phantomnus From the looks of the exterior combat scenes some of them may have been colorized versions from the movie 12 O'clock High, and those combat scenes were shot by crew members over Schweinfurt, Germany in the Black Thursday raid that saw the loss of 60 bombers and crew on that one mission.
@@phantomnus From the looks of the exterior combat scenes some of them may have been colorized versions from the movie 12 O'clock High, and those combat scenes were shot by crew members over Schweinfurt, Germany in the Black Thursday raid that saw the loss of 60 bombers and crew on that one mission.
all those references.. driving on this crazy train im going paranoid LOVE SABATON I have a phobia A fear of the dark (Iron Maiden) Afraid to shoot strangers (Iron Maiden) The animal talks Guns scare me shitless But love gun's my friend The sentinel's coming But is this the end Riding on this crazy train (Ozzy) I'm going paranoid (Sabbath) Watch me lose my mind And break the law (Judas Priest) I'm a metal machine It's close to midnight and He's barking at the moon (Ozzy) I'm a metal machine the rainbow in the dark is shining (dio) I'm only metal machine It's close to midnight and He's barking at the moon I'm a metal machine The kings of metal ride the sky (Manowar I think) Is this st. anger (Metallica) The ultimate sin Or have I really A black knight within The gates of Babylon Are open and wide Shout at the devil (Misfits) There's nowhere to hide Fighting for the world to keep The wild child in it's cage (Twisted Sister...I think) Broke my metal heart (Accept) Against the wall I'm a metal machine It's close to midnight and He's barking at the moon I'm only metal machine the rainbow in the dark is shining I'm a metal machine It's close to midnight and He's barking at the moon Come touch my metal machine The kings of metal ride the sky
+malemokischmoo well...it's not references, the whole song is made of titles from metal songs from the 80's, every line - the ultimate tribute to old style metal. and yeah it's freaking awesome!
...but you'r in a 109 so you can run circles around them before they turn around and shoot them down anyway. Unfortunately, war doesn't run on pure heroism...
All the power and energy Sabaton stands for, in amazing fashion! Everytime anyone says Metal is dead, I remember this great band! But we have to notice that allied bombers had large flocks of escort fighters like the P-51s with them, and those bombs killed more civillians than military personnel. Those were indiscriminate attacks.
This is a time where men , were men , I salute , and only could imagine the things anyone went through , from all sides of the war . Soldiers in battle , not by choice , not want , but duty to their country . I salute all , doing their duty , and honor , fighting for their God , and country , right , or wrong , decided by a higher calling .
Got a chance to see one of these beautiful machines last year. To get close enough to touch and stand next to it being a 6 foot 4 guy. Its amazing to me how small thst plane actually is compared to me. It's beauty will never be matched.
@@dolamrothknight Toward the end of the war crews wherein higher demand due to fatalities, and ending of the 25 required mission fulfillment. The crew that Dad was with decided from the beginning that all would stay until every man in that original crew completed their 25 missions. There were always those few who missed missions due to sickness etc. In order for all to complete the rest stayed on and in the end, he completed 34 missions. Of course, you will believe or say what you want there is very little respect these days.
@@dolamrothknight Read this article in its entirety and you will see that at certain points during the conflict the mission tour objectives were change depending on requirements. While it does not specifically prove what I have told you it does verify that mission completion at some point was at 35. I can only relate what my father reported and it was posted in an article about him. This is the link. I would advise before calling someone a liar that you at the very least check your historical facts to determine if it was ever done which this article confirms. Hopefully, when you get older you might learn some respect. warbirdsnews.com/warbird-articles/wwii-b-24-liberator-hot-stuff-setting-record-straight.html
If you are able, I highly recommend that you visit the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. The B-17 "Memphis Belle" has been restored and is on display, so close that you can almost touch it.. Admission is free and they have everything on display from a re-creation of the Wright Flyer to actual spacecraft and ballistic missiles.
"A Queen dies hard. She doesn’t want to go, no more than any man inside her. You may not believe this. If you don’t, it’s only because you haven’t been there, and you haven’t watched combat-hardened men cry as a ship goes down; cry as much for the machine as for the men. Because, you see, when 10 men claimed her for their own, she was no longer just a machine. She was their bomber. That made her special, and made her come alive.” Martin Caidin, "Black Thursday"
The air war over Europe has always fascinated me from the early days through the battle of britian to the massive bomber campaign I feel like this is little covered but was so intgeral in winning the war.
Space Shuttle Front Gunner they didn’t flying the middle of a b17 bomber formation because that would be a form of suicide they attacked the sides of the formation
