Airplanes, Old Men and Their Memories

[RobesonsRme.com]

Go ahead. Keep a dry eye. I dare you.

Turn up the volume.

Try to spot the "Then & Now" shots.

God Bless 'Em, Every One.

http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/RU1oB8sGyYM

Charlie Noyes in Awe

[tjmurphy]

Great video Charlie, thanks for posting

[carrmillus]

.......great video!!!....thanks for posting it!!!!!....... .............

[IMBand]

Another FANTASTIC video Charlie......Thanks......

IM

[Bret888]

Great video. Made me remember my ex Father in law. He has been gone about 10 years now. He flew 24 missions from Tinian to Japan, in a B-29. He asked why they were not bombing Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and couldn't get an answer. It turned out they had bigger plans for them.
He told a few stories, and I will retell what I remember if you guys want to hear them?

[jerryd6818]

Go for it Brett. I love hearing stories about the old folks and the times they lived in.

[Mr Rick]

Great video. Made me remember my ex Father in law. He has been gone about 10 years now. He flew 24 missions from Tinian to Japan, in a B-29. He asked why they were not bombing Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and couldn't get an answer. It turned out they had bigger plans for them.
He told a few stories, and I will retell what I remember if you guys want to hear them?

My Dad also flew out of Tinian ( He is top row , left) Notice "Flaps" front and center. Flaps came home with Dad.



And here he is, reunited with his Flight Engineers station many years later.

[Bret888]

Very cool pictures Rick!

[RobesonsRme.com]

Mr. Rick, your father didn't change much. Great photos.

When B-29's and the Asia-Pacific theatre of operations are brought to mind, I think of this man, Henry "Red" Erwin, from Adamsville, a suburb of Birmingham.

In my mind, the most courageous individual I have ever known or even heard of.

For some period of time after the War, he worked as a photographer for The Birmingham News. My Mom was also employed there and she and Dad knew Mr. Erwin.

He was the VA contact representative for many years and when Sarah and I bought our home in 1979, using a VA loan, Mr. Erwin was the man that set it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Erwin

Interesting, if he had not "washed out" of flight school, he would not have been the man that dropped that phospherous flare through the chute in the floor of the B-29's fuselage. Would anyone else have had the character to do what he did? I honestly don't know. He was in the right place at the right time and saved his entire crew.

There are several websites dedicated to Mr. Erwin, some with more photos and details of his actions that day and events following.

Do a Google search.

They actually broke into a headquarters building in Hawaii, smashed a glass display case and stole a Medal of Honor to give to him.

Ponder what it would take to pick up a flare, burning at 1100 degrees and feel your way half the length of a B-29, stopping to raise a locked table, then proceed to the cock-pit, say, "Excuse me, Sir" to the co-pilot and throw the flare out the co-pilot's window, all the while enduring the unbearable pain of your own burning body.

Simply unbelievable to me. I will always be in absolute awe of the man.

Charlie Noyes

[Bret888]

That was quite an act Charlie. Reminds me of falling on a grenade, since he could not know if he would survive it or not, but he knew they would all die if he didn't get it out of there....