Tagged: WWII

Seventy years ago this week American aviators were at war in Europe. In airplanes known as the B-17 Flying Fortress they were flying bombing missions over Germany. One of those planes, nicknamed “The Memphis Belle” flew its 25th combat mission on May 17th, 1943, and then came home to the US with its crew. One of the Memphis Belle’s first stops was Wright Field in Dayton, where today she’s being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Thomas Griffin died in late February - he was one of 80 American servicemen who flew a legendary mission in World War Two.    They were known as Doolittle's Raiders.    Griffin lived in Cincinnati and he
was 96 years old.  Now only four members of that elite group survive.

WYSO aviation commentator Dan Patterson knew Griffin and tells us his story.

Mitchell Zuckoff was conducting research for a book project when he stumbled upon a compelling headline from a Chicago newspaper. The dateline was 1945. Zuckoff was so astonished by this newspaper story that he read
that day that he dropped everything and began working on what became another book instead; "Lost in Shangri-La: a True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II."