Frank Lampe made his final takeoff last week at age 101, but not before sharing the story of an epic journey that took him twice around the globe—and got him paid for it.
The World War II B-24 Liberator pilot had flown combat missions over China and India with the 308th Bomb Group, but his most memorable flight came after the war ended: piloting his shark-mouthed bomber home to the United States via a route that spanned continents and oceans. Lampe was among the millions of American servicemen who faced the monumental task of getting home after defeating fascism, a journey that for airmen meant loading their warplanes with people instead of bombs and flying across the world.
By September 1945, more than 16 million Americans wore the uniform. There were more than one million casualties, including over 400,000 killed. The overwhelming attitude was simple: get home, get back to their regular life.
The end of the war in Europe started the process. Warships and transports had their roles changed overnight. Aircraft carriers had the space to bring thousands home in one trip. Ships were seen packed with returning GIs.
The airmen who qualified were allowed to fly back to the USA. Bombers which were loaded with bombs and ammunition were now loaded to capacity with aircrew and ground crew, flying their warplanes home.
Frank flew combat missions with the 308th Bomb Group in B-24 Liberators, which flew out of China supporting the Chinese offensive and then moved to India in support of Allied actions against the Japanese until the war ended. The group began the long series of flights back to the USA in December 1945.
Frank described the long haul to me:
"We flew east and made our way across India, and then flew across Arabia and the northern areas of Africa. We were then directed to fly across the Saharan desert and along the western coast of Africa to Iberia. The longest overwater flight was from Africa to Brazil. Our landfall was Natal, Brazil. From there we flew along the Brazilian coast, stopping at US airbases for fuel—British Guiana, Venezuela—and then hopping across the islands in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Trinidad, Saint Lucia, Puerto Rico and finally made our last landing at Homestead Air Force Base near Miami, Florida."
Frank had delivered the bomber and, more importantly, several Americans back home.
He was assigned a B-24 to fly home which had the distinctive shark mouth painted on the nose that the 308th was known for. This B-24 was also painted with a less than fully dressed young woman who exclaimed that she was "Dressed for Action." Frank told me that the closer they got to the USA, he began to wonder what the reaction would be to a warplane which had been flown into combat and was decorated with what could be scandalous. The desire to get home, he said, was more important.
Frank left the B-24 in Florida and made his way back to Ohio. Like millions of returning soldiers, Frank came back and had what he called the "Great American Life." He married his sweetheart, Mary Louise, and they were together for more than 70 years. They had five children and fulfilled the promise of Americans who left home, defeated the fascists, saved the world, came home and resumed life.
When I had the chance to make Frank's portrait at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, we decided that the museum's B-24 would be the proper background, even though he reminded me it was not the exact version he flew. The museum director was on hand to greet Frank and his family and provide some well-earned VIP treatment. I had found a photo of the B-24 painted with the nose art he had described and brought a print for Frank to hold in the portrait.
When I gave that to Frank, he was surprised and very pleased. I asked Frank about his wartime experiences and if he had any thoughts that summed it all up. He was quiet for a moment, but his response was clearly one he had considered: "I am here to represent all the guys from the 308th who didn't get home or who aren't with us anymore. I am still here for them."
Then he smiled and told me: "Ah What the hell, I got to fly around the world twice and got paid for it!"
They left home, saved the world. Those who survived came home and turned postwar America into the country we live in now. Frank Lampe will be buried at the Dayton National Cemetery alongside his wife, Mary Louise—one final flight into eternal skies.
Blue Skies and Tailwinds is presented by SNC, a global aerospace and defense firm, with support from the Wright State University Aviation Science and Technology Program. The series is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO.
