Places We Have Called Home In 2020
Home Is Where We Park It: NOMADS Project, New Hope United Methodist Church
February 9, 2020
Doctor Says It Is The Flu
Packing Up – Where Did All This Stuff Come From!
390th Memorial Museum
The good news is Barbara doesn’t have a cold. The bad news is according to the doctor she has the flu. Imagine that. Maybe next year we’ll both reconsider getting flu shots. Anyway, she is on heavy duty drugs prescribed by the doctor and he says she will be up and about by Tuesday. Time will tell.
We’ve started packing up.
A bag full of my stuffed animals and turtles.
Odds and ends from all over. Were did all this stuff come from?
Half of our canned goods waiting to go over to it.
My clothes, or at least most of them.
A little bit from here, a little bit from there boy does it all add up. We can only pack so much or we’ll have no room to move around.
This is our secret moving weapon. We figure we’ll just fill it up, pull it over to IT, empty it and come back for another load. Now if we only had two or three more that would be great. We’ll just have to make due with the one that we have.
Now for some sightseeing. When we went to Pima Air and Space Museum a week or so ago there was also another museum on the grounds that we went through.
Entering the Lobby you are reminded of the mission of this museum.
The Welcome Sign makes the mission of the Museum clear. as well as
The Memorial that is in the lobby which also clearly states the mission of the Museum.
Regarding the 390th Bomb group, they were a part of
the 13th Combat Wing, which was a part of
The Mighty Eighth Air Force.
Mission Statistics for the 390th.
Preparation for a bombing run, this one over Berlin.
The 390th Bomb Group flew
The Mighty B-17 Flying Fortresses.
Those who flew these mighty planes came from every corner of America. With an average age of just 19 years old, many had never seen or set foot in an airplane before the war. Little did they know what physical and psychological tests they would soon endure. On the ground and in the air, fliers experienced intense anxiety and fear. Time and again, they suffered the loss of close friendships. The physical tolls were heavy, as well. Flying in cabins that were not pressurized, at temperatures colder than 30 degrees below zero, and in equipment that was still being perfected, more B-17 crew members suffered from frostbite, electric shock and hypoxia than injuries due to enemy fire.
The flyers knew that their chances of being killed
or becoming a POW were far greater than their chances of coming home. As I read the above account of Jack who was captured it sent chills up and down my spine. I cannot begin to imagine the fear that overwhelmed him.
For you the war is over! Words no flyer ever wanted to hear.
Liberation for some.
In addition to its outstanding bombing record, the 390th was credited with shooting down in one day — Oct. 10, 1943 — 62 enemy fighters. This was the highest kill rate in a single day for any bomber or fighter group in the European Theater of Operations. In all, the group was credited with destroying 377 enemy aircraft during the war. But less we forget this was due not only to the those who actually flew the Mighty B-17 but also to
There was one big difference between the Heavy Bombardment Group and other branches of the armed forces.
Their one mission was to DESTROY!
Did you catch that, 4 million bombs of all types were dropped. In addition 421,499 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition were used.
The 390th flew from Station 153 in Framlingham, Suffolk, England between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe.
Living quarters on the base. The Nissen Hut.
A bicycle was the primary form of transportation for one and all.
Constructed in six hours. That must be like the YTube Video of building a Jayco lightweight trailer in thirty minutes! I bet the Nissen hut would last longer.
How difficult it must have been, wake up beside a friend in an adjoining bunk but by nightfall he might be gone forever.
We’re going to call in a night. There is one other exhibit in this fascinating Museum which I will share with you tomorrow night. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it. Here is a hint of what is to come, think nose.
So that was our day on The Road of Retirement. Barbara thankfully went to the doctor and so is on the mend. Yipee! I managed to do some more packing. I also spent the day watching one of my favorite sports, drag racing. Today was the season opener and it was a good one. Time now to wrap things up and get my beauty sleep.
These are the voyages of Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers. Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before
See you on down the road!
"On The Road of Retirement" 
Oh, I hope Barbara is feeling much better. You know she may try to share this with you. This museum certainly has alot to share with all. Enjoy your packing. It will be a distant memory when you are in your beautiful unit.
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