XBradTC

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XBradTC

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Mr. Stewart Goes to Vietnam | History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online | From the World’s Largest History Magazine Publisher

It had been nearly 12 hours since Captain Bob Amos had taken off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on a B-52 bombing mission to strike targets near Saigon. As he piloted his Stratofortress into its approach for landing back at Andersen, slowing to 220 knots and lowering the flaps, his co-pilot, Captain Lee…

It had been nearly 12 hours since Captain Bob Amos had taken off from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam on a B-52 bombing mission to strike targets near Saigon. As he piloted his Stratofortress into its approach for landing back at Andersen, slowing to 220 knots and lowering the flaps, his co-pilot, Captain Lee Meyers, shouted out, “The flaps are splitting!”Amos ordered Meyers to raise the flaps as he corrected a rolling moment to the left, and then declared an emergency as he pulled out of the bomber stream and climbed to gain altitude. What had been an uneventful flight was now getting hairy, all the more so because of the man who was seated behind Amos in the instructor pilot seat. Visions of screaming newspaper headlines hitting doorsteps across America raced through his head: “Jimmy Stewart Killed in Bomber Accident with Bob Amos Piloting!”

Source: Mr. Stewart Goes to Vietnam | History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online | From the World’s Largest History Magazine Publisher

Read the whole thing. I knew he flew in World War II, and I knew he retired as a BG, but didn’t know he wrangled a combat hop in Vietnam.

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Responses to “Mr. Stewart Goes to Vietnam | History Net: Where History Comes Alive – World & US History Online | From the World’s Largest History Magazine Publisher”

  1. Paul L. Quandt

    Jimmy Stewart, a true American hero.

    Paul

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  2. LT Rusty

    BGEN Stewart, you meant?

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  3. Esli

    Technically, BG, but a great American, nonetheless.

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  4. Esli

    Okay, remind me to check first. Could have sworn USAF followed Army convention on abbreviations. BGen it is…

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  5. Esli

    Please delete this whole string. Just saw 4 different semi-official USAF sites that all abbreviated it as Brig Gen. Not much of a short cut now. Let’s all use BG….

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  6. Quartermaster

    USAF has done all they can to get away from the AAF roots.

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  7. Quartermaster

    My father told me about Stewart taking to ride to Vietnam. It would have been interesting if he had made an appearance at the Hanoi Hilton. I wonder what the Anamese would have done then.

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  8. xbradtc

    I use my own style book.

    Like

  9. LT Rusty

    Brad, that wasn’t really pointed at you.

    Like

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