Bob Pedigo gets choked up when he recalls participating in the Indy Honor Flight to see the World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. When they left it, a group of about 300 junior high students lined the east side of the walk and applauded until the last ones had passed. "That was the most touching thing on the trip."
Pedigo, 92, was a nose gunner of a bomber serving in the European Theater with the 453rd Bombardment group.
He recalled beloved actor Jimmy Stewart, who was a decorated officer during the war who flew 20 missions over Europe as captain of a B-24 Liberator, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and rose to the rank of brigadier general before retiring from the Air Force Reserve in 1968, after seeing more action in Vietnam.
Stewart was Pedigo's briefing officer the day before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.
--GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
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