ArtKramr
March 7th 04, 10:03 PM
After 58 years, this still burns my ass
We were coming home from a mission. After bombs away Griego in the tail
reported we had one bomb hung up in the bomb bay. It was hanging by the front
shackle, the arming wire had been pulled out and the impeller was spinning. We
had a live bomb in out bomb bay swinging back and forth with the bomb bay doors
open and the slipstream jerking that live bomb around against the bomb bay
racks.
Griego, our tail gunner, said "I'll get it sir". Griego had no idea how to
trigger a bomb out of the bomb bays. But he was a tough little guy who would
volunteer for anything anytime no matter what. I told him to stay in the tail.
I would get it. As the bombardier it was my job.
But we had a replacement armament gunner stationed in the top turret near the
bomb bays. He could have been in there in seconds and had that bomb out in a
few more seconds, but he sat in silence. Volunteered nothing. I went back and
triggered the bomb out. We closed the bomb bay doors and went home. No problem,
But I have never forgotten that armament gunners silence at that moment. There
was Griego who would volunteer for everything, And that armament gunner in the
top turret who would volunteer for nothing even with our plane in mortal
danger. You can tell the measure of a man by how fast he steps forward to get a
dirty job done. I have never for a moment forgotten that day and little Emilio
Griego, in many ways the biggest man on our crew.
RIP Emilio old friend.
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer
We were coming home from a mission. After bombs away Griego in the tail
reported we had one bomb hung up in the bomb bay. It was hanging by the front
shackle, the arming wire had been pulled out and the impeller was spinning. We
had a live bomb in out bomb bay swinging back and forth with the bomb bay doors
open and the slipstream jerking that live bomb around against the bomb bay
racks.
Griego, our tail gunner, said "I'll get it sir". Griego had no idea how to
trigger a bomb out of the bomb bays. But he was a tough little guy who would
volunteer for anything anytime no matter what. I told him to stay in the tail.
I would get it. As the bombardier it was my job.
But we had a replacement armament gunner stationed in the top turret near the
bomb bays. He could have been in there in seconds and had that bomb out in a
few more seconds, but he sat in silence. Volunteered nothing. I went back and
triggered the bomb out. We closed the bomb bay doors and went home. No problem,
But I have never forgotten that armament gunners silence at that moment. There
was Griego who would volunteer for everything, And that armament gunner in the
top turret who would volunteer for nothing even with our plane in mortal
danger. You can tell the measure of a man by how fast he steps forward to get a
dirty job done. I have never for a moment forgotten that day and little Emilio
Griego, in many ways the biggest man on our crew.
RIP Emilio old friend.
Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer