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OT: Masters of the Air

One of the items mentioned in the masters of the air podcast was all of the bomber crewmembers were officers. They know that largely was because they anticipated any downed airman would be treated better if captured.

Not sure of that. Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator & Bombardier yes. I think the gunners were Sgts. Of course some of them were 18, 19 years old. My uncle was 23-24 when he flew combat and was a Lt.
 
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Not sure of that. Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator & Bombardier yes. I think the gunners were Sgts. Of course some of them were 18, 19 years old. My uncle was 23-24 when he flew combat and was a Lt.
correct
 
also, 'Memphis Belle' wasn't first, it was the b17 crew of 'hells' angels' but the army said no to that one due to the name.
 
If it's accurate you won't see much of them. They were based in North Africa and Italy. Never flew a combat mission from England.
I believe this is where Hanks and Spielberg go off script from the book to get representation for minorities. The only thing I could find was there were some Tuskegee airmen in the same Stalag as some of the 100th but they were segregated. So perhaps that's how they are introduced and then their story of how they got there is told.
 
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I believe this is where Hanks and Spielberg go off script from the book to get representation for minorities. The only thing I could find was there were some Tuskegee airmen in the same Stalag as some of the 100th but they were segregated. So perhaps that's how they are introduced and then their story of how they got there is told.

Actually, I saw a show on the Red Tails and apparently some in the Stalag ended up in the same "barracks" as white pilots. But all prisoner officers were separated from enlisted. If the show shows prisoners it may be possible, but not combat missions.
 
Actually, I saw a show on the Red Tails and apparently some in the Stalag ended up in the same "barracks" as white pilots. But all prisoner officers were separated from enlisted. If the show shows prisoners it may be possible, but not combat missions.
I'm betting the prisoner angle is what they go with to get them into the story as the two groups 100th and Tuskegee never flew together.
 
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I'm betting the prisoner angle is what they go with to get them into the story as the two groups never flew together.

Oh they flew cover for white bomber groups flying out of North Africa and Italy, especially when they got their P-51 Mustangs in mid-1944. But again, not groups flying out of England.
 
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I loved band of brothers. Probably my favorite series ever as I’m a major 101st airborne history nut.
I really liked the pacific. Really showed how brutal the pacific theater was.

I really enjoyed the masters of the air book. One of my all time favorite books. I’ve been looking forward to this series for damn near a decade. It’s good. Some of the aerial combat scenes are breathtaking. I’m interested in the POW camp backstory as I’ve read several books on the Stalag Luft III and their forced March at the end of the war.

All that said. The series just isn’t as good as the others. Too dramatized and too Hollywood. Some of the voiceovers and edits are cheesy. I like it. It’s entertaining. I was hoping for more.
 
BoB was iconic and genre defining. Movies and series are all made so similarly now it’s hard to stand apart. I think MotA is caught up in that reality.
 
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I had the pleasure of taking several of Professor William Weinberg's classes while I attended grad school at RU back in the late 70s and early 80s. Professor Weinberg served with the 3rd Infantry during WWII along with Audie Murphy. I only learned of Professor Weinberg's war experiences about 15 years later when he was honored at an NLRB seminar. He was so humble and unassuming, and never once mentioned his war experiences. I am proud to have known this American hero.

https://obits.nj.com/us/obituaries/starledger/name/william-weinberg-obituary?id=15819229
That's my wife's dad and I wrote a portion of that obituary, as well as was the "host" for his "celebration of life" Memorial at Kirkpatrick Chapel when he died, as there were quite a few distinguished speakers and attendees (including Dr. McCormick, as my FiL was good friends with him and the elder Professor McCormick), as one might imagine, although I don't recall anyone from his old WWII company making it as he might've been the last surviving member.

He had some incredible stories from WWII and his days fighting with Audie Murphy and I'll always remember him saying that the reality of Murphy's heroism was even more impressive than the retold stories of it - he said he was simply fearless and somehow always survived. Will look for an old thread of mine, as I'm pretty sure I had shared a couple of his stories here. He was a hero, a great Rutgers man and a dedicated father (but not so great on the husband side, lol, as he was married three times). We appreciate your kind words about him (I mentioned your comments to my wife).

Edit: found the thread I started after he died, containing a longer more detailed version of his obituary. And the 2nd link is to a post later in the thread where I told two amazing, harrowing stories of his time during the Battle of the Bulge. He has at least 100 pages of an unfinished autobiography with many more stories. I keep wondering if one of his kids is going to try to finish it (he had 5), but if they don't, I've thought about trying to tackle it, but that's a pretty big job.

https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/ot-rip-will-weinberg.129800/

https://rutgers.forums.rivals.com/threads/ot-rip-will-weinberg.129800/post-2901745
 
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A good friend of mine, his father in law was a fighter pilot in WW2…
Never ever would talk of the war. He never met my Dad. Wish they did.
 
I loved band of brothers. Probably my favorite series ever as I’m a major 101st airborne history nut.
I really liked the pacific. Really showed how brutal the pacific theater was.

I really enjoyed the masters of the air book. One of my all time favorite books. I’ve been looking forward to this series for damn near a decade. It’s good. Some of the aerial combat scenes are breathtaking. I’m interested in the POW camp backstory as I’ve read several books on the Stalag Luft III and their forced March at the end of the war.

All that said. The series just isn’t as good as the others. Too dramatized and too Hollywood. Some of the voiceovers and edits are cheesy. I like it. It’s entertaining. I was hoping for more.
Yeah it’s more dramatized and with more side stories (Crosby’s affair with the Brit spy) than BoB and The Pacific.

Incidentally, i binge rewatched Band of Brothers last week. Incredible- just like it was when i watched it 20 yrs ago.
 
Yeah it’s more dramatized and with more side stories (Crosby’s affair with the Brit spy) than BoB and The Pacific.

Incidentally, i binge rewatched Band of Brothers last week. Incredible- just like it was when i watched it 20 yrs ago.
I’ve watched BOB 3 times and only wish my Dad had been alive to watch it with when it first came out. Though, I’m not sure he would have watched it..,
 
Yeah it’s more dramatized and with more side stories (Crosby’s affair with the Brit spy) than BoB and The Pacific.

Incidentally, i binge rewatched Band of Brothers last week. Incredible- just like it was when i watched it 20 yrs ago.

I watched BoB and The Pacific again right before the release of Masters of the Air. I have enjoyed Masters and part of that is I largely convinced myself it could not replicate what BoB accomplished.
 

Lady Be Good – Ghost Bomber Found in Sahara Perfectly Preserved​


Inspired the Twilight Zone episode "King Nine Will Not Return".

The Army Aur Force activities out of North Africa is one of the more undercivered theaters of WWII. MY
 
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