This painting, by aviation artist Mark Postlethwaite, based on World War 2, illustrates an actual air battle; Focke Wulf Fw 190D-9 of 14/JG26 flown by Ofw. Werner Zech is intercepted by a P-51 Mustang of the 339th FG flown by Captain Francis R. Gerard, 18th March 1945. Frank Gerard was one of our flying aces, shooting down four enemy aircraft from his Mustang in one battle over Leipzig, Germany. The retired Major General passed away this week (November 2008) and will be buried tomorrow with full military honors.
reprinted from November of 2011
My uncle by marriage served with the 3rd army, demolishion. He told me he blew stuff up, mostly bridges. He had photos he took of hundreds of bodies along the road, these were apparently concentration camp prisoners forced to mach ahead of the advancing troops. He was a very young man from West Virginia and it was clear these experience were very present and always would be as long as he lived. He returned home and married to my mother;s sister. A very successful corporate man, but no doubt the war was and is always with him. He turns ninety something in a few weeks and I will travel to PGH to celebrate the day with him. A reluctant hero, he told me while walking up the gang plank of the troop ship to England he looked back and wondered if he'd ever return. He was sick with depression over it. He did his duty and survived. One of the many who understood there are circumstances that trivialize our own lives and merit sacrifice.
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