|
Dear Mike,
I type this response as I am about to depart Norwich Train Station on my way to London. This trip I have embarked on has been a life long dream of mine to visit Tibenham. The stories I have heard from not only my dad and his crew, but the other 445th members that I have had the pleasure to meet during the different reunions.
To have never known what I am about to see, but what is familiar from the countless stories is an interesting thing.
This is my first visit to England. So I have had some trepidation before the trip but everything was so as I had hoped. I arrived 4 days before the Kassel Mission Group was to convene. Those days I explored by car the Norfolk countryside, of course the first stop would be Tibenham.
Realizing a dream is powerful thing, to be at the airfield by your self with no other people around, I let myself just soak in the quite, nothing but the wind rustlings the grass. It really let me imagine all that went on, imaging the roar of all those bombers lining up for take-off. What it must of felt like the afternoon of the Kassel Mission when only 4 planes came home, the preparations that went into Operation Varsity, and the relief of VE Day.
Once the group arrived the experience really set in. Lucky for me I have meet a few of the vets before, so the normal get to know period was well past. But here are a few high lights of the group for me.
On the bus to the Cemetery at Madingly directly in front of me Bill Dewey and Ray Lemons had a conversation. Bill told of his wild ride to get back to England and land on the emergency landing strip near Dover.
At Duxford to sit right beside the B-24 on a bench and have Herb Schwartz recount his crews crash landing in France.
At the library to donate the "Combat Log" that I had prepared from my fathers log and his many photographs, as well as his crews logs. To know that it has a home that will available to all to see makes me a proud man and son.
Later that night Joe Dzenowagis, Jr. showed his film "Pride of a Nation". A film about the Kassel Mission.
It was a very moving film, but to experience the film with THESE MEN who lived it...
The church service at All Saints Church in Tibenham and the locals who turned up to support the group was truly a wonderful sight. Plus sitting in a close to a (1000) one thousand year old church is very humbling.
To follow Ray Lemons in a flight in a Piper L4 WWII spotting plane around the airbase, then land on the grass...how exciting!
To stand outside what was the operations building, with an English Bitter Ale while a P-51 tears up the runway at a few hundred feet, well for me that is pretty close to perfect.
Mike, this as you will, is my first debriefing! As I re-read what I just wrote, it really was that much fun. But what I did not tell about is the connection that a lot of the second generation kids have. Bill Dewey's daughter, Ray Lemons son and daughter and Chuck Walkers family we all get on so well it makes for a even richer experience. And the connection our English hosts have with us all. There are some very special people here in Norwich, so if you ever come, they're are our long lost relatives here to help out.
Sincerely,
Dave
|
