Docents Corner

Summer, 2003

Amazing

On 26th of April, Saturday, we had a couple of visitors enter the Museum. The older man, who was with his son-in-law, stated that he was a member of the 390th. I asked him what squadron he was in and he replied that he couldn’t remember.

We looked up his name, Raymond Jabara, in the book at the desk and found him listed under the 568th squadron. He was surprised that we knew that much. 

We took him up to the “J” Wall where he was again surprised to see all the signatures. We had him sign the wall carefully since his legs were quite shaky.

We then asked him if he had a crew picture and he replied that he couldn’t remember ever taking one. We looked up his name on the photo locator and found his crew picture. Now he was really impressed.

He mentioned that he was a POW. We took him to the preliminary POW exhibit where again we found him. He was now impressed and amazed. 

He then told us he was shot down on a Berlin Mission of 8 March 1944. That was the date of the diorama display where a recent crew listing was added. We found his name again, indicating he was flying in “Hells Bells”, his pilot was Paul Quillan and all the crew was POW except for the engineer, Louis LeBaron who was KIA. He was absolutely awed.

We gave him an application for membership and stated that he could get a copy of his crew picture made. They said that they would be back soon.

Brad Hayward (Saturday Docent)

Docent Receives E-Mail
E-Mail received by Kenneth Laffoon, Docent:

The day I spent with the 390th was probably the best day of my life, not just my vacation. There is a humility with WWII veterans that is unique. You live two lives, and what the world does not hear is the whining and complaining about how bad you had it, and that somehow the world owes you something. Those complaints come to the public from men and women who served in other conflicts, as though their wars were somehow harder on them.

I do believe that America owes you men and women more than we could have ever repaid over the last 60 years. When the DC memorial will be finished we do not know, but I do know that your museum is amazing. I will keep in touch, and again, thank you.
Frank Castka

Duct Tape

One of the more interesting visitors was Warren W. Wilder, who came in pushing a walker, obviously along in years. 

He started a conversation with me by saying he was an engineer , and flew 3 missions "in one of those, pointing to "I'll Be Around". He went on to say that he was attached to the 465th Service Squadron, based in Manston. But the most interesting part of his story was about duct tape. One day, a B-17 returned with a huge chunk of the leading edge of the wing between engines 1&2 missing, and the wing spar was untouched. He remembered setting aside a 2'x3'sheet of what he described as 'tin' which was big enough to fashion a 'patch'. It was formed over the wing and he used 6" duct tape to hold it in place. They wrote up the repair orders to replace the patch when time permitted. 

Some days and what turned out to be three missions later, he noticed that the duct tape patch and tin piece were still in place and holding up well. He spoke to the pilot about arranging a more permanent repair, and was told "Don't you touch that patch." We speculated that the pilot considered it lucky to fly with the patch, albeit not a regulation repair. 

Michael Nedich (Floater Docent)