A Small Reward for Longevity

My dear old Dad flew 29 combat missions in a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber in the European theater of operations during World War II. The man has never claimed to be a war hero. He did a job that thousands of other young men were doing. However, he played a part in the destruction of Nazi Germany and risked his life in the process. I am very proud of my father’s service. Last week, a historical society arranged for an operational B-17 heavy bomber to visit Columbus. Anyone who wanted to ride in a flying fortress could shell out $430 for a ride. I told my father that the local newspaper had quoted a local graybeard who actually had flown combat missions in the B-24 that he wished he had known there would someday be people willing to pay that kind of money to fly in a B-17 because if he had known, he would have been happy to trade places with them.

My father considered this for a moment, smiled and said, “It is good to have lived this long.”