Bomber tour honors Greatest Generation
Glenn Simms took one look at the B-17 Flying Fortress "Liberty Belle" on the landing strip at the Aurora Municipal Airport Monday and the memories from World War II came back faster than a fighter doing Mach 1.
"It's like yesterday. That's why I became so emotional," recalled the 90-year-old Plano man, who served as a ball turret gunner during the war. "I can see my crew, I can see my buddies. Those were great days. We lived only one day at a time, naturally."
Simms survived Nazi artillery and dozens of missions during the war, but many of his friends didn't. Monday, it was a bad back and a stern warning from his wife of 60 years that kept him grounded.
"I worried about him enough," said Nancy Simms.
"I tell her this is safer now than it ever was," Glenn responded.
For the Liberty Belle crew, taking World War II veterans back up in the fully restored bomber is an honor as they strive to give today's youth a taste of what the Greatest Generation endured.
The Liberty Foundation will be offering 30-minute flights from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the airport, 43W752 Route 30, Sugar Grove, as part of its national tour.
The cost is $430 per seat, all going toward aircraft maintenance and fuel costs. The bomber costs $4,500 per flight hour to operate and $1 million a year to keep air worthy.
The bomber also may be viewed as a static display from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and later in the afternoon, depending how many flights are scheduled. The foundation is asking people to donate what they can for the viewing.
Monday's flight for media members was 15 minutes and 45 seconds between lift off and landing.
Pilot John Shuttleworth said nearly 13,000 B-17s were produced for the war. About 4,300 of them were shot down.
The Liberty Belle was restored in 2005 and is on tour about 40 weeks a year to different airports across the country.
Shuttleworth only took the B-17 up about 2,500 feet Monday over farm fields in the far west suburbs, but missions during World War II were 25,000 feet above Germany and in harsh, subzero conditions.
Throw in turbulence, anti-aircraft fire, a cramped cabin and thin fuselage and each mission could easily have spelled doom for its 10-man crew.
"The bullets just sailed right through the airplane," said Shuttleworth, adding the sight of the B-17 prompts veterans to share their stories or in some cases, open up for the first time since the war.
"So many people get to benefit from their rich stories," he said.
Inside the Liberty Belle, steel cables that controlled air flaps still run up and down the cabin. Some areas, such as the bottom turret that Simms controlled and the tailgunner slot are closed off, but the Plexiglass nose was wide open, and a very popular spot during the ride.
In assorted positions, along with the rear entry door, World War II veterans signed their names in black permanent marker to commemorate their journey.
"It's a tradition we started to honor the veterans," explained crew member Sean O'Brien. "It's really humbling. It gives you a great appreciation for what they did."
For more information or to make a reservation, call (918) 340-0243 or visit libertyfoundation.org.
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