Saw it on the history channel...

[Thick 'N Hearty]

just a little tidbit that I never knew about Landry. This had to be prior to his football playing days, but the History Channel said Landry was a B-17 pilot during WWII and flew more than 30 combat missions over Germany. I didn't think I could respect the man any more than I do now, but for some reason, it jumped up a notch. Those who serve our country like Hennings, Staubach and Landry are way up there on my list of favorite Cowboys. I'm sure there are others, but these come to mind first.

 

[Royal Laegotti]

I heard a story that one of those mission Landry flew he got shot down, but stayed calm and landed the plane safely, truely awesom. I guess that explains why he was always so calm on the sidelines, if crash landing didnt rattle him nothing in football would. I'm proud Landry, Roger, and Hennings were Cowboys.

 

[marchetta]

Yeah, I saw that episode a year or two ago. I belive they said the mortality rate of pilots was 12 missions. Wow, God/luck/skill was on his side.

 

[austintodallas]

Tom Landry

 

[scottyb]

If you want to know more about Tom Laundry read "the Legend and the Legacy" by Bob St John...excellent book. All about Tom and the Cowboys.

 

[Hostile]

just a little tidbit that I never knew about Landry. This had to be prior to his football playing days, but the History Channel said Landry was a B-17 pilot during WWII and flew more than 30 combat missions over Germany. I didn't think I could respect the man any more than I do now, but for some reason, it jumped up a notch. Those who serve our country like Hennings, Staubach and Landry are way up there on my list of favorite Cowboys. I'm sure there are others, but these come to mind first.

I've seen that episode and I agree, it adds to the man's aura.

He was in the 8th Air Force.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

Yeah, I saw that episode a year or two ago. I belive they said the mortality rate of pilots was 12 missions. Wow, God/luck/skill was on his side.

Yeah. I think they said 2 out of every 3 crewmembers on B-17s were killed. I guess these guys who served saw what real hardships were like and looked at football as one of the simple things in life. Don't know if Staubach saw combat action, but Hennings was an A-10 pilot during Desert Storm.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Yeah, I saw that episode a year or two ago. I belive they said the mortality rate of pilots was 12 missions. Wow, God/luck/skill was on his side.

yep, the Army Air Force extended the # of missions before leave was granted to something like 35

or was it 27? I can't remember, but there weren't many who completed that many missions

another famous person who flew in the 8th Air Force was actor Jimmy Stewart, I think he too flew 30 missions, or 20, and was usually the lead pilot

 

[Hostile]

Yeah. I think they said 2 out of every 3 crewmembers on B-17s were killed. I guess these guys who served saw what real hardships were like and looked at football as one of the simple things in life. Don't know if Staubach saw combat action, but Hennings was an A-10 pilot during Desert Storm.

Roger was a Supply Officer.

 

[Thick 'N Hearty]

yep, the Army Air Force extended the # of missions before leave was granted to something like 35

or was it 27? I can't remember, but there weren't many who completed that many missions

another famous person who flew in the 8th Air Force was actor Jimmy Stewart, I think he too flew 30 missions, or 20, and was usually the lead pilot

Stewart went on to be a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserves.

 

[Hostile]

yep, the Army Air Force extended the # of missions before leave was granted to something like 35

or was it 27? I can't remember, but there weren't many who completed that many missions

another famous person who flew in the 8th Air Force was actor Jimmy Stewart, I think he too flew 30 missions, or 20, and was usually the lead plane

There were several famous comabt pilots or airmen in addition to Landry and Stewart.

Deforest Kelley
Walter Mathau
Tom Poston
Charles Bronson
Charlton Heston
Ted Williams
William Holden
William Conrad
Clark Gable
Barry Goldwater
Mario Puzo


And I am sure I am forgetting many more. Not counting guys who were combat soldiers or sailors. WWII vets are still the great generation IMO.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

WWII vets are still the great generation IMO.

it's sad that I don't know any, I feel like I'm missing out, I love reading about WWII

 

[Hostile]

it's sad that I don't know any, I feel like I'm missing out, I love reading about WWII

Oh man, you gotta meet some.

One of my neighbors, Bill, was in the Normandy invasion on D-Day and served as a foot soldier under Patton in the 3rd Army. Amazing man.

Here in Tucson I know a man who served as Patton's Aide-de-Camp and he tells the most amazing stories. He is depicted in the George C. Scott movie as "Cardman." It is very close to his real name.

I worked for a contractor here for years who was on board the USS Lexington. His stories are unreal.

In my home town there was an old cowboy who was in the Bataan Death March. He was never quite right after that.

I've yet to meet any of these WWII vets who didn't amaze me.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I would love to just sit down with Patton for 5 minutes, I can't even imagine the Bataan death march, God rest their souls

I would love to hear any WWII vet's stories, amazing stuff what most of them went through

 

[CM Duck]

didn't Bob Lilly bring it up on "America's Game" #17, or was it #16?

he talked about how great of a man Coach Landry was, and about his missions in Germany.

and he also brought up how he was hosed by Schramm when it came to his salary

 

[joseephuss]

There were several famous comabt pilots or airmen in addition to Landry and Stewart.

Deforest Kelley
Walter Mathau
Tom Poston
Charles Bronson
Charlton Heston
Ted Williams
William Holden
William Conrad
Clark Gable
Barry Goldwater
Mario Puzo


And I am sure I am forgetting many more. Not counting guys who were combat soldiers or sailors. WWII vets are still the great generation IMO.

I think Ted Williams was the wing man for John Glenn.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

I got the opportunity to take a 30 minute flight in a fully restored B-17 that's part of a traveling exhibit of 3 WWII bombers, last August here at Love Field in Dallas.

All 3 planes, the B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, and a B-25 Mitchell, are restored and maintained to the exact conditions as they were while in service.

They took 8 of us up at one time. They gave us boat seat cushions to sit on until they reached altitude, then we were free to get up and walk around.

Both side gun turret doors were then opened, a door about 6-8' square, then they positioned us where they could open the bomb bays which are about 14-16' long.

It was about an 85 degree day, but the wind was gusting that day as high as 35-40 mph, and with all those ports open, it was like a hurricane inside that beast. The conditions those guys endured flying those things over Europe at 35,000 feet in freezing temps, for hours on end, is almost superhuman.

I flew three different aircraft in my career in the Marine Corps, including the F/A-18D, but that 30 minute Flying Fortress flight is one I'll never forget.

BTW, Landry's older brother Robert, died during WWII when the B-17 bomber he was in disappeared over the Atlantic in route to England.

 

[jwhardin]

My Dad, who passed away 17 Jul 2003, fought in the Pacific in WWII, in the Korean War and done two tours in Vietnam. Another person I had great respect for was John Walton of the Wal-mart Waltons, He was SF medic in my unit in Vietnam(SOG)

 

[YosemiteSam]

I don't think anyone deserves to have a highway named after him just because he was a NFL head coach, but there is no question that Tom Landry as a person deserved it. (The stretch of I30 between Dallas and Fort Worth is the Tom Landry Freeway for those that don't know)

 

[Hostile]

I got the opportunity to take a 30 minute flight in a fully restored B-17 that's part of a traveling exhibit of 3 WWII bombers, last August here at Love Field in Dallas.

All 3 planes, the B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, and a B-25 Mitchell, are restored and maintained to the exact conditions as they were while in service.

They took 8 of us up at one time. They gave us boat seat cushions to sit on until they reached altitude, then we were free to get up and walk around.

Both side gun turret doors were then opened, a door about 6-8' square, then they positioned us where they could open the bomb bays which are about 14-16' long.

It was about an 85 degree day, but the wind was gusting that day as high as 35-40 mph, and with all those ports open, it was like a hurricane inside that beast. The conditions those guys endured flying those things over Europe at 35,000 feet in freezing temps, for hours on end, is almost superhuman.

I flew three different aircraft in my career in the Marine Corps, including the F/A-18D, but that 30 minute Flying Fortress flight is one I'll never forget.

BTW, Landry's older brother Robert, died during WWII when the B-17 bomber he was in disappeared over the Atlantic in route to England.

Cool story. You know it had to be beyond freezing up that high with those planes open like that.