The Stories of Those Flying EAA's B-17 Aluminum Overcast
The B-17G has a remarkable story. One filled with daring missions and personal sacrifice. More than just an airplane, the B-17 is living history that holds a remarkable connection to the past and is the most iconic image of World War II. These are stories of those who have or will come aboard EAA's Aluminum Overcast in 2016.
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Recently EAA’s B-17 made a stop just outside of Tucson, Arizona, in the town of Marana. While there, we were able to connect with Col. Richard Bushong, who had an amazing career during World War II as a B-17 pilot in the 390th Bomb Group. He flew all of his 25 missions before turning 21, including flying one of the 775 B-17s that struck the first blow on Berlin on March 6, 1944. But his combat experience did not end there. He went on to fly F-4 Phantoms in the skies over Vietnam, and before retiring from the military with 32 years of service, he flew a total of 41 types of military aircraft, including the B-24, B-25, B-26, B-29, and many jet aircraft. He is now a docent at the Pima Air Museum in the 390th Bomb Group building, which houses a restored B-17 named I’ll Be Around. -
12/15/16 - Those who are familiar with B-17s will likely recognize the name of one particular example of the type: Memphis Belle. The Memphis Belle flew 25 combat missions, was the subject of two films, and is now undergoing a full restoration by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Recently, EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast was able to give a flight to Linda Morgan, wife of the late Col. Robert Morgan, who piloted the Belle. Her flight was a special one. “At some point tonight I’ll lay down to go to bed and say a few words to Bob,” she said. “I’ll tell him, ‘Well, Bob, I got to go up and fly a Fortress today.’” The famed bomber was flown by Morgan and his crew over enemy territory during World War II. Their missions took place in a particularly difficult time period when escort fighters capable of going all of the way to the target and back were not available. “The German fighters knew when the escorts would turn around and wait until then to attack,” Linda said. “It’s a miracle those guys made it through.” -
12/8/16 - The family of Henning F. Elsasser’s recently flew aboard EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast at a tour stop in Topeka, Kansas. Elsasser was at Hawaii’s Hickam Field air base on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor 75 years ago. He was in his bunk sleeping when a friend woke him up to relay news of the enemy planes. The pair was able to run outside just before their building was strafed and began working to get P-40s in the air. Elsasser’s parents and girlfriend were waiting for days to find out if he had survived the attack. His mother had vowed not to put up a Christmas tree until she heard of her son’s wellbeing. Slowly, the story got out that she would not celebrate Christmas without her son. Elsasser’s entire small hometown near Omaha, Nebraska, began waiting to hear of any news. Then one day the Elsasser family car was spotted in town. Tied to the top was a newly purchased Christmas tree. The whole town mobbed the car, cheering and celebrating that the family had gotten word their boy was safe. Elsasser would later serve in the 5th Bomb Group, 23rd Bomb Squadron on B-17Es in the Pacific. He was awarded a silver star for shooting down a Japanese aircraft during the Battle of Midway and was the first in his town to come home alive. When he returned home he married his girlfriend right away in the town church, where there was standing room only. -
11/10/16 - Jack Dodson recently flew on EAA’s B-17. He was a B-17 tail gunner in the 398th Bomb Group, the same squadron that is represented on Aluminum Overcast. He flew 35 missions in the tail and when asked what stands out the most about those missions he said it was the cold. “The cold was terrible,” Jack said. “I remember the worst mission ever we had it down to 60 below zero. I don’t think I was ever that cold in my life. Of course you didn’t notice the cold when the flak and fighters came up.” -
10/27/2016 - During World War II our nation called upon a generation to defend our way of life. These young men and women were everyday citizens being asked to go into impossible situations. The average age of a bomber crew member was around 20 years old. Many were younger than that. They had lives and plans, but the war changed that for so many. Bob Spraight was one of those men. “I was out with some friends one night and I met a girl named Joyce,” he recalled. “She was beautiful and was just so much fun to be with. She would sing, and when she did, it was in an amazing coloratura soprano voice.” As time went on, Bob felt closer and closer to Joyce. “Her and I, along with some friends would go down to the lake and take a boat to the Lake Austin Inn.” When the war broke out, Bob joined the United States Army Air Force. After training he was assigned as a navigator on a B-17 in the 457th Bomb Group. “When I found out I was going over to Europe in a bomber assigned to the 8th Air Force, I broke it off with Joyce. I felt that a ticket to the 8th was about the same as a death certificate. I didn't think I had a chance in hell I'd make it back. I couldn’t make her go through that. It wouldn’t have been fair to her.” By the end of World War II, the 8th Air Force would lose more men than the entire Marine Corps. Bob was one of the lucky men to survive, and joined us recently on a ride in our B-17, and shared his humbling story. -
9/8/2016 - Top Turret gunner George Snook of the 445th Bomb Group was assigned to a Liberator bomber named Nine Yanks and a Jerk. Hollywood actor Jimmy Stewart was the pilot and squadron commander. Snook said Stewart never wanted any special treatment, and would shy away from the media. “At first we all thought he was going to be the Hollywood type,” Snook said. “But after he flew a few tough missions, and never cracked, we all discovered the true character of Jimmy Stewart. He cared deeply for the men of his crew and of his squadron.” This photo was taken by Snook before a mission. -
8/25/16 - Pat Patterson flew B-17s in the 388th Bomb Group. On one of his missions he was asked to carry a reporter onboard. It wasn’t until years later that he would discover that the reporter he flew was none other than Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes” fame. -
6/22/16 - In the weeks leading up the Seattle B-17 stop, a radio advertisement caught the attention of 14-year-old Hunter Sharp. Sharp heard that the B-17 Aluminum Overcast was heading to his area, which was of special interest to him because his Boy Scout Troop was lucky enough to have had Dr. Don Wood come and speak to them. Wood was a B-17 pilot during World War II and, through his speech, he had jump started Sharp’s interest in aviation and the B-17. Sharp came up with an idea: He wanted to work with his scout group, Boy Scout Troop 501, to collect donations to buy Wood a ride on the B-17. The troop all agreed and they set the plan in motion and collected enough money to buy Wood a flight. In the process of obtaining donations they had raised more than what was needed. Everyone agreed that the extra should be used to send Wood’s son on the flight as well so Wood would get to have a special flight on the B-17 with his son. The troop made giant banners to surprise him with that morning. On the day of the flight, Wood knew only that he was going to see the aircraft. As they walked up to the fence, Troop 501 unrolled a giant banner that said, “Please enjoy a flight on the B-17 Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast compliments of Troop 501 in appreciation of your service in WWII.” Wood soon had a big smile on his face knowing he would be back in the cockpit of “his” plane. The second surprise hit when another banner was unrolled explaining that Wood’s son, who knew only that his father was going to fly, would be joining him on the flight. He had to fight back tears of joy at that moment. Boy Scout Troop 501 had truly stepped up and done something special for one of their hometown heroes. From here forward, they can always be proud of their actions that day. The final surprise came when Sharp’s parents Mike and Marla unrolled a sign that let him know he too was going on the flight. Though the B-17 was built for war, it is amazing how its new mission is honoring our veterans and inspiring future generations. -
June 8, 2016 - When we think of Memorial Day we often thing of enjoying the spring weather, grilling out with friends, and enjoying an extra day off from work. We must always remember, though, to take a few minutes and pay respect to the real meaning of that day: To honor those who lost their lives for our freedom. I was asked by my friend Alex to help him research his great uncle who was a gunner on a B-17. Alex had never seen many of his wartime photos, and knew little about his time in World War II. After a little searching I was able to find what we were looking for. Like dusting off an old photo album, his name appeared: Sgt. Harold Encenrode, tail gunner, 306th Bomb Group. Then, with a little help from that bomb group association, we were able to provide a photo of the aircraft that Encenrode served on. He was assigned to B-17 42-31897. As the digging continued we discovered he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire or flak on July 20, 1944 near Vielau, Germany. He bailed out and spent the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag Luft 4. Then, beyond even my belief, we discovered a photo of the crash site taken in Germany. Being able to hand all of this over to Alex and his family made for a very special Memorial Day. One that I for sure will not likely soon forget. -
5/26/16 - We were honored to carry Col. Bud Anderson onboard the B-17 in Sacramento, California. Anderson flew two combat tours during WWII and flew the P-51 Mustang Old Crow in the famous 357th Fighter Group, 363rd Fighter Squadron. During his two combat tours he achieved 16.25 victories without ever being hit by enemy fire. He was promoted to major at the age of 22. After the war he flew as a test pilot and in Vietnam as well. We were privileged to have him fly with us. -
5/19/2016 – Wisconsin’s own Pat Finder-Stone was a nurse in the USAF during the Korean war. She treated the wounded day in and day out, but was once selected for a special mission. One that stands out for her years later. Pat was asked to accompany an infant back to the United States from Korea for a special lifesaving operation. They modified a B-17H with a special incubator for the baby to ride in. They flew the child back to the States where the surgery was successfully completed. “I have always loved to fly, but that one was special. Every time I look at the B-17 I think of that special mission.” We had the honor having Pat aboard for a flight around Green Bay. -
May 5, 2016 - We had the honor of talking with Alan Guild this week. He was a Liberator pilot in the 307th Bomb Group, 424th Squadron, The Long Rangers. ‘I arrived to our base on May 26, 1944,’ Guild said. ‘I went to sleep knowing I would have a practice mission or two before a real combat flight. The next morning, I was awakened by my squadron leader. He said ‘You are flying co-pilot with me today so get ready.’ As I got ready and went out to the plane I asked him where his co-pilot was. He replied, ‘Dead. He was killed yesterday.’ ‘The day after I flew my 10th mission, I celebrated my 21st birthday. We had a B-24 in our outfit that no one wanted to fly because the engines would run too hot. I found out by cracking the cowl flaps more that the engines would cool off. So we liked it. We had an artist paint the name Stinky on it because no one wanted it. The crew chief was not a fan of naming it that because he said it was bad luck. We told him he was just superstitious. We flew one mission in it and came back just fine. The next mission a new crew took it out on their first flight, and were rammed by a Kamikaze between the number one and number two engines. Everyone on board was killed.’ Guild would go on to fly 42 missions. He is going to fly on our B-17 Aluminum Overcast when we are in Cincinnati. -
As our B-17 flies from stop to stop, it never ceases to amaze us. The aircraft has the ability to tie generations together. Eugene Viehman was a pilot in the 401st Bomb Group based in Deenethorpe, England. His crew flew multiple different aircraft such as Be Coming Back and Chute the Works; over the span of their 28 missions they formed friendships in the back of their B-17. Viehman survived being shot down on his last mission and returned home. A few years ago, he and his son flew together on our airplane. Sadly, Viehmanhas since passed away, but a new chapter for their family is about to emerge: Viehman’s grandson will fly with us soon in the very airplane that is tied to so much of his family history. What a great way to pay respect to his grandfather and all of the heroes of World War II. -
Jim Stopulos is turning 99 on Friday, April 22, 2016. Recently he had been telling his family and friends of a special wish. He wanted to fly on the aircraft he commanded during World War II one more time: the B-17. During WWII Stopulos flew 30 missions as a pilot of the famous bomber in the 94th Bomb Group, 332nd Bomb Squadron. He flew two missions on D-Day. “When we got up in the air, there were more airplanes than I’d ever seen in my life! It almost blotted out the sun," he said. "When we got over the English Channel, it was covered with ships, it was a sight I’ll never forget.” His neighbor saw an advertisement that EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast would be taking to the skies over Davenport, Iowa, at the end of April, and placed a call to the EAA. We are proud to say that when our B-17 takes off in Iowa, Stopulos will be onboard. Upon hearing the news that he was going up again, Stopulos couldn’t believe his ears. His family was equally emotional and they plan to attend as well. -
Jim Stopulos is turning 99 on Friday, April 22, 2016. Recently he had been telling his family and friends of a special wish. He wanted to fly on the aircraft he commanded during World War II one more time: the B-17. During WWII Stopulos flew 30 missions as a pilot of the famous bomber in the 94th Bomb Group, 332nd Bomb Squadron. He flew two missions on D-Day. “When we got up in the air, there were more airplanes than I’d ever seen in my life! It almost blotted out the sun," he said. "When we got over the English Channel, it was covered with ships, it was a sight I’ll never forget.” His neighbor saw an advertisement that EAA’s B-17 Aluminum Overcast would be taking to the skies over Davenport, Iowa, at the end of April, and placed a call to the EAA. We are proud to say that when our B-17 takes off in Iowa, Stopulos will be onboard. Upon hearing the news that he was going up again, Stopulos couldn’t believe his ears. His family was equally emotional and they plan to attend as well.
Throughout the 2016 tour season, we will highlight stories in this gallery of those who ride on our B-17. All photos belong to the veterans, families, or bomb groups. Visit www.B17.org for more information on our tour or to take a flight.
