ONE MORE THRILL FOR WWII'S FLYBOYS.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
The last time Steve Politis went up in a B-17 bomber, he came down in a parachute. That was 60 years ago this month when his plane was shot down during World War II over Croatia. ``John Wayne bails out and lands in the arms of a beautiful woman,'' says the 87-year-old ex-radar man who lives in Tarzana. ``I bail out and land in a tree, bleeding. ``The local underground hid us for four days, then took us in a fishing boat to a little island offshore where we were reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with our troops at a landing strip we had there.'' Thursday, Politis gets a chance to rewrite re·write v. re·wrote , re·writ·ten , re·writ·ing, re·writes v.tr. 1. To write again, especially in a different or improved form; revise. 2. the ending of his last B-17 flight when he and a handful of other Army Air Forces servicemen who flew missions in the historic bomber during wartime will be going up one more time. A vintage B-17 bomber traveling the country on a Salute to Veterans national tour will be stopping at Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. this weekend for the public to tour. Flights will also be available. Before it's opened to the public, though, some of the men who were members of B-17 crews during wartime will get a chance to fly in it Thursday. ``It's going to bring back a lot of memories,'' says 80-year-old Dan Holland of Woodland Hills, who was a navigator on more than 35 missions over Germany during World War II. ``There was nothing more thrilling than rolling down rolling down The liquidation of an option position by an investor at the same time that he or she takes an essentially identical position with a lower strike price. the runway in one of those babies fully loaded down with bombs and fuel, wondering if it was ever going to get off the ground.'' Both men had laid their B-17 memories to rest in scrapbooks for the past five decades until Ruth Mutti walked into Wendy's restaurant in West Hills a few weeks ago. Mutti's a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association's Van Nuys chapter, which is hosting the local B-17 visit. She was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a group of ex-military pilots and flight crews who call themselves ``Wings Over Wendy's.'' Every week, about 40 members meet at the restaurant for lunch and comradeship com·rade n. 1. A person who shares one's interests or activities; a friend or companion. 2. often Comrade A fellow member of a group, especially a fellow member of the Communist Party. . ``I wanted to let them know the B-17 was coming into town for one of its rare visits, and they were welcome to come and see it,'' Mutti said. ``After the meeting, I met Dan and Steve, and they told me about their experiences flying in the B-17's during World War II. They were both so humble and sweet.'' How about giving it one more try, Ruth asked them? Without the bombs, this time. Both men looked at each other and said ``why not?'' How many guys in their 80s get to relive re·live v. re·lived, re·liv·ing, re·lives v.tr. To undergo or experience again, especially in the imagination. v.intr. To live again. some of the most exciting times of their 20s? Not many, they figured. This is one of the great things about these traveling military history tours. They're unique opportunities for the families of World War II vets - who are dying off at an average 1,200 a day - a chance to provide a loved one with some priceless price·less adj. 1. Of inestimable worth; invaluable. 2. Highly amusing, absurd, or odd: a priceless remark. memories of when they were young, and went off to war to serve and help save this country 60 years ago. But it's a tough financial fight for EAA EAA Experimental Aircraft Association EAA European Aluminium Association (Brussels, Belgium) EAA European Acoustics Association EAA Export Administration Act EAA Everglades Agricultural Area EAA European Association of Archaeologists to keep these vintage aircraft flying because of high maintenance and fuel costs. So it's important for communities all over the country to support them when they visit now, or lose them in the future. Flights take place every 45 minutes beginning at 10:15 a.m. Friday with the event running through Sunday. For more information on purchasing a flight, visit www.b17.org or call toll-free (800) 359-6217. Ground tours are available each day when the plane is not flying, and in midafternoon after the final flight of the day. Tours are $10 for a family, $6 for adults and $5 for students, with no charge for accompanied children under 8. World War II vets are free. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: WWII WWII abbr. World War II WWII World War Two veterans Steve Politis, a former B-17 pilot, left, and Dan Holland, former navigator, talk about their experiences in front of a restored B-25 at Van Nuys Airport. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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