Printer Friendly Page
WORLD WAR II VETERAN GETS A LIFT FROM VINTAGE
WARPLANE -- The last time Donnell Marsh was in
a B-17 bomber, a shell fired from a German
fighter plane crashed through the cockpit.
Terry Marsh, left, chats Monday
with his dad, Donnell, at Fort Collins/ Loveland Airport in front
of the B-17 they rode in from Casper. Classic planes in the "Wings
of Freedom Tour," sponsored by the nonprofit Collings Foundation,
will be at the airport through Thursday. (photo: the Post / John
Leyba) |
Story here...
http://www.denverpost.
com/headlines/ci_6285561
Story below:
-------------------------
WWII vet gets a lift from vintage warplane
By Vimal Patel
Denver Post Staff Writer
Loveland - The last time Donnell Marsh of Aurora was in a B-17 bomber, a
shell fired from a German fighter plane crashed through the cockpit,
slicing the pilot's leg and killing four of the 10 crew members.
Marsh leaped from the plane and parachuted into German hands, spending
the remaining 18 months of World War II as a prisoner.
On Monday, Marsh was a passenger in a B-17. The crew included his son
and his son's wife, and the only shots to be found were in the bars of
nearby Old Town as he landed at the Fort Collins/Loveland Airport
shortly before noon.
"Despite having lost my hearing, it was still too dang loud," the
86-year-old veteran said of his most recent ride, beaming shortly after
the flight. He noted that when he was an airman, he wore earmuffs. "But
it was peaceful (Monday). There wasn't a thought of ambush. No enemy
fighters. No flak to worry about."
Marsh and company flew from Casper on the vintage plane as part of the
"Wings of Freedom Tour" sponsored by the nonprofit Collings Foundation,
which organizes "living history" events to educate the public.
In addition to the B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator and a B-25
Mitchell landed with a roar Monday as more than 150 onlookers gathered
nearby.
"Doesn't that sound awesome?" Rob Pehkonen, Colorado coordinator of the
Collings Foundation, said as the B-24 rumbled by.
"Can you imagine the sound of 800 of them flying over England?" he said.
"It tugs at my heartstrings and makes me think of all the veterans."
Ron Hedien, 70, fondly recalled the time his dad, who used to be a B-17
pilot, sneaked him onto the plane in a duffel bag and took him for a
spin.
He flew on the bomber Monday for the first time in 58 years.
"It was nostalgic," he said. "I kind of felt my dad along with me. I
felt him over my shoulder."
The tour visits about 130 cities in 35 states annually and is a tribute
to veterans, organizers said. The planes will be on display at the Fort
Collins-Loveland Jet Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through
Thursday.
Flights on the B-17 and B-24 cost $425 a person. Rides on the B-25's
front fuselage run $400, and $325 for the plane's waist-gun section.
Terry Marsh of Frederick, Donnell's son, said he became a military
aircraft buff mostly because of the pride he felt in his dad and other
veterans.
"That generation is rapidly dying, and we're losing an awful lot of
history," he said. "It was great to be able to share this with him."
Staff writer Vimal Patel can be reached at 303-954-1638 or
vpatel@denverpost.com.
-------------------------
Larry Scott --
