Subject: Bush Flew Fighter Jets During Vietnam
From: "ian maclure"
Date: 7/16/2004 1:06 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 16:33:48 +0000, ArtKramr wrote:

Subject: Bush Flew Fighter Jets During Vietnam
From: Jack
Date: 7/16/2004 9:22 AM Pacific Standard Time

o you consider this to be the truth of your own combat experience as
well? Care to tell us about the atrocities which you committed and which
we should, by extension, assume were common among US Soldiers, Sailors,
and Airmen in WW2?

Not a day goes by that I don't remember my bomb patterns falling in
crowded
cities that I don't wonder how many children were down there at the time.
I
never talk about that apect of the war. Kerry has a lot more courage than I
do.

The industrial paradigm of the day had the plants and living areas
interpersed within the cities. Kind of made what happened inevit-
able. Regrettable of course but given the non-precision technology
of the day unavoidable. The level of skill required to carry out
some of the pinpoint raids ( Shell House for one ) wasn't something
you could get in mass quantities. That would have reduced civilian
deaths but not eliminated them entirely.
Its not something you should dismiss lightly and if at times it
bothers you thats only to be expected. You need not however
chastise yourself for the results.

I don't think I chastise myself. It is just the persistance of memory. I did
what had to be done at the time. And I did it without reservation or regret.
But I raised three children. When they were young I would play with them, read
them stories give them hugs and kisses as a daddy does. But every now and again
as I was doing this I would think of the bomb patterns over Cologne and the
smoke and flames rising to 5,000 feet and wonder. And I am still wondering. I
guess it is the occupational hazard of all bombardiers. The bombardier on the
Enola Gay became a priest in Japan.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer