A Wing and a Prayer: Sgt. Schwartz and Lady Luck

[JOSHNAUDI]

Joker - This was my other Grandpa


https://www.cleburnetimesreview.com...cle_ab4bb39e-c06e-52d7-86fd-9ce18e6c962a.html

<header class="asset-header" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A wing and a prayer: Sgt. Schwartz and Lady Luck

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• <time datetime="2009-05-25T09:26:00-05:00" class="tnt-date asset-date text-muted" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(119, 119, 119);">May 25, 2009</time>

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</header>A conversation with a friend turned to the last months of World War II.

As he described his last mission over Germany as a B-17 tail gunner, he kept me on the edge of my seat with a story I have never forgotten.

His recalling those claustrophobic moments in that tiny compartment, unprotected from the lead that poured from the guns of attacking German fighter planes, gave me a profound sense of airmen?s endless courage and dedication to duty.

Though my old friend is now gone, I know this nation is blessed for him and those like him having been here.

Eugene Schwartz was another such airman who came to freedom?s rescue.

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Fifty-caliber gun barrels blistered from the heat, firing continuously while building a lead wall of defense against the crisscrossing enemy fighters.

No longer was there time to shiver from the chilling altitude or reflect on home, folks or the girl left behind.

Smoldering brass was already inches deep around their ankles as spent shell casings continued to spill from the guns? ejectors.

Indifferent to the projectiles passing through the plane?s fuselage, the gunners in their cumbersome flak aprons strained to focus through their goggles and align their sights on rapidly approaching enemy aircraft.

This was a common scenario in the everyday lives of American airmen aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress during World War II.

No evasive action could be taken. Only the ship?s rapid fire from its numerous guns might grant them passage.

They did not always return.

Chances were five to one against a bomber crewman surviving the 25 missions he signed on to fly during 1943.

This did not stop men such as Vernon Eugene Schwartz from boarding the planes bent on stopping Hitler.

Schwartz was born in Bethany, Ill., on Jan. 11, 1920.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on Nov. 13, 1941, less than a month before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

After extensive training, he was assigned to the 8th Air Force?s 303rd Bombardment Group (H), 360th Bombardment Squadron (H), and stationed at Molesworth Air Base, north of London.

The group was known as Hell?s Angels.



High out of reach

The planes bounced and pitched with each jolt from dangerously close explosions of anti-aircraft rounds splattering them with shrapnel.

This time the flak became so intense the pilots were left with no choice but to seek higher altitudes to escape the range of ground guns.

The planes steadily climbed to 27,000 feet before leveling off.

Even with the heavy alpaca coats and pants and sheepskin flying boots, the below-zero temperature was unbearable.

Beyond the radio compartment, it was like flying in an open cockpit biplane.

The bomb bay doors were located between the radio compartment and the flight cabin, which further added discomfort to the radioman and gunner.

For most of the trip, Schwartz sat at a small table, facing forward, his radio staring him in the face.

Once besieged by enemy fighters, his secondary duty called on him to man a retractable, handheld, 50 caliber machine gun mounted in an overhead portal.

Inflatable Mae West life jackets were worn, along with a parachute harness.

But the chutes themselves were detached during flight because of the confining size of the compartments.

G.I. boots were carried in case the plane went down, and the parachutes were necessary.

Schwartz always had these two things with him ? his boots in case they had to bail out and his lucky leather jacket so they wouldn?t have to bail out. It seemed to work.

Schwartz discovered the hazards to high altitude flying on his first mission over Germany.

His oxygen-bottle breathing apparatus malfunctioned in the excessively cold temperatures and lack of adequate oxygen at those altitudes was deadly.

Schwartz blacked out and sprawled along the radio compartment floor.

Fortunately, the plane resumed a lower cruising altitude after passing through the flak fields, and he was revived.

?Lady Luck,? the name the crew gave the plane, brought them home in one piece, and the sergeant?s first mission, though a rugged success was just a mild taste of the terror ahead that year.



Limping home

On his 30th mission, which took them on a bomb run to St. Nazaire on the coast of northwestern France, Schwartz?s plane was shot to pieces, with both wings severely damaged and control cables severed.

But she returned Schwartz and the rest of her crew safely to Molesworth, to mechanics who not only couldn?t understand how she arrived home, but adamantly declared she would never see duty again.

They couldn?t keep the ol? girl down, and within two months, she was battle worthy and back in the air.

Lady Luck?s crew would return to France and once again hit submarine bases at Lorient on May 17, 1943, and St. Nazaire on May 29, 1943.

Dorothy Schwartz, Gene?s wife, said that after one mission, Lady Luck came home with 110 bullet holes.

On June 25, 1943, Lady Luck flew to Hamburg, a city of about 2 million, which had faced certain tragedy as a prime target.

Schwartz was flying his 23rd mission as an air raid of massive proportions took place in northwest Germany.

American bombers battled their way through Luftwaffe fighters, anti-aircraft flak and poor weather conditions to reach their targets.

Several of the enemy planes were shot down, but 18 U.S. bombers did not return from the mission, the Cleburne Times-Review reported.

As Lady Luck would have it, her namesake did.

Missions later, she again danced through the fields of flak.

Shrapnel from gun emplacements near the target in German-occupied France ripped away the plane?s tires.

When they returned home, the plane?s crew was forced to crash land, unable to reach the airfield at Molesworth.

The plane?s landing gear could not be dropped, and a belly landing was necessary.

The pilot and co-pilot fought to control the plane as it plowed through English soil before coming to a rest.

In an instant the doors flew open, and the crew scrambled quickly exit the aircraft, fearing a possible fiery explosion of remaining fuel.

Realizing he still wore his cumbersome flight boots, Schwartz defied the odds and returned to the plane to retrieve his G.I. boots and a flare gun to disclose the crew?s position in hopes of securing a ride back to the base.

Dorothy Schwartz said Gene praised his pilot?s flying expertise, having saved his crew on many occasions.



Courageous moments

On one mission, Schwartz received word that a bomb was lodged in the bomb bay and did not release over the target.

All the bombs were manually armed before reaching the target, and once armed, could not be disarmed.

The bomb had to go, and he was closest to the troubled area.

He quickly opened the hatch and entered the bomb bay to reach the narrow catwalk beam that straddled the bomb racks.

The bomb had to be dislodged while over the water to keep from endangering anyone on the ground if the plane exploded.

With no parachute or lifelines, he walked the slippery steel beam and dropped into the open bomb racks, the strong wind blowing into his face.

Then, according to grandson Mike Percefield, he kicked at the hull of the high explosive repeatedly in an attempt to release it from the aircraft?s belly.

With each jolt, the possibility of the plane?s destruction increased.

As the shores of England drew closer, the activated bomb broke away and fell to the depths of the English Channel.

Percefield said that because of his grandfather?s courageous actions, Schwartz was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

He also held the Air Medal with three oak clusters, indicating the award had been received three additional times during his combat service.



In the years after

Schwartz completed his 25 missions and was reassigned to Bergstrom Air Force Base as an instructor.

He was discharged from service at Fort Sam Houston on Sept. 4, 1945.

He and Dorothy met after the war in Austin where Gene was a federal employee.

They were married and after a time moved to Illinois where Gene had grown up. Dorothy recalled wearing Gene?s fleece lined flying boots, having no automobile at the time, and how warm they were as she walked to town.

They had three children before moving back to Texas, this time to Fort Worth.

Later, he was transferred to Austin, where he retired.

They moved to Dorothy?s hometown in Hayes County in 1978.

They moved to Alvarado in 1990, and Gene passed away on March 16, 2000.

Vernon Eugene Schwartz was recognized and awarded a Distinguished Service Award by the 303rd Bomb Group (H) Association.

During his last years he, along with family members, visited a museum located at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, where he climbed into the restored Boeing B-17, ?Chuckie,? and once more sat in a radioman?s seat.

As they entered one of the exhibit areas, the song ?Sentimental Journey? played in the background.

When asked what he feared most during the war, he said it was being shot down.

?That was one of my biggest fears, getting? shot down and becomin? a prisoner of war. Gettin? killed, that didn?t worry ya,? he said.

He had heard of the horrors of concentration camps.

His wife said he was reluctant to speak of his wartime experiences until his later years.

Moving onto the next room, they couldn?t help but notice the large B-17 replica hanging from the ceiling.

To everyone?s surprise and delight, imprinted across the nose portion of the forward fuselage was the name ?Lady Luck.? It was a model of Eugene?s old plane.

Lady Luck?s flight log some what typified the accounting of the crippled bomber trying to make it home as described in the song ?On A Wing And A Prayer? written in 1943 by two patriotic song writers, Harold Adamson and Jimmie McHugh.

Although Schwartz returned, many didn?t. Some he knew. One was a close friend.

Because of the gallant actions by Schwartz, his crew and thousands of servicemen and women during World War II, freedom and democracy continues to flourish. Their memory is honored each morning as people make their way to church, school and work, no longer in fear of a tyrant?s ambitions. And the world is a better place because of 10 men who could always depend on each other and Lady Luck.

Our heartfelt, deepest appreciation is acknowledged as we honor those throughout history who have courageously fought and those who sacrificed their lives, in defense of freedom.



Sources:

Cleburne Times-Review

Video taped interview of V. E. Schwartz by Mike Percefield

?Fortress Raids? by James R. Scott, Herald-Review, Bethany, Ill.

?Masters Of The Air? by Donald L. Miller

Interviews of Dorothy Schwartz and Michael Percefield

 

[Old School]

WOW!!!..What a great read and better man.

 

[Cie]

Awesomeness!!

 

[yyz]

Another great story!

 

[MadJack]

good stuff.

 

[The Joker]

At least he didn't fall out of the guard tower.

Good read. :0074

 

[JOSHNAUDI]

At least he didn't fall out of the guard tower.

Good read. :0074

I had a 3rd Grandpa - Fisherman

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[The Joker]

I had a 3rd Grandpa - Fisherman

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xO60RohuARY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Holy shit! That's my grandpa too. He used to call me a half-assed astronaut.

 

[no pepper]

Great post man. Today's young men are so different. Internet softened agoraphobics. Maybe you need a cruel force to rally against, like nazis. Alas we are stuck with discourse on the President's farts.

I wonder what happened to the lucky leather jacket. I hope it's still in the family.

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Box and one]

Nice story I loved hearing all my fathers World War 2 stories He was in General Carks 5th Army and involved in the invasion of North Africa,Sicily and Italy. He was in AMG allied military government..and as the German retreated he was in charge of entering Italian villages arresting the facist and restoring a government and law and order ...

 

[JOSHNAUDI]

Nice story I loved hearing all my fathers World War 2 stories He was in General Carks 5th Army and involved in the invasion of North Africa,Sicily and Italy. He was in AMG allied military government..and as the German retreated he was in charge of entering Italian villages arresting the facist and restoring a government and law and order ...

Such a good story box - I'll paste it below



Originally posted by Box


On June 6th 1944 most of us are familiar with the invasion of Normandy during World War II. Books, new movies etc have told story of the invasion. But my father who was an administrative officer in Gen Clarks 5th army entered and liberated Rome the day before, June 5th .

I have told this story here before ... My father was born in Abuzz, Italy in 1909. At the age of 4 or 5 his parents left Italy and came to America.. They moved to an Italian section of the Bronx called Arthur Ave. This section today is still called ' little Italy".

His father[my grandfather served with the US Army in World War 1 but didn't go overseas ..he washed uniforms and pressed army clothes in New Jersey in 1917-18 ...he died of a heart attack when he was just under 50..

My father went to elementary school in the Bronx and attended Teddy Roosevelt HS and graduated in 1932.. he was No 1 in his class and was offered 2 scholarships ..Ford ham University which was across the street from his building where he lived and Manhattan College across town in the Bronx. When Ford ham reneged on the full scholarship and gave it to the No 2 in his class, an Irishmen, the Italian community organized... Bishop Perricone the archbishop of the Bronx got involved and although my father always denied it ..yet my mother said it was true " The Italian American Club[sometimes known as the mafia} put some pressure on the President of Ford ham ...and they offered him the scholar ship ..but I guess my grandfather was stubborn and my father ended up at Manhattan College with a major in Language Education in teaching Spanish and Italian .. He graduated in 1936 and taught Italian at his HS Teddy Roosevelt

In 1942 he was drafted and became an officer ..he was assigned to gen Clarks 5th Army as an AMG officer.. {allied military government} He went to North Africa and then was a part of the invasion of Sicily ....as the Germans retreated my father would go into Italian towns and restore democracy, arrest the fascist ..and create a small governing body ...feed the people and then move on to another city...

One of the AMG officers he served with was followed by a writer who wrote a book in 1946 that won the Pulitzer prize " A Bell for Adano " by John Hersey..my father said he was a lot like him but very romanized ..

After Sicily, they crossed the straits of Messing to mainland italy.. Malaria.. It was there my father hooked up with all my mothers 1st cousins and aunts and uncles .. I'm sure some things fell off the US Army trucks as he gave them needed food and help. And also he met Bishop Periscope family and hooked them up too.

Amazing how things come back in life .. My father was stationed in Naples for almost a year..doing investigative work and weeding out the Italians that backed Mussolini and Hitler... as the war in italy moved north, he was put on a bus and sent just outside of Rome ..it was a few days before June 5th ..he was assigned to sit in a jeep and became part of the parade of Gen Clarks liberation of Rome ..he was in the 11th jeep in between 20 tanks and troop trucks , it was like the Macy's day parade or St Patricks parade all show,1,000 and 1,000 Italians cheered as the caravan moved on Gen Clark was being driven in by non Roman italians, and they were supposed to go to the Victor Emanuel monument where Mussolini gave his speeches ..

The mayor of rome and all the dignitaries were waiting but there was a problem they made a wrong turn and were going away from the Emanuel plaza.. The parade had to stop and ask a guy watching the parade on a bike : which way to go " he told them make a left and go 3 blocks..you will run right into it "

Imagine, Clark is the 1st conqueror to capture Rome since Attila the Hun, and he is lost... Can't make this up ...

Anyway Rome is captured and Clark is a hero with newspapers and movies high reels spreading all over the world but in about 8 hours after capturing Rome the biggest invasion that has ever occurred is about to hit the Normandy beaches Studs Turkic the great writer says it best " headlines for a day and back pages for a lifetime "

My father spent that night at the Nord Roma Hotel a 4 star hotel near the train station.. It wasn't until a few hours later in the morning that they heard about Normandy and D-Day.. The next day my father became a lead investigator in the Argentine Cave Massacre where 300 Italians were shot and killed and buried just outside of Rome .. The Italian partisans in March had killed 30 SS German troops marching in downtown rome with a bomb Hitler ordered 10 people shot for every German killed ..many Italians were involved in capturing these innocent 300 and helping the Germans as collaborators ..my father did the investgative work and some of these collaborators were put before Italian firing squads

Anyway June 5th had a different meaning for me ,and then 37 years ago my son is born on June 5th going over tonight here in Austin for a drive by honking horn parade.. a little different from the one my father was in but think he is looking down here with a smile. Ssorry for all the mispelling and run on sentences


I remember my father saying the story is not true ..there is no major popolito and the highest ranking officer would be a captain in the AMG.. he hated the actor John Hodiack as the lead the Italian blonde was miscast..The writer followed this AMG officer thru 2 or 3 towns and then romantized the story.. there was a US destroyer that donated its bell to a town and that gave Hersey the idea for his book...
I remember my father saying once they entered a city they would go to the priest and find the baker ..the priest would kinda hint who were the nazi collabrators and they would be arrested..then the baker was asked what do you need for your bread and pasta. most of the US trucks had tons of flour .everyone wanted to be friends with the Americans even though many were fascist and followed Mussolini ..my father would see if any nuns were around.. they also had good information ..

its kinda funny ..but my father never fired his pistol ,never encountered any Germans or was in range of artillery or snipers...he had his opionions ...

Patton was not well liked by his men

Clark disobeyed orders not to take Rome but by pass it and out flank Kesserling and trap the entire German Army this was true most historians acknowledge ..

PIUS X11 did not help the Jews enough in Italy...that is still being debated today

Anzio and Rapido river battles were major blunders by the Americans

Gen Clark was a pompous tall skinny ass leader not liked by anybody..American high command staff made mistakes after mistakes in Italy..

Cassino was finally taken by the Poles not the US half of Poland is buried there,
he hated the red cross ..think they charged for coffee and cigerettes ... and something I will always remember when you shave and put the shaving cream on your face the lather is not softning the wiskers the shaving cream is only telling you where you shaved...damn that makes sense I think

(Audio Only) A Bell for Adano - https://youtu.be/ipI16BVB97w

(Video) A Bell for Adano - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuasTFWfC1E



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