Comments on: “When I got out of that plane, I kissed the ground.” /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/ Honoring the men and women who served so bravely in our Armed Forces Sat, 30 Mar 2024 22:10:04 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 By: Cody Patters /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-10015 Sat, 30 Mar 2024 22:10:04 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-10015 I am current 493rd in England and would love to hear more. Would it be possible to get into contact?

]]> By: Edwin Cottrell /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-4952 Wed, 31 May 2023 14:23:44 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-4952 In reply to John Masters.

John Clay was a very good friend of mine. We were roommate at St Trond Belgium

]]> By: John Masters /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-3134 Fri, 23 Sep 2022 23:49:57 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-3134 In reply to Ed Cottrell.

Sadly, John clay passed away August 7th, 2021. I’m sure he would have liked to have been in contact with you. He spoke fondly of his times flying p-47s. He described how the Germans used smoke to confuse Pilots and how he attacked armored units with the 50 caliber machine guns by ricocheting the Slugs into the engine compartments. He was a fascinating man and I miss him

]]> By: Bruce Hunt /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-2107 Thu, 12 May 2022 18:27:03 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-2107 Doc
Great to see that you are doing well and to finally hear about your service in ww11.All of your ex students and golf team members couldn’t of had a better role model than you. Thanks for your service and for you being there in my life.

]]> By: Ed Cottrell /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-1663 Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:01:55 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-1663 In reply to John Masters.

John Clay was in my squadron 493rd and was my roommate at St.Trond Belgium

]]> By: Ed Cottrell /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-1603 Sun, 10 Oct 2021 15:13:29 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-1603 In reply to John Masters.

John Clay and I graduated from Luke Field Class 44D. We were very good friends.He was in the 493rd squadron with me.. Were roommates

]]> By: Esther Sprinkle /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-1601 Sat, 09 Oct 2021 02:29:40 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-1601 Mr. Cotrell,
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It means more to me than I can say, for two reasons especially. The first is that your former roommate and good friend, Ted Smith, was my uncle. Though I never knew him, as I was born in Dec. of 1945, my mother his older sister loved him dearly. She talked about him all the time and I feel as though I knew him. My second reason is that you love our country. You shared how you wish we could return to the way it used to be when Americans helped one another when we were in trouble and did what was needed to make sure the US survived. I’m saddened at the state of our country (and our world) in these days. My prayer is that people will turn to God for help in this time of great need. Thank you for your service.

]]> By: Patrick Bernabé /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-1594 Wed, 29 Sep 2021 15:20:29 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-1594 Glad I met him yesterday during a visit to the Hurtgen Forrest area (Germany). I think he was a very happy man after he and the other veterans left towards Cologne.

]]> By: John Masters /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-1500 Tue, 13 Jul 2021 02:53:40 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-1500 Thank you for your service and for sharing your experience. A good friend of mine, John Clay out of Laramie Wyoming also flew 65 missions in P-47s as part of the 48th Fighter group but I am not sure which squadron. All the more important to me, however, as my father was an Army Lt with the 84th infantry, part of the 9th Army both on the northern side of the Bulge and then all the way into and through to Hanover Germany. I am sure my father often thanked those guys flying above for the support they lent to his infantry platoon.

]]> By: Sandra Newburn Maxedon /when-i-got-out-of-that-plane-i-kissed-the-ground/#comment-646 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 02:50:58 +0000 /?p=3040#comment-646 I am happy to see this photograph published. My dad is kneeling, Lt. W. E. Newburn. He was a P-47 pilot during WW2, with the 493rd.

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