Col. Robert Morgan - The Memphis Belle

In October 2003, I went to the airshow here in Houston. I wish I could go every year, but for some reason or another, I had missed out a few years. I had gone in 1999 or 2000, but missed out in 2001, and again in 2002. 2003, I decided I would go. There was a tent there with some veterans who had served in World War II. I didn't know at the time until I did some extra reading at the tent that Col. Morgan was the Pilot of the Memphis Belle, the first bomber in the European theater to survive 25 missions. You might think, well, big deal.

Actually, it was. The survival rate of bombers then was so low. In the first three months of American air combat in Europe, 80% of the bombers were shot down. For every ten bombers that left the airfield that day,... your comrades.... only two planes would make it back. The generals then declared that the first to survive 25 missions would be allowed to go home. In fact, Col. Morgan never lost a crewmember either.

They did a movie on the Memphis Belle, which featured Harry Connick, Jr.
Nice movie, but I was like, what the fuck, when they changed the names of the pilot and crew, and made the 'final mission' worse than it really was. Hollywood took its creative licenses and ran with it. Anyway, Col. Morgan was really nice when I met with him. He chatted a bit, and then signed my picture... and as you can see, gave a thumbs up for this picture. He passed away on May 15, 2004.