The Collings Foundation flys their fully restored WWII aircraft all over the USA each year, touring the country promoting awareness of WWII history and the sacrifices of the, "Greatest Generation".
I heard they were coming into Oxnard California for a few days so I dawned my authentic U.S. Army Air Corps uniform, (Pinks and Greens), and my flight jacket, and headed down there to see these birds come in. I went with my buddy Bob Sponsel,(husband of famed realist painter, Patricia Chidlaw), He snapped this photo of me in front of the B-24 Liberatior, "Dragon and his Tail"
This plane was painted with this nose art, reproduced from photos of an actual Plane which flew Boming missions in the So.Pacific. Unfortunately, like the original plane, this nose art no longer exists. It has been painted over for preserving the aluminum bird. In fact the whole plane has been painted dark olive green and given the name, "Witchcraft".
So, I went down there to put myself and my 'Batlin' Bet' A-2 on display for the crowds, answering questions, sharing my story, and inhancing the imagination so as to help place things into context.
It was another type of performance art...
I was "Living History!".
Cool! My pop flew B-24s in the South Pacific, 5th AF, "Jolly Rogers". Still with us, he's now 92.
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