October 3rd marked six years since Dad's death. He relished life and enjoyed finding a bond with those he met. This blog posting advocates we try to establish common ground with those we meet - much like Dad did.
79 years ago in October, Dad departed from the east coast of our country to traverse the Atlantic Ocean in a B-17F Flying Fortress or a bucket of bolts as an unnamed family member characterized the combat aircraft. All his combat missions manning the upper turret were flown from England, the final destination of their transatlantic flight.
Recently, I glimpsed a Broadway musical promoted here in our state. The show, Far and Away, was set in September 2001 when all incoming planes were denied entrance into the United States following the attack of 9/11 and were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, Canada. The show script dealt with the hospitality shown toward the stranded passengers by the residents of the small Canadian town. (Disclaimer: I am not promoting or recommending the musical since I have not seen it.)
As I viewed the television commercial for the musical, I
could hear Dad saying, “I’ve been right there.” It seemed appropriate to share
his experience at Gander almost eight decades ago. Dad’s recollection appeared in
his military memoirs, Okie Over Europe.
Early in the morning Fred Rabo taxied Target for Tonight off the runway at the airbase in Syracuse. Edmund’s crew was bound for Presque Isle, Maine, with a stop for refueling at Bangor, Maine. The frigid cold of mid-October in Maine had an adverse effect on the bombers the one night they stayed there. The ice that accumulated on the bombers made engine ignition difficult the next morning. The fumes of the gasoline from unsuccessful start-ups of the bombers frequently exploded in the engines momentarily igniting fires. The propellers usually quickly extinguished these negligible flames.
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| The nose of Target for Tonight with three ground crew members posing. |
Once they successfully
revved up the bombers, the 305th Bomb Group departed from the shores
of the United States bound for Gander Lake, Newfoundland. Edmund’s squadron was still the 422nd
squadron. Other squadrons on this journey to Europe were the 364th,
365th, and 366th.
Inclement weather required them to spend three days at Gander Lake
awaiting appropriate weather for traversing the Atlantic in the B-17F
bombers.
The airmen referred to the
locals at Gander Lake as “fish heads” due to fishing being the primary source
of their livelihood in that region. Edmund
and Tom Kon were selected to guard the plane because of their higher rank. They were staff sergeants, and the other
noncommissioned crewmen were only buck sergeants. The two settled in the plane each evening to
protect it from sabotage so had little opportunity to socialize with the
Newfoundlanders. What a disappointment
to Edmund who loved to meet and visit with people in whatever new locale he
found himself!
A loaf of bread and a four-pound
can of Spam were brought to the two men.
As the food was delivered to them, the statement was made, “Eat what you
want and throw the rest to the fish!”
They were both issued air mattresses for resting in the plane during
their night watches.
The lonely lapping of the
water on the rough Canadian coast was amplified in Edmund’s ears by the Flying
Fortress’s close proximity to those endless waves. This incessant pulsation prompted Edmund to
remark to Tom, “The sound of that water makes me lonesome for the U.S.A., and we
really haven’t even left yet.”
Even though they did not voice
their concerns, there was a slight worry about the imminent crossing of the
Atlantic Ocean in this war-readied plane.
Neither could they dismiss from their thoughts the recent briefings they
had attended relating to the combat missions that awaited them.
Beginning at 11 p.m., seventeen airplanes took off from Gander Lake at five-minute intervals. Target for Tonight had ten crewmen and one dog. Salvo, the red cocker spaniel belonging to Mike Berkewitz, was probably the most excited passenger on the flight. The little cocker always enjoyed flying… After eleven hours and thirty minutes of flying, Target for Tonight approached Prestwick, Scotland, to land and refuel before proceeding to their final destination.
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| Mike Berkewitz and Salvo, the little red cocker spaniel |
Dad had a knack for connecting with new people he met. He often turned
to Mother upon meeting someone and said, “It’s a small world!” Just as he would
have remarked about a connection with the setting for the musical, he found a
commonality with most people or even things that crossed his path.
Paul told the church at Philippi in his prison letter to
them, in chapter 2, verse 4, Let each of you look not only to his own
interests, but also to the interests of others. We listen and seek to find
a point of agreement.
Jesus did this with a teacher of the law in Mark 12:28-35. After their discussion, Jesus responded to the Jewish teacher with these words, You are not far from the kingdom. Even though most of the teachers of the law looked for every opportunity to trap Jesus, He listened to the words that revealed the heart of this man. Interacting with others objectively prepares the soil of their hearts for when we share who Jesus is and what He desires to do in their lives.
Counter to my personality, I often interact with someone with no apparent similarities to me. Paul's words in I Corinthians 9:22 from The Living Bible propel me to seek to work with the Holy Spirit's work in people's hearts. May others find guidance from this verse, too.
... Whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.
A link Concerning Dad's Desire for Connections:https://bernadeanjgates.blogspot.com/2017/09/my-dads-connection-with-hurricane-irma.html
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