It was Tom Brokaw who coined the phrase, "The Greatest Generation" to describe the men and women who won WWII, then went on with the business of building America.
We've all met them. They're family members, friends and neighbors. Thankfully many are still around to share their stories. But we're losing them quickly. I have several favorites, not the least of which is my late father, Flying Officer L. "Hardy" Olson who flew with the RCAF during the war. He flew Wellington Bombers and was set to transition to the Lancaster Bomber for the invasion of Japan. No one was happier than he when Paul Tibbets and the crew of the Enola Gay dropped, as my dad called it, "The Big Cookie" over Hiroshima that led to the end of the war. The most conservative efforts had the invasion costing a million Allied casualties. One mission that saved a million.
In 1996 I had a chance to meet Paul Tibbets along with fellow crew members bombardier Tom Ferebee, navigator "Dutch" Van Kirk and radio operator Richard Nelson. They autographed a poster of the Enola Gay which hangs proudly in my office. Nice guys all, no swagger or bravado, just men who stepped up and carried out the mission that ended the war. I thanked them all on behalf of my dad for what they did. Tibbets died a few years later. He rests in an unmarked grave as it was feared it would be desecrated by some crackpot nut job. Not everyone understands the price of freedom.
My father-in-law George Portz served aboard the USS Missouri and was aboard for the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Harbor. Ceremonies made possible by the Hiroshima mission. Yep, a great generation.
Some years later, I was doing PR connected with the HBO series "Band of Brothers" and met one of the real soldiers profiled in the production. Carwood Lipton served with the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles." He told me he weighed 140 pounds when he jumped behind enemy lines on D-Day carrying 160 pounds of equipment. I asked him, that if our nation was threatened again, would kids his age today step up like he did. "Absolutely," was his reply.
We shot the interview on September 10, 2001. My nephew just got back from a tour in Afghanistan serving with the 101st Airborne.
At Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, I volunteer with a gentleman named Saul Nova. Saul flew P-38's in the Pacific during WWII. (He was also qualified on the P-51 and B-25) He's 87 and sharp as a tack. A gentle and shy man. Again, no swagger, he just did his job when his country called.
This past Tuesday, I visited with Newell Moy at Centennial Airport where the EAA and Wings Museum are hosting the visit of the B-17 bomber, "Aluminum Overcast." Newell enlisted in 1939 before we got involved in the war. He later flew B-17's over Europe when we did. He's 90 and like Saul, plenty sharp. His favorite story involved him flying American POW's back home to America. His boss was Jimmy Doolittle.
A nice man, part of a great generation. An honor to meet them, an honor to get to know them and we as a nation simply can't honor them enough. Nor ever forget them. Ever.
Brian Olson
Founder/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
We've all met them. They're family members, friends and neighbors. Thankfully many are still around to share their stories. But we're losing them quickly. I have several favorites, not the least of which is my late father, Flying Officer L. "Hardy" Olson who flew with the RCAF during the war. He flew Wellington Bombers and was set to transition to the Lancaster Bomber for the invasion of Japan. No one was happier than he when Paul Tibbets and the crew of the Enola Gay dropped, as my dad called it, "The Big Cookie" over Hiroshima that led to the end of the war. The most conservative efforts had the invasion costing a million Allied casualties. One mission that saved a million.
In 1996 I had a chance to meet Paul Tibbets along with fellow crew members bombardier Tom Ferebee, navigator "Dutch" Van Kirk and radio operator Richard Nelson. They autographed a poster of the Enola Gay which hangs proudly in my office. Nice guys all, no swagger or bravado, just men who stepped up and carried out the mission that ended the war. I thanked them all on behalf of my dad for what they did. Tibbets died a few years later. He rests in an unmarked grave as it was feared it would be desecrated by some crackpot nut job. Not everyone understands the price of freedom.
My father-in-law George Portz served aboard the USS Missouri and was aboard for the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Harbor. Ceremonies made possible by the Hiroshima mission. Yep, a great generation.
Some years later, I was doing PR connected with the HBO series "Band of Brothers" and met one of the real soldiers profiled in the production. Carwood Lipton served with the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles." He told me he weighed 140 pounds when he jumped behind enemy lines on D-Day carrying 160 pounds of equipment. I asked him, that if our nation was threatened again, would kids his age today step up like he did. "Absolutely," was his reply.
We shot the interview on September 10, 2001. My nephew just got back from a tour in Afghanistan serving with the 101st Airborne.
At Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, I volunteer with a gentleman named Saul Nova. Saul flew P-38's in the Pacific during WWII. (He was also qualified on the P-51 and B-25) He's 87 and sharp as a tack. A gentle and shy man. Again, no swagger, he just did his job when his country called.
This past Tuesday, I visited with Newell Moy at Centennial Airport where the EAA and Wings Museum are hosting the visit of the B-17 bomber, "Aluminum Overcast." Newell enlisted in 1939 before we got involved in the war. He later flew B-17's over Europe when we did. He's 90 and like Saul, plenty sharp. His favorite story involved him flying American POW's back home to America. His boss was Jimmy Doolittle.
A nice man, part of a great generation. An honor to meet them, an honor to get to know them and we as a nation simply can't honor them enough. Nor ever forget them. Ever.
Brian Olson
Founder/Consultant
Conversation Starters Public Relations
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