M

Mark Henderson

Well Known Member
When I was building my 12 I was sharing a hanger with my friends Mooney. It was not the best arangemnt but it was getting the job done. A gentleman in the hanger next door had a Cessna 120 that he had restored, but didn't fly much. Tom let me store my completed wings in his hanger so I could keep building around the Mooney. Tom and I became friends. I knew he was. WW II vet, but hadn't known that he flew P40's and P 47's in the Pacific from 1944 to the end of the war
Tom lost his medical and sold the 120. We became " partners" in the RV-12 so we could keep the hanger. Although he will never get another plane it is an important part of his life to have a hanger and be a part of the local pilot's association. I pay the hanger rent and we both have our stuff in it. Without his help I would still be on the waiting list for a hanger and my 12 would still be a project.
Last week I got the chance to take Tom for a flight. If you have seen the Vans ads for the RV grin, that was Tom. It was the first time he had flown in about 2 years, and he had a blast. It was great to be able to return the friendship he had shown me.
 
Mark Henderson said:
Tom and I became friends. I knew he was. WW II vet, but hadn't known that he flew P40's and P 47's in the Pacific from 1944 to the end of the war.
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Mark, thanks for paying back a small part of the debt that ALL of us owe to guys like Tom. Thank him for us when you see him again.

--Stephen and Tyson
 
This is a real cultural site!

Thanks for your example of holding to principles we all should adhere to.

A farmer friend of mine is a part owner in a Cirrus 20 and one day I chided him about red wine in a paper cup.

He said, "The only ..'culture' I have, is Agri-culture!":D

Thanks,
 
Great write up!

Please say to Tom a big THANK YOU from the aviators in Norway too!

We can NEVER pay back what Tom and his comrades in arms did for us during WWII, but please tell him that they will NEVER be forgotten...
 
This is the kind of aviation story that should be published on the front page. Thanks so much Mark for sharing your story with us and thanks so much for "paying back old debts."

Don

[ed. It was <g>. dr]
 
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My uncle, Captain Ted Dobrick was a P-40 and P-47 pilot in Europe during WWII. Two Distinguished Flying Crosses (the article below says 1 for the Battle of the Bulge), He was shot down twice, once behind enemy lines and I / we have the French underground to thank for getting him back to the friendlies (after hiding him for two months) and back into the fight. He could have gone home after being shot down as a training officer, but instead chose to stay and fight as a squadron Captain. He could not leave his buddies to fight while he took a cushey (and safer) training job. When the war ended the official mission count was 95, but actually by his count it was 99 combat missions during WWII. He told me his one wish was to get to 100 combat missions, but the war ended and that did not happen. He is quite a guy, but you have to pry info out of him as he was "just doing my job".

http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots...yHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=125&p=Ted R. Dobrick

When I was 8 years old Uncle Ted took me for my first airplane ride ever in his Cessna 170 off his farm grass strip. He let me take the controls and I was hooked for life. A few years ago I called him up and asked him if I could return the favor so I flew out a few days before OSH to his farm in Wisconson to take him for a fly. He had the touch of an angel on the control stick and absolutely loved the RV-9a I had at the time. Soon he was throwing the plane all over the sky (within reason) and had an absolute ball. His health is failing now, but he remains in great spirits with an exceptional sense of humor.

The greatest generation came home after "doing their duty" and went back to work building the greatest country the planet has ever known. God bless those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and God bless those who made it home from WWII. Thank you.
 
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Great way to pay respect to a fellow flier

Hello:

As i get older, (no I am not over 60 YET!) I wonder when i will loose that freedome to just hop in a plane and bore some holes in the sky. I do hope when that happens someone like yourself will be around and that kind to recognize the need in a fellow flier to "get some air". Thanks for being you.
 
Flying

Geico266 said:
My uncle, Captain Ted Dobrick was a P-40 and P-47 pilot in Europe during WWII. Two Distinguished Flying Crosses (the article below says 1 for the Battle of the Bulge), He was shot down twice, once behind enemy lines and I / we have the French underground to thank for getting him back to the friendlies (after hiding him for two months) and back into the fight. He could have gone home after being shot down as a training officer, but instead chose to stay and fight as a squadron Captain. He could not leave his buddies to fight while he took a cushey (and safer) training job. When the war ended the official mission count was 95, but actually by his count it was 99 missions during WWII. He told me his one wish was to get to 100 combat missions, but the war ended and that did not happen. He is quite a guy, but you have to pry info out of him as they were just doing their jobs.

http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots...yHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=125&p=Ted R. Dobrick

When I was 8 years old Uncle Ted took me for my first airplane ride ever in his Cessna 170 off his farm grass strip. He let me take the controls and I was hooked for life. A few years ago I called him up and asked him if I could return the favor so I flew out a few days before OSH to take him for a fly. He had the touch of an angel on the control stick and absolutely loved the RV-9a I had at the time. Soon he was throwing the plane all over the sky (within reason) and had an absolute ball. His health is failing now, but he remains in great spirits with an exceptional sense of humor.

The greatest generation came home after "doing their duty" and went back to work building the greatest country the planet has ever known. God bless those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and God bless those who made it home from WWII. Thank you.
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Beautiful Larry this what flying is all about..!
 
These stories are so dear to my heart. I cherish those few WWII pilots that I have been able to allow to fly my 9A, and all those I have known.

Most of you know I wrote a book about WWII aircraft. I am going to take some to Oshkosh, as I have done for two years. The book has done what I wanted; it tells a unique story, honors my father, and has paid for itself. I have never taken money from WWII vets--they have paid for it long ago. If you have a WWII vet friend who would enjoy this book, look me up at OSH. He or she can have one free, and I trust you to deliver for me. I'll leave a note on how to reach me later.

Bob
 
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