Post by blaird on Jul 10, 2019 11:06:17 GMT -8
509th Bombardment Group (H)
Executive Officer
LTC Jeffrey Billings
Executive Officer
LTC Jeffrey Billings
Gentleman,
I have been given the honor of being appointed as the Executive Officer of the newly created 509th Heavy Bomb Group, and I like to welcome all of you selected to fly with the group.
I have been given the honor of being appointed as the Executive Officer of the newly created 509th Heavy Bomb Group, and I like to welcome all of you selected to fly with the group.
A little bit about myself, I’ve in the Army Air Corps since its conception and have flown in almost every type of aircraft that our country has.
On December 7th, 1941 I was in a flight of B-17s heading to Hawaii. We all know what happened that day, suffice it to say, I managed to get my plane and crew down safely while repeatedly attacked by zeros.
By mid-February I was assigned to Southern Bomber Command with the 88th Reconnaissance Squadron in Brisbane, Australia. It took us over a year before our B-17’s were able to hit the Japs as hard as they hit us. But it was well worth the wait.
It wasn't too long after that someone decided I was getting a little bit too old to be in combat and I was recalled to the states to help Colonel Moody get the 509th operational.
Since December 7th, we've been fighting a war with two great evils, Japan, and Germany. There's going to be a lot of death and destruction before this is over. This may give some of you pause, to create self doubt in yourself and make you worried that you may not be up to the task at hand. But I have every confidence that each of you will do your part. While all things are difficult before they are easy, the only courage that matters is the kind to get you from one moment to the next. Always do what you are afraid to do. Heroism is just about doing your job the best you can and living through it.
We didn't want this war. We didn’t start it. But we're sure as hell going to finish it!
Good luck to you all!