Figures.. There has been so much inconsistencies and crap
over this hardware that its not funny.. I know that Ms Polk
and the crew went to great pains to get the OK's from the city
and did all the fund raising to get the Belle dismantled, moved
and refurbished as a static.. Now the Air Farce want to jerk
her around ?? Sad
About as sad as the story for the Shoo-Shoo Baby now out at the
Air Force Museum .. In short she was a real combat vet.. One of
the TIGR people from Smithsonian found her hulk in an airfield
in Denmark (i believe)How it got there and the story of the orignal
pilot is another set of tails themselves. Contacted the original
pilot and he went to great lengths to get the plane brought back to
the US.
The plane was totally restored by volunteers back to flyable
condition at an east coast Air Force base. Part of the deal
was that the still living original crew was to get a flight in
the plane as reward for helping getting it restored.. And don't
you know the Air Farce reneges on the promise and has the plane
flown to Ohio with minimum crew..
The good news is they have an actual combat vet B-17 on display.
The bad news was the CS way they delt with the people who put
the time and energy into making it happen..
Bottom line is too much politics involved where it belongs least.
I'll get off my soapbox now ...
Bob B
>From: "Frank Robertson" <tankdriv@gte.net>
>To: "Robert Barber" <rbarber41@hotmail.com>, "Military Vehicles
>Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>Subject: RE: [MV] "Memphis Belle"
>Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 10:50:36 -0600
>
>They are in the process of building a enclosed building on the Shelby Farms
>Park in Memphis to house the Belle. They don't like the open structure that
>it is in now. The Air force started raising a fuss again. I think this is
>funny, since Memphis got it as scrap at the end of the war and flew it
>home.
>The Air Force at that time was going to cut it up. Now every time we turn
>around they are screaming about it. Don't get me wrong I complained about
>the condition for years and have helped fix it back up. I just think all
>the
>stuff DRMO is destroying now they'll wish they had kept later...
>
>
> Frank Robertson
> Memphis, TN. USA
> "Miss Dixie" "Tha Thing"
> _______ ______
> ___| (.o.) |___ _/______\
> |___|___n___|___| _/|_______|\_
> |\ /| / [___][___] \
> |_\[o]o____[o]/_| /\_ [o] [o] _/\
> |w||_________||w| |w||_________||w|
> |w||u_______u||w| |w|\u u/|w|
> |w| |w| |w| \_______/ |w|
> [w] [w]
>M5A1 Stuart Light Tank M20 Armored Car
> Tankdriv@gte.net
> http://home1.gte.net/tankdriv/index.html
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org]On
>Behalf Of Robert Barber
>Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2000 9:44 AM
>To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [MV] "Memphis Belle"
>
>
>
> The real Belle is on mud island in Memphis Tenn. Back about
>86 - 87 Margaret Polk and some other folks saved the Belle from
>being re-possed by the Air-Force due to its being in such
>poor shape and neglected. They raised a bunch of money and
>had the aircraft dismantled and moved to mud island where
>it was refurbished at a permament memorial site..
>
>Tom Reiley and I checked the plane out and structurly it is in
>good enough shape that it could be made to fly again. But
>considering what it represents its best left as is..
>
>The official opening day 10 B-17's flew a formation over the
>mud island site and dropped a load of rose petals on the
>pavilion.. we hit it dead on .. I know, I was flying the 909
>that day .. I've got some fantastic vidio from the top turret
>shot the day before when we were practicing formantion flying
>
> Bob B
>
>
> >From: "Antoine" <antoine@usa.net>
> >To: <mil-veh@mil-veh.org> (Military Vehicles Mailing List)
> >Subject: Re: [MV] "Memphis Belle"
> >Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 23:00:00 -0800
> >
> >One other thing:
> >Captain Robert K. Morgan, who was flew 25 missions at the controls of
> >the 'Memphis Belle" is still with us, and can be readched at:
> >bellepilot@mindspring.com
> >The "Belle" is on display in Memphis, and I am taking the liberty of
> >re-posting for the list a message Capt. Morgan put on the Net last
> >April:
> >quote:
> >I hope you will visit the World War II B-17 Memphis Belle Pavillion on
> >Mud Island when you are visiting Memphis. My crew and I were the first
> >to complete 25 combat missions during WWII. We are honored that the
> >Belle was restored and put on permanent display. I'll be happy to
> >answer any questions you might have about the Belle at this e-mail
> >address. Although I live in Asheville, NC., I named the Belle after
> >Ms. Margaret Polk, of Memphis - a true Southern Belle.
> >unquote.
> >Captain Morgan, I bow to you in respectful and admiring silence.
> >
> >Antoine
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >===Mil-Veh is a member-supported mailing list===
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>
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