After 70 Years of Waiting, WWII ‘Memphis Belle’ Gunner, 94, Revisits Britain. And Dies Quietly There

Washington Post ^ | May 26 | Travis M. Andrews

[nickcarraway]

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Melvin Rector long carried Britain in his heart after he helped defend it during World War II, but 70 years passed without him stepping foot in the country.

The 94-year-old finally decided to leave his home in Barefoot Bay, Fla., to visit Britain earlier this month. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans conducts a travel program through which interested parties can visit certain sites of the war. He signed up for one, in hopes of visiting the Royal Air Force station Snetterton Heath, in Norfolk.

He served there with the 96th Bomb Group in 1945 as a radio operator and gunner on B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, flying eight combat missions over Germany during the spring of the war’s final year. On four of these missions, his plane came under heavy fire. One almost proved catastrophic, and the plane returned to base with holes dotting its wings.

This excerpt is from a short film published by the Department of Defense in 1946. The film tells the story of the B-17 Flying Fortress "Memphis Belle," her crew and their 25 successful WWII missions from May 1942 to November 1943. (Department of Defense) At one point during his military career, he served as a gunner for the Memphis Belle, the first heavy bomber to complete its tour by flying 25 missions with its crew intact. It went on to have a post-war career in raising morale and money for the U.S. Army. Writes historian John Buescher of the warplane:

After both crew and plane completed their respective 25th mission, the crew received the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. They were then ordered in June to fly the Memphis Belle back to the United States for a cross-country tour,

[nickcarraway]

[NEWwoman]

Thanks for the post. Tweeted the link.

[dsc]

RIP, sergeant.

[PROCON]

Here's the non-subscription link.

[nickcarraway]

You are welcome.

[Robert DeLong]

Rector toured Battle of Britain Bunker, an underground command center where fighter airplane operations were directed during D-Day. After climbing back into the sunlight, he told Jowers he felt dizzy. She grabbed one of his arms, and a stranger grabbed the other.

There, just outside the bunker where Winston Churchill famously said, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” Rector died quietly.

“He walked out of that bunker like his tour was done,” Jowers said.

Sandy Vavruich, Rector’s daughter, said it’s how he would have liked to die, even though he sadly never did make it to RAF Snetterton Heath.

My father-in-law is one of the few remaining WWII veterans still with us. God Bless him. One reason is that he joined enlisted at he age of 16, after lying about his true age.

[Carriage Hill]

My Dad just turned 92 on April 17th, and is fit and strong as a horse. This, from his DD-214...

XXXX X.X. XXXXXXX
European Theater
March 27th, 1943 — December 2nd, 1945
Platoon Sargent,
101st Combat Engineers, 26th Infantry Division, 3rd Army (Patton Armored Corps)
Decorations & Awards:
Purple Heart Medal for wounds received in The Battle of The Bulge
Bronze Star Medal for Valor
Eastern European Ribbon w/ 4 Bronze Star Clusters
for Central Europe, Northern France, Rhineland & Ardennes
Good Conduct Medal
American Theater Service Medal
WW II Victory Medal

[ChildOfThe60s]

I got goosebumps reading this.

[Doogle]

Sandy Vavruich, Rector’s daughter, said it’s how he would have liked to die, even though he sadly never did make it to RAF Snetterton Heath.

Sandy dear,...he made it there and met up with many of his beloved crew

[lee martell]

Thanks for the link. Great story. Puts things in perspective.

[Texas Fossil]

There was a funeral today at 2:00 PM for Delbert LeFevre, 93, at Sagerton, TX.

During WWII he was a Navigator on a B24 Bomber. The small Methodist Church was overflowing, rows of seating on the lawn in front with many people standing.

Delbert and his son both got a honor ride on a B24 Bomber recently. He was allowed to set in the navigators seat again.

God Bless Delbert and all his remaining WWII brethren and their families.

[Old Grumpy]

Very touching story; brought tears to my eyes.

[BiggerTigger]

Blurry screen.

[TXnMA]

Long-held, heartfelt, USAF salute...

[Don Corleone]

bump

[IronJack]

It's always ennobling to read about the courage of these uncommon common men. And it's always sad when you have to read their stories as part of an obituary.

But, as they say, kings and peasants all come to dust ... It's the life well lived that counts.

[cld51860]

I salute your father for his duty to this country. Thank you.

[BiggerTigger]

London TV news Rememberance for Melvin Rector

[Fiji Hill]

he B-17 Flying Fortress garnered such attention that not one but two films were made about it: a documentary in 1944 and an eponymously titled drama in 1990, starring John Lithgow, Matthew Modine and Harry Connick Jr.

I liked the documentary but not the drama.

[BiggerTigger]

Blurry again.