Posted on 04/14/2007 6:29:00 PM PDT by kvanbrunt2
Memorial Service for a Hero -- Cecil Bailey from my blog: Hero. The word is used alot. Maybe too much. The Memorial service was on Friday 13 for someone whom I have known all my life and just found out that he was a Hump Pilot and has about 15 medals to prove that he was a hero. I think my pastor read that he had flown 400 missions between India and China during WWII. He also has 10 patents that he developed while working for GE. There were pictures of the Himalayan Mountians out the Pilots window with a plan in formation that gave you goosebumps. WOW.
I think the particulars on his service is here: Tenth Air Force: Groups. 3d Combat Cargo: 1944-1945.
Stations. New Delhi, India, 16 May 1942; Myitkyina, Burma, 2 Nov 1944; Piardoba, India, 15 May 1945; Kunming, China, 1 Aug 1945; Liuchow, China, 9 Aug-15 Dec 1945;
Needless to say I was amazed. My Dad was also.
A life lived well.
Yes, we do.
Thank you for your service.
1. For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confess,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
3. Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
4. O blest communion, fellowship divine,
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
5. And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
6. The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest.
Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
7. But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
8. From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hymn #463
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Heb. 12:1
Author: William W. How, 1864, cento
Composer: R. Vaughan Williams, 1906, arr.
Tune: “Sine nomine”
I’ve been to a few memorial services where I was an aquantance with the person. Was amazed a few times at the people’s acomplishments that I had no idea. And always feel sad that I didn’t get to know them better when they were around.
My father was a hump pilot too. Don’t know how many missions he flew in his two years there but they were flying substandard B-24’s in incredibly bad weather with little more than a compass. Many of their flights were transporting truly useless items such as condoms and ketchup from India to China. You could make several fortunes selling booze and cigarettes to the Chinese for 10 bucks a carton and whatever you could get for the scotch. My dad always refused to join in. The food was terrible, mostly rice and morale was often low. Funniest story, my father’s first flight and he’s going in for final and about to land and five Chinese run across the runway. My father pulls up on the stick and aborts the landing. His co-pilot is screaming at him, land, land, land. Turns out that the Chinese believed that if they were having bad luck it was because the dragon was stuck on their backs and that the props would cut the dragon off.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.