WWII Vet passes - vanity

Townson-Rose Funeral Home ^ | 11-27-10 | Townson-Rose Funeral Home

[Principled]

Franklyn Wynne (Tony) Plemmons, age 86, born September 8, 1924 in Asheville, NC and formerly of Oglethorpe, GA, residing in Marble, NC passed away Thursday, November 25, 2010 at his residence. Affectionately called (Tony) by his family and friends, Tony was very proud of his Native American heritage as an enrolled member of the Ioway Tribe of KS and NE. He was also a decorated veteran of WWII serving in the US Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater with the 7th Air Force, 11th bomb group, 431st squadron as Flight Engineer and machine gunner on a B‐24 bomber participating in 40 combat missions. He earned several Air Medals and was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

[Principled]

This man flew 40 missions in the Pacific. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross when he volunteered to fly his B-24 low enough over an island to photograph the runways that kept the Japanese supplied. He was successful in his mission and the rest of the Air Force handled the destruction of the Japanese runways.

They gave him a 21 gun salute. I cried during Tapps. He was another of the greatest generation to pass.

I didn't know where else to express the sadness I feel over the loss of my friend and how proud I am that he called me his friend. Rest in peace Tony.

[FourPeas]

My condolences on your loss.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[exit82]

I shake my head just thinking of 40 combat missions.

Incredible.

And he was only 21 when the war ended.

I’m sorry to hear about your loss. He deserves his piece of heaven.

[Principled]

He was an incredible man - like most of those men who did such brave things as a part of growing up.

He does have his own spot in heaven ;) and that brings me good feelings.

[yarddog]

I just finished reading the U.S. Army history of my father’s battalion.

The one thing which impressed me about these WWII soldiers (he was a combat engineer), is just how good they were at their jobs and just how fast they got things done.

These guys weren’t messing around! They were completing projects in days which we now would take months.

It was, I suspect that way all across the American military. These were well led, well quipped men who were hardened by the depression and thought nothing of working like crazy for long periods while under extremely dangerous conditions.

They truly were at least one of the greatest generations.

[Brad’s Gramma]

I’m sorry for the loss of your friend....our WWII vets are going, so fast.

You’ve done him a great service by posting this thread.

God bless him, God bless you & yours...

[Jet Jaguar]

Just an ordinary guy.

He did extraordinary things in extraordinary times.

He will be missed.

[Brad’s Gramma]

For you...

[righttackle44]

God bless him, and you for your loss. This brave man flew those 40 missions in a flying coffin. We can be grateful that he fought to keep our nation free, and grateful that he was with us for such a long time.

I was born during WWII and knew many, many of those veterans. I still cry during Taps.

I know it will be difficult without your friend.

[Strk321]

“These guys weren’t messing around! They were completing projects in days which we now would take months.”

Yes. General Patton once said that war was the supreme human achievement, because it was only there that man is truly pushed to his mental and physical limits. This brings me to another point. Bear with me, because I’m about to get angry.

In 2007, Time Magazine did this global warming cover with the Iwo Jima soldiers raising a tree instead of a flag. A lot of people got upset over this and Dick Stengel’s claim that “The point we were trying to raise is that fighting climate change is this generation’s challenge, just like WWII was that generation’s challenge.”

That may have been bad, but the part that _really_ fried me was the extreme disrespect liberals on the net showed for WWII veterans. They said things like “What are you complaining about, Gramps? You guys got plenty of honors and respect for decades.”

I wanted to break something when I read this stuff. You lowlife scum. Do you cockroaches have any idea what these guys went through? All the honors and respect they got couldn’t make up for the horrors of that war. My grandfather was in the Pacific, and he witnessed a guy step on a mine in front of him and blow up. My mother says that he would often sit and just stare at the walls, as if he could still see that guy blowing up or some other memories that haunted him.

It’s easy to talk trash when you’re sitting in front of a computer posting to DailyKook or some other sewage pit. None of those pieces of you-know-what ever sat in a foxhole in freezing weather or flew a bombing raid where there was only a 50% chance of returning alive. None of them ever saw a friend get ripped in half by a shell or shot in the face.

/end angryrant

[Kathy in Alaska]

TAPS

RIP

Franklyn Wynne (Tony) Plemmons, WWII Vet, US Army Air Corps
7th Air Force, 11th bomb group, 431st squadron

Amazing Grace

[jrushing]

God Bless You Soldier, job well done.

I lost my Dad a few years ago. He was a ball turret gunner on a B24.

[BykrBayb]

Prayers up. I’m sorry you’ve lost the companionship of your friend. May you cherish his memory forever.

[Vigilantcitizen]

He’ll be in good company.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Combat-B-17-Drivers/dp/0978598008

Rest in peace Tony.

[Principled]

Thank you Kathy in Alaska. Thank you very much.

[Principled]

Thanks jrushing. And I’m sorry about your dad sir. But thanks for the pics and your post.

[Principled]

Thanks jrushing. And I’m sorry about your dad sir. But thanks for the pics and your post.

[beachn4fun]

R I P
Franklyn Wynne (Tony) Plemmons,
WWII Vet, US Army Air Corps
7th Air Force, 11th bomb group, 431st squadron

Job Well Done