An unknown history fact about preparations for the Doolittle Raid. A Lt. Fitzgerald was assigned by Jimmy Doolittle, with the task of flying a B-25C below regulations altitude, “on the deck,” from east to west and back, in January 1942. In order to gather information re what might be, or would be, encountered.
Lt. Fitzgerald and I had a mutual friend. Both men had dated sisters. And by chance, in the early 1970s, I met the younger of the two sisters.
Just a couple years before meeting her, I had seen a picture of her, taken just after she graduated from high school. Very cute.
I was walking by a putting green at the Santa Barbara Biltmore Hotel, and I saw her walking around the far side of the putting green. I recognized her immediately - from that distance, based on the old photo.
Later that evening, at the hotel’s seaside ballroom and dining hall, she walked up to me and asked me if I would like to dance with her. I declined because I was nervous; I liked her alot. I liked just being near her.
I still have her picture.
I still have a WRIGHT arrow patch (issued to a friend), one of only 17 issued to Wright Field (Dayton, OH) based U.S.A.A.C. then U.S.A.A.F. test pilots over the period from before and thru World War II —> the WRIGHT arrow patch worn by Jimmy Doolittle - see the photos of him on the deck of the USS Hornet.
THAT is an excellent anecdote! You are lucky-you not only know History, you saw history, and you have had connections to History!
I feel pity for so many people to whom history is absolutely nothing. They are drones who don’t know that they are missing!
I have read your post 20 times and just love it. (I keep hoping something changed and the NEXT time I read it I will see her picture 😀. I also tell myself it really ends with “and we just celebrated our 50th anniversary”)