Posted on 11/11/2011 5:29:28 AM PST by Dysart
BENBROOK -- Working a .50-caliber gun from the top turret of a B-24 Liberator, Dale Hulsey fought in one of the most dramatic air battles in U.S. history and still the single most decorated mission in Air Force history.
He survived the bombing run and the anti-aircraft fire, survived a crash landing when a German fighter jumped his plane, survived a frantic run into the woods to evade the enemy who had seen the bomber go down. He survived 319 days on the run by linking up with Marshal Tito's Yugoslav partisans, survived a brutal winter in the mountains and survived a daring rescue by secret agents.
But rarely did he talk about his war over the years or his hard-earned membership in the Air Force Escape & Evasion Society. His wife of 61 years, Velma, and daughter, Darlena, knew little until recently. His co-workers and acquaintances in the utility business over the years knew even less. He'd tried a few times when military service came up, but he gave up in disgust.
"People didn't believe me, and I got tired of trying to talk to people who acted like I made it up," he said.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/10/3517152/celebration-for-benbrook-man-marks.html#ixzz1dP0UVKr7
(Excerpt) Read more at star-telegram.com ...
Bump
Wouldn't surprise me. A close friend of the family (now deceased) was former SAS. Only way I found out was his wife let it slip.
When I said, "REALLY! You were?!!!", he told me that she was mistaken. Yeah right. After being married for 40-odd years to him I doubt that there's much she'd be mistaken about.
He was a serious character, too. Lots of good (but vague) stories, some of which might have a grain of truth somewhere within them. He got shot by an Arab Legionnaire while on camelback in the Suez, was in Korea and a few other garden spots as well. Said that the Chinese were the only military that scared him; they'd throw a million men at a hill and if one was left standing at the top when they were done, they called it a victory.
A local bit from the newspaper about the Bushmasters. Not much detail, but lots of names.
http://www.yumasun.com/news/charles-36826-frank-cano.html
The “Bushmasters” was the name given to the members of the 158th Regimental Combat Team, which served in New Guinea and the Philippines against Japanese forces during World War II.
Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/news/charles-36826-frank-cano.html#ixzz1dQ7hchKi
Clive Cussler writes barnburners of books in the same vein as Hatt Helm, and one of his main characters is Joe Zavala.
Interesting coincidence, especially as Cussler writes people that he knows personally (including himself) into a lot of his work. Corny? Yep. Hokey? Also yep. But, so are his paperbacks. And, he blows the proceeds on collecting classic cars taking his friends out diving for lost shipwrecks. I think that he'd be a fun guy to sit down and drink a beer or two with.
No idea how common a name Jow Zavala is, I've never heard it before today (other than in Cussler's books).
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