2RHPZ
06-04-2005, 07:28 PM
A Gunner's Tale
The sole survivor of his crew, Robert Sweatt’s courage and determination were testaments to his crew and all others who flew in the face of danger
by 2nd Lt. Chuck Widener
opening photo by Master Sgt. Efrain Gonzalez
http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners1.jpg
When the shooting started, he was only expected to survive about 17 seconds.
At least that’s what airmen believed was the average life expectancy of an aerial gunner in combat. More than 12,000 B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses were lost during World War II — a war that claimed the lives of more than 71,000 enlisted aircrew members.
He escaped near-certain death, but some 60 years later Robert Sweatt still harbors many haunting memories and feelings of his crew members — all dead from a single attack over France.
In all, the former sergeant and aerial gunner aboard the B-24 during World War II survived 16 missions over Europe before stepping into “Trouble,” the name of his bomber on Jan. 7, 1944.
“It was one crisis after another,” he said. “You just never knew what was going to happen on the next mission.”
http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners_r1_c1.jpg (http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners.shtml)
The sole survivor of his crew, Robert Sweatt’s courage and determination were testaments to his crew and all others who flew in the face of danger
by 2nd Lt. Chuck Widener
opening photo by Master Sgt. Efrain Gonzalez
http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners1.jpg
When the shooting started, he was only expected to survive about 17 seconds.
At least that’s what airmen believed was the average life expectancy of an aerial gunner in combat. More than 12,000 B-24 Liberators and B-17 Flying Fortresses were lost during World War II — a war that claimed the lives of more than 71,000 enlisted aircrew members.
He escaped near-certain death, but some 60 years later Robert Sweatt still harbors many haunting memories and feelings of his crew members — all dead from a single attack over France.
In all, the former sergeant and aerial gunner aboard the B-24 during World War II survived 16 missions over Europe before stepping into “Trouble,” the name of his bomber on Jan. 7, 1944.
“It was one crisis after another,” he said. “You just never knew what was going to happen on the next mission.”
http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners_r1_c1.jpg (http://www.af.mil/news/airman/0204/gunners.shtml)