Went to a booksigning today with the last remaining crew member of the Enola Gay!
Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk
He signed a copy of "The 509th Remembered". This was very exciting for me! This man was the navigator for the Enola Gay. When I asked him if I could have someone take a picture of us, and he told me that I must come behind the table and sit with him for the photo! I was the EXTREMELY excited! I told him I was going to share this with you all, and he told me that made him very happy, as he wants to educate everyone on all things WWII, lest we forget. Just wanted to share these with you.

Ted "Dutch" Van Kirk

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Hi Scott, thanks for sharing these photos and im also glad to see that he looks very good for his young age ;-)) He appears here as I remembered him when I met him in Houston 6 years ago.

Sadly though, the man missing from his table was BGen David Lee "Tex" Hill. They shared a table at the Houston show and I think were a common "Pair of Aces" (pardon the pun-I couldn't resist) at gun and militaria collectors shows.

Note: "Pair of Aces" is just meant that they both served in the air-not both as fighter pilots ;-))

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Great pics, Scott - and you had every right to be excited.


-Lou

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5 out of 4 people have difficulty with fractions.

Wish I was there.

Hey Carl!
I should have known you met him as I think I read in another post you met Tibbets too is that right? I might have that wrong, anyway he was a great guy, great sense of humor too! I read in the local paper here that there were many WWII veterans there that day, I'm headed back there this morning to talk with some of them, apparently they hang out and have coffee here! So again, I'm pretty excited about this as well! Have planned to spend the whole day chatting with them and getting some autographs!

Acker, I wish you all could have been there!!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Hi Scott, yessir, I met Dutch but I never had the pleasure of meeting Paul Tibbets. Dutch was sharing a table with was B.Gen David Lee "Tex" Hill who was the commander of one of the Flying Tigers Squadrons under Chennault. BTW, Tex Hill lived in San Antonio--only a hop, skip and a jump down the road from me-or about 110 miles as the Crow flies ;-)) San Antonio was also the home of a few WWII Medal of Honor Recipients including Lucian Adams-who passed away a few years ago unfortunately. I sure would have loved to have spent a few hours with him at his home talking about his service.

And speaking of Tex Hill. I chatted with him a few times on the phone before and after I met him in person. This guy was really a good Gent and a neat character ;-)) I remember Dutch v.Kirk being a very interesting Gent to chat with as well. I really do not get enough time to spend with these vets. Im hoping to make the next show in San Antonio and the big show in Houston this year.

I need to see if I still have one of Dutch's business cards which has his address on it. I'd like very much to start writing to him.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Writing him would be great, I'd love to drop him a note as well! I looked thru what I got from the show, but there is nothing with his name on it, only the author of the book! Oh, well! These are great men to talk to aren't they!

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

Hi Scott, that they are. The last vet I met was by accident when I was at a Business Copiers place a few months ago. Thi sguy served as a Ball-Turret Gunner in B-17's-just like my Dad did. A few names of places he flew over were ones I remember my Dad talking about. It would be a great cooincidence if they had been in the same bomb group or squadron-but that being so is probably as easy as it is to win the Mega-Lotto.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.

Yeah right! That would be asking alot! It's funny you mention B-17's, there is one on tour here, it will be in Ft. Meyers, Fl tomorrow, I think I will try to make that, can't afford the $400.00 ride fee, but I guess you can walk thru it.

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This is a pair of Dutch resistance crystal radios, built into a small metal can, and a matchbox. The image is from a postcard bought at a Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam. The matchbox is marked in Swedish, but Swedish matches were sold in Holland for many years..
Scott

We had a B-17 here sometime last year and they too were offering "rides." A reporter from one of the news stations here went on a flight and they showed some absolutely amazing video. I'd have loved to have been in that reporters-or camermans shoes at that moment in time.

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Lost are only those, who abandon themselves) Hans-Ulrich Rudel.