I knew this guy in Kodiak when I lived there.




Shot down a German fighter with a Garand.



http://www.6tharmoreddivision.com/index.php?p=articles/john-r-morton-hard-hat

Very few of those men exist anymore.

What a life!

FWIW He was the youngest PERMANENT First Sergeant in WW2.

This meant if he was transferred to another unit he was transferred IN GRADE meaning he could only lose his stripes by a General courts-martial.

This means nothing today as everyone is transferred in grade but it was a big deal then. He earned those stripes as a young teenager because he came across 6 guys beating up a lieutenant for no good reason and stepped in and beat all six assailants senseless.

Some night I'll write up some of the stories he told me. He was a real character and learned to fly a cub in Europe and flew a number of observation missions.

In about 1984 he confessed to me that he still had nightmares from some sniper type duty. He got torn up bad near war's end and was sent home to recover.

Later he flew the bush in a cub and at Lily Lake years later an FAA guy met him and asked him how they managed to operate with 90 foot trees at either end. He asked John how they got over the trees.

He simply replied "We flew over them."

Badass

Most men never truly live , he did ????

+1

We need a few more men like him.

Garand power yo.

Surely running the tables @ Valhalla.