The Greatest Generation Live Podcast

WWII Tuskegee Airman Harry Stewart

WWII P-51 Pilot and Tuskegee Airman Harry Stewart shares his story with us on Greatest Generation Live.
Stewart successfully completed 43 missions during World War II and is one of only four Tuskegee Airmen to have earned three aerial victories in a single day of combat. When the war in Europe ended, Stewart and his comrades expected to go to the Pacific. But after the Japanese surrender in August 1945, Stewart returned to the U.S. In 1949, he served as part of the team from the 332nd Fighter Group that won the first ever “Top Gun” fighter gunnery competition.
Also joining is is historian David Snead, author of Flying with the Fifteenth Air Force: A B-24 Pilot’s Missions from Italy during World War II. The subject of the book, Tom Faulkner, was a B-24 pilot flying out of San Giovanni airfield in Italy . Only 19 years old when he completed his 28th and last mission, Tom was one of the youngest bomber pilots to serve in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
Harry Stewart, also with the 15th Air Force, grew up near LaGuardia Airport in Queens, which got him curious about airplanes. After Pearl Harbor, he joined the Army Air Corps to qualify as a pilot. He went to Tuskegee, Alabama, where the famous African American pilots called Tuskegee Airmen trained. He received his wings in June 1944. Stewart then commissioned as a second lieutenant and learned to fly P-40 and P-47 fighter aircraft at Walterboro Army Air Field in South Carolina. After combat training, Stewart served with the 301st Fighter Squadron as part of the 332nd Fighter Group, known as “The Red Tails.” He then went to Italy with 15th Air Force. Stewart escorted B-17 and B-24 bombers over Italy, Germany and Austria.
We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!
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WWII B-24 Pilot John Homan

Guest John Homan was a B-24 pilot in World War II. He recently published his memoirs, "Into the Cold Blue: My World War II Journeys with the Mighty Eighth Air Force" with Professor Jared Frederick, who also joins us. 
Into the Cold Blue is a riveting account of the air war over Europe, when hell was four miles above the earth.
A born daredevil, John Homan joined the Army Air Forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor. By 1944, he was co-piloting a B-24 Liberator over Nazi Germany, raining death and destruction on the enemy. This first-person account of his harrowing missions chronicles deadly flights through skies of red-hot flak bursts and airmen bailing out with parachutes aflame. The tale will leave readers staggered by the determination and grit of World War II aviators.
Fighting a fierce enemy in the air seemed the perfect way for Homan to demonstrate his boldness, but he never could have imagined the horrors that awaited him. During a vast operation over Nazi-occupied Holland in September 1944, his plane was punched full of holes, its left tail shot away, and a tire blown to bits. Homan wondered how he could possibly survive. The young lieutenant and his exhausted crewmates braced for a nearly hopeless emergency landing. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, waited the sweetheart he thought he’d never see again.
With wit, warmth, and astonishing clarity, John Homan conveys the skill and heroism of the “Mighty Eighth” Air Force in the most perilous theater of history’s greatest air war.
We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!
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The Bloody 100th Bomb Group in World War II

Glenn Flickinger leads another conversation about Masters of the Air, this time with children and grandchildren of the Apple TV+ series’ main characters. Each is an expert on the 100th Bomb Group, and each will share their family members’ stories and their thoughts on the series.
Rebecca Crosby Hutchinson, daughter of Navigator Harry Crosby, Sam Rosenthal, grandson of Pilot Rosie Rosenthal, and Nancy Putnam, daughter of Pilot and POW Gerald Putnam give an inside look at the making of Masters of the Air from viewpoints of three 100th Bomb Group families.Rebecca was the primary Crosby family source for script writer John Orloff and Executive Producer Kirk Saduski. Along with her siblings, Rebecca visited the set in England, and speaks with knowledge and humor about seeing her father “come to life” years before she was born. The Crosby family coordinated with Apple and hosted the official January 26 premiere of Masters of the Air in Boston at the historic Coolidge Corner Theater, followed by a terrific entertaining discussion with Kirk, John and actor Anthony Boyle.Sam’s experiences are equally compelling, and not just as the grandson of Rosie. Sam is a trained actor and had a small role as an airman in Masters  – this placed him inside the production at a time, during Covid, where it was a restricted access campus. If you’ve listened to any of the actor interviews about their roles in Masters, they speak of the true bond that formed among the acting corps, very much like the bonds of 100th BG airmen. Filming ended 2+years ago, and many remain in close touch. Sam was there on set to watch Nate Mann portray his beloved grandfather.While Nancy’s father is not portrayed in Masters, she was involved behind the scenes from early on. Her father was a 100th BG/349th Sq command pilot and operations officer, shot down leading the 13th CW on March 3, 1944, and a POW at Stalag Luft I. Rosie served in the 100th BG 418th Sq which was the primary squadron focus of Masters. Gerald Putnam was Rosie’s roommate and close friend all through pilot training (Dec ’41 to Sept ’43). While assigned to four months of gunnery training in Sebring FL, they engaged in the aerial dogfights that Rosie credits with saving him on the Munster mission: when not pulling targets, they could sign out planes and fly. And fly they did! Think of young men with fast cars, only in the sky.Compare this to Lucky Luckadoo who went from 2-engine training to B-17 combat with no 4-engine phase training whatsoever.  The skeptics who say a B-17 cannot perform maneuvers that Rosie did escaping the German fighters are wrong. Those aerial combat scenes depicted in Masters are accurate.Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
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POW Spies at Stalag Luft III in World War II

Jim Keeffe and Carol Godwin join Glenn to share the history of Stalag Luft III.
On the 8th of March 1944, during a bombing mission to Berlin, 19-year-old B-24 pilot James Keeffe was shot down over Holland, catapulting him into a world squeezed colorless by the ever-tightening fist of Nazi occupation.
Moving from safe house to safe house with the help of the Dutch Underground, Lt. Keeffe, in plain view of the enemy, evades for five harrowing months. During an escape attempt through Belgium he is betrayed, captured and transferred under armed guard to the infamous German prisoner-of-war camp Stalag Luft III - site of the Great Escape.
Jim will share the story of his fascinating book, "Two Gold Coins and a Prayer: The Epic Journey of a World War II Bomber Pilot, Evader, and POW"(https://www.amazon.com/Two-Gold-Coins...)
Carol Goodwin is the niece of Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets who flew the B-29 Enola Gay and dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima, and is the daughter of Stalag Luft II POW Capt. William Carey, who was a chief operative in Military Intelligence Service-X ( MIS-X), which was highly secret and functioned out of Ft. Hunt in Alexandria, VA. 
Bill had been co-piloting an experimental YB40 [reconfigured B-17] on a run to bomb the Hüls synthetic rubber plant Recklinghausen in northern Germany when he was shot down in June 1943.
After arriving at Stalag Luft III, he continued the war effort by utilizing his previous training as an OSS [Office of Strategic Services] agent to  become a covert code writer for MIS-X in Ft. Hunt. Carol’s father was head of the intelligence operation communicating with MIS-X from SL3. MIS-X sent and received coded letters with POWs. 
He taught other POWs how to code. He also participated in plays in the compound’s camp theatres, keeping him associated with many POWs while conducting intelligence. 
Her father thought he was corresponding with a woman in the U.S. He finally met “the woman” when he returned home.
British intelligence service MI9 did these same things from London. A German guard in the camp bragged he was going home to Peenemunde where there was a big VII rocket factory, and he said that rocket would win the war for the Germans. The RAF coders immediately reported that news to MI9 in London, and they passed the info on to the RAF who then immediately set up a bombing raid on Peenemunde destroying that facility. 
The guard returned to the camp and was dismayed to tell the POWs that the facility had been bombed, and he couldn’t understand how the RAF knew it was there.
The United States Department of War operated MIS-X. Secret equipment, such as small compasses, maps, and radios were smuggled into the camp to aid with escapes and intelligence operations.
Between MI9 and MIS-X, an abundance of contraband made its way into the camp. Each packer of special illegal parcels had a unique mark that the prisoners at Sagan were alerted to look for. 
As the tunnels advanced in the spring and summer of 1943, the steady delivery of illegal parcels flooded the camp, and shipments were quite sizable.
Monopoly games with real German money, brushes that came apart to reveal contraband, including inks for forging documents, sports equipment that hid the same, and compasses hidden in uniform buttons were gratefully received. 
There were blankets that when washed revealed pattern marks to cut along to turn into civilian jackets.
At one point, MI9 delivered a full German uniform. Ten days after the Japanese surrendered, ending the war, MIS-X was shut down. 
It was not until 1986 that any information about the covert operation was revealed. Exactly what they communicated and their methods for doing so are still somewhat classified today.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
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How Winston Churchill Waged War with Allen Packwood

Glenn welcomes distinguished historian Allen Packwood, director of the Churchill Archives in Cambridge to discuss Winston Churchill’s wartime leadership. Our travel “Masters of the Air” tour to England in September 2024 will include a presentation by Allen Packwood at Churchill College in Cambridge.
Packwood’s book, “How Churchill Waged War,” delves into Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II, challenging simplistic views of his wartime ministry. Packwood explores Churchill’s decision-making process, highlighting his humanity, emotion, and the complexity of his approach. The book focuses on pivotal moments, such as Churchill’s response to the fall of France and the Blitz, shedding light on his strategy and mindset.
Churchill’s leadership style was characterized by determination, forcefulness, and a willingness to take the offensive. He strategically positioned himself at the heart of the British war effort as Minister of Defence, closely interacting with senior commanders. Notably, Churchill faced challenges like the sinking of the French fleet, which he responded to decisively, even at the cost of strained relations with former allies.
During the Blitz, Churchill remained resolute in public, emphasizing retaliation and portraying bombing as part of Hitler’s invasion plan. Behind the scenes, he prioritized offensive strategies, particularly bombing Germany and bolstering forces in the Mediterranean. Churchill’s focus on offensive action aimed to wear down the enemy and maintain British imperial power.
However, Packwood also reveals Churchill’s vulnerabilities and the toll of leadership. Churchill faced opposition, suffered health issues, and grappled with limited resources. Despite his iconic status, he encountered criticism, internal strife, and the weight of wartime decisions.
Ultimately, Packwood portrays Churchill as a leader driven by the simple goal of victory at all costs, tackling challenges one at a time and navigating the complexities of war with resolve and determination.
Allen Packwood is a distinguished archivist and historian, currently serving as the Director of the Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College, Cambridge. He has been associated with the Centre since 1995, initially as a qualified archivist, and later taking on roles of increasing responsibility, including Acting Keeper and ultimately Director in 2002.
Throughout his career, Packwood has been actively involved in curating exhibitions and organizing events related to Churchill and Cold War history. He is recognized for his expertise on Churchill and has lectured extensively in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Under Packwood’s leadership, the Churchill Archives Centre continues to be a vital repository of historical documents, housing the papers of Sir Winston Churchill, Baroness Thatcher, and many other influential figures from the Churchill era and beyond.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!
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Sons of Lt. Col. Everett Blakely on “Masters of the Air”

Everett Ernest Blakely was a highly decorated B-17 pilot with the “Bloody Hundredth” Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force in Europe. In the Apple TV mini-series, “Masters of the Air“, is David Shields plays the role of Blakely. Tonight, we have his two sons, David and Jim, to discuss what they think of the series and to tell us about their father’s service.
Blakely’s journey began with his early training in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he learned to fly using the Stearman PT13 biplane at Hancock Field in Santa Maria, California. His determination and skill led him to advanced fighter training, but destiny took a turn when he was assigned to the 3rd Bomber Command at MacDill Field in Tampa, Florida, in May 1942. This marked the beginning of his transformation into a B-17 pilot, setting the stage for his pivotal role in the war.
Assigned to various bomber groups during his training, Blakely eventually connected with the 100th Bomb Group on October 28, 1942, officially assigned at Walla Walla Army Air Base in Washington. From there, he rose through the ranks, becoming not only a Command Pilot but also the group commander of the 418th Bombardment Squadron and Station Training Officer stationed at Thorpe Abbots Air Field in England.
Blakely’s combat experiences were diverse and intense, participating in numerous missions with the 100th Bomb Group. Notably, on August 17, 1943, during the historic two-pronged attack on Schweinfurt-Regensburg, he led the 100th Bomb Group as they penetrated deep into Germany. Despite facing over 300 Luftwaffe fighters, Blakely’s leadership ensured success in damaging crucial German installations.
His heroism reached its peak during the mission to Bremen on October 8, 1943, marking his 18th mission. Blakely’s plane, “Just A Snappin,” faced severe damage, losing two engines and nearly requiring a ditch in the North Sea. Miraculously, the crew, credited with shooting down nine Nazi fighters, crash-landed in England. Blakely’s bravery on this mission earned him the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal for gallantry.
Post-war, Blakely continued to serve in various capacities within the Air Force, contributing to education, language training, and international collaborations. His illustrious career spanned 27 years, concluding with his retirement and subsequent move to San Luis Obispo, California.
Lt. Col. Everett Ernest Blakely passed away on September 21, 2004.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event.
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“Masters of the Air” Creator and Writer John Orloff

Writer John Orloff joins Glenn Flickinger to discuss how he brought “Masters of the Air” to television.
Production was a meticulous process marked by deep research, careful storytelling, and an unwavering commitment to historical accuracy. John shares his background, influences, and the challenges he faced in crafting the series.
Orloff’s fascination with history, particularly World War II, stemmed from his upbringing immersed in the era’s media, from movies to television shows. Despite lacking direct military ties, Orloff’s passion for the subject matter and depth of research laid a solid foundation for his work.
The series, a follow-up to the acclaimed “Band of Brothers,” aimes to portray the aerial combat of World War II with unprecedented realism. Orloff had to choose the right story to tell, highlighting the remarkable tale of the hundredth Bomb Group as the basis for the series. This narrative authenticity was crucial, so minimizing fictionalization and drawing from real-life accounts, including after-mission reports, were to to ensure accuracy.
Another challenge was the scale of the production, especially capturing the intensity of aerial combat and the logistical complexities involved in creating a historically accurate portrayal. Each episode features hundreds of special effects shots. It took the dedication of the entire production team to honor the sacrifices of those who served.
We will ask Orloff about the broader themes explored in the series, including the horrors of war and the industrialization necessary for wartime efforts. We’ll also ask him about the relevance of these themes in today’s world, advocating for vigilance against authoritarianism and fascism.
Thank you to Tobacco Free Adagio Health and UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event.
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American POWs in World War II

World War II POW and Eighth Air Force expert Marilyn Walton leads an expert conversation about the experiences of prisoners in Germany.
The experts also discuss fact and fiction in the depiction of POW camps in the Apple TV mini-series “Masters of the Air.”
In addition to Marilyn and the VBC’s own Glenn Flickinger, commenters include:
Carolyn Clark Miller – Daughter of Lt. Gen. Albert P. Clark, Jr. depicted in MOTA. Carolyn’s father flew with the British in order to get into the war early. He had 3 children at the time. He was already a Lt. Col. West Point graduate, considered an “old man” in the camp. He flew Spitfires with the RAF, but he was not in the Eagle Squadrons with them. He was shot down on his first mission in 1942, and lived with the British in North Compound as one of the “early birds.” He was Senior American Officer before a full colonel eventually came in and outranked him. He later became Superintendent of the Air Force Academy.
Lt. Col. Clark worked on Tunnel Harry at Stalag Luft II in security with 600 men under him, including Lt. Sconiers. Clark’s father was a doctor who told him how to tell the Germans at SL3  how to change the latrines outside to make them sanitary. He was one of the last ones to leave Stalag VIIA in Moosburg after liberation as he wanted to make sure all “his boys” were safely gone. He told me once that he remembered seeing the Russians come in and roll up all the barbed wire to take back to Russia.
At SL3, Clark made a secret ledger, now called Behind the Wire, that listed the names and information on all the men in South Compound. Injuries mentioned by downed airmen were listed as well. Clark appointed another POW to interview all the men coming into South Compound. Notation of injuries in that ledger was acceptable evidence to receive Purpose Hearts after the war. Alex Jefferson got his Purple Heart this way after 47 years.  Many others did as well. The men told their stories in their own word in short entries.  This document in now in the Library of Congress.
Pam Whitlock – niece of Lt. Sconiers, a SL3 POW and was buried in 1944, the only POW never brought home as no one could find him. This is subject of the documentary Finding Sconiers. There are 78,000 American MIAs from WWII in Europe and about 35,000 are still considered to be recoverable. We finally brought Sconiers home to be buried next to his mother in DeFuniak Springs, FL. Germans attended and permitted that burial in 1944. Pam worked a lot with DPAA which still searches for our MIAs.
* * *
During World War II, United States Army Air Forces personnel faced the harrowing experience of becoming prisoners of war (POWs) after being captured by German forces. These airmen were detained in various camps known as Stalag Lufts, where they endured challenging conditions and organized themselves for survival amidst enemy captivity.
The German system segregated officers from enlisted men upon capture and sent them to different camps, each administered by the German Luftwaffe and Abwehr. Once inside the confines of these camps, the captured airmen, affectionately referred to as “Kriegies,” found themselves among their comrades. Leadership roles varied among the camps, with senior American officers or elected representatives assuming authority in different compounds.
Life within the POW camps was marked by the segmentation of living quarters into compounds, each containing barracks that housed dozens of men in cramped conditions. As the number of captives increased, overcrowding became a significant issue, forcing many to sleep on floors. The harsh realities of captivity were exacerbated when, in early February 1944, camps faced evacuation due to the advancing Russian forces, leaving tens of thousands of prisoners “On the Road” for extended periods, enduring immense hardships until liberation.
One crucial aspect of the POW experience was the interrogation process at facilities like Dulag Luft. Located in Oberursel, this complex consisted of interrogation centers, hospitals, and transit camps, where captured airmen underwent questioning and evaluation before being transferred to permanent POW camps. Despite being designed to accommodate a limited number of prisoners, overcrowding was common during peak periods, with solitary confinement often enforced.
Stalag Luft I, situated near Barth, Germany, housed Allied prisoners, including American and British officers and enlisted men. The camp, located on the Baltic Sea, saw its first prisoners in July 1940 and was evacuated by 8th Air Force B-17s in May 1945. Similarly, Stalag Luft III, located southeast of Berlin, housed American airmen and became the largest American officers’ camp in Germany by January 1945.
Stalag Luft IV, located in Gross Tychow, Pomerania, witnessed a significant influx of prisoners, swelling its ranks from 1,500 to nearly 10,000 airmen by January 1945. Stalag Luft VI, situated outside Hedekrug, Lithuania, initially held prisoners from Belgium and France before receiving British, Canadian, and American airmen, reflecting the diverse nationalities of POWs held by the Germans.
As Germany’s collapse neared, camps like Stalag VIIA in Moosburg became final gathering points for thousands of Air Corps officers and enlisted men from other camps. The overcrowded conditions and constant influx of prisoners posed challenges for camp administrators, with protests against overcrowding falling on deaf ears.
Despite the adversity, the resilience and resourcefulness of Allied airmen in German POW camps underscored one of the most overlooked chapters in American history.
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WWII Ball Turret Gunner and POW Les Schrenk

Les Schrenk’s story as a World War II ball turret gunner is one of courage, resilience, and unexpected humanity amidst the chaos of war.
He was assigned as a ball turret gunner to the 327th Bombardment Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force, stationed at RAF Podington.
As a ball turret gunner, Schrenk inadvertently found himself in his position due to circumstance. His crew, led by 2nd Lt Lavies, formed a tight-knit unit, flying numerous missions together. Loyalty and a sense of duty bound them, despite the inherent dangers they faced.
The “BIG WEEK” bombing campaign placed Schrenk and his crew in the thick of combat, facing heavy German fighter opposition. On February 22nd, their tenth and final mission, they targeted the German airfield Aalborg-West in Denmark as a diversion.
During the mission, their B-17, “Pot O’ Gold,” was hit, and Schrenk witnessed the loss of fellow aircraft and crew members. Eventually, their plane caught fire, and they were forced to bail out. Schrenk’s exit from the ball turret, normally a daunting task, was complicated by the dire circumstances.
His parachute initially failed to deploy properly, but he managed to rectify the issue, landing in enemy territory and being taken prisoner by German troops. Despite the trauma of combat and capture, Schrenk’s resilience and composure stood out.
Schrenk’s post-war reconciliation with his past, including a visit to the crash site of “Pot O’ Gold” and the spot where Lavies perished, reflects his enduring respect and remembrance for his fallen comrades.
Near war’s end, Lester was forced on a death march west.
In 2012, Les finally met the German pilot – Hans-Hermann Muller – who had spared the American bomber knowing that if it went down over water, the entire crew would drown.
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How to Shoot Down B-17

Experts Colin Heaton and Joe McCarthy join Glenn Flickinger to discuss the tactics of aerial combat in World War II, focusing especially on how the Luftwaffe attempted to bring down B-17 formations, and the defenses those formations used to get through to their targets. Glenn will also discuss his thoughts on the finale of the Apple TV mini-series “Masters of the Air”
During World War II, the German Luftwaffe executed various strategies to counter the formidable threat posed by B-17 Flying Fortress squadrons, the iconic American heavy bombers.
Fast and maneuverable fighter aircraft, such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190, surrounded the B-17s on all sides, making it challenging for the American bombers to defend themselves. The German pilots aimed to exploit the vulnerable areas of the B-17, such as the unescorted belly and rear positions, as they were less heavily armed.
To counter these attacks, B-17 crews developed defensive formations and tactics. The Flying Fortresses were equipped with multiple .50 caliber machine guns, strategically positioned to provide overlapping fields of fire. The most common defensive formation was the “combat box,” where B-17s flew closely together, forming a defensive wall of firepower. The concentration of defensive armament in these formations made it difficult for German fighters to penetrate without facing intense opposition.
Furthermore, B-17s often employed the “fighter weave” maneuver, where adjacent bombers would take turns moving to the front of the formation to engage attacking fighters. This coordinated defensive maneuver allowed the B-17s to present a continuous front, making it harder for the Luftwaffe to exploit weak points.
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