Art Kramer

ART KRAMER'S WWII STORIES

Sgt. Greigo's Flak Jacket

Emilio Griego was our engineer/tail gunner. He was short smiley fellow with a shy grin and a shy manner. When you spoke to him he would look at the ground, smiling but always answer you with a snappy "Yes Sir" and get to work with great energy and dedication. He was a very good engineer and Paul (Paul Shorts Lake Charles LA our pilot) depended on him a lot to work with the mechanics to keep "Willie" in good shape. Very often he would be up all through the night working with the mechanics to make sure all would be well for the morning mission. He was a good soldier, a fine fellow and an asset to our crew that we all appreciated. But he did have one shortcoming, he wouldn't follow orders. A particular set of orders that is. He would never wear his flak jacket. He would sit on it. We would scream at him to put the damn jacket on. He would smile and say "yes sir, I'll wear it". But on the next mission it was the same thing. Ordering, screaming, yelling, threatening could never get Griego to wear that damn flak jacket. But he always said, "yes sir. I'll wear it next time". But he never did. Then on the 24th of March 1945 we hit the Viersen commuications center. Mallory and his crew were shot down. No chutes were seen to open. We took some flak hits but kept on going. On landing out came Griego holding up his flak jacket for all of us to see. He had been sitting on it again and it was imbedded with chunks of flak and the canvas cover torn to shreds. Griego had a triumphant smile from ear to ear. Sitting on that flak jacket had saved Griego's life. We never asked him to put on his flak jacket again.

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