Art Kramer

ART KRAMER'S WWII STORIES

IN REMEMBRANCE OF WILLIE THE WOLF

Willie was war weary when we got him. His first crew completed their tour of duty and went home. Then we came, fresh from the US and yet to fly our first mission. Willie's scars brought home the reality of where Willie had been and where we had yet to go. He was dented, bruised and patched. Here and there some of the Plexi was crazed where flak struck home. When we climbed in, there was a strong smell of vomit mixed with urine and Cordite. Willie was the first battle scarred plane we had ever been in. And he was ours, all ours.

As I write this, memories of Willie come back. I can hear the roar and feel the vibration of the twin R-2800 engines. I can feel Willie surging forward as we start down the runway, and I can see the runway speeding away under us as our wheels slowly come up and lock in the wheel wells. As we climb to our place in the formation the air gets chilled. I plug in my electric suit and pull up the collar of my bomber jacket around me. We flew all our missions in Willie. He never let us down. He took us out. And he brought us back. Often the worse for wear with holes and dents, but he always brought us back.

Willie was always a lot more than just an airplane even though he was officially a B-26G Martin Marauder of the 344th Bomb Group, 494th Bomb Squadron of the 9th Air Force. He carried the white triangle on his tail of the 344th, and the markings K9J of the 494th.

But Willie was one of us. Over Germany we could feel Willie shudder under the punishing recoil of flak hits. But he had a heart of steel and just kept flying on. When we landed we would walk around Willie and run our fingers over the dents, into the holes and caress the peeling chipped paint. We really loved Willie as much as any man can love a machine.

When the war ended they took Willie away, placed demolition charges under his spars and blew him up. Then they bulldozed him into a ditch. And he lies buried over there to this day. I can't help but feel that with Willie a small part of each of us will always lie over there with him.

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