I was thinking the same thing. U tend to remember moments before u think ur going to die. This guy did that many times.
@Error_404-F.cks_Not_Found
2 жыл бұрын
Meanwhile I can't remember what I had for breakfast.
@mattthomas3207
2 жыл бұрын
You dont forget what those guys witnessed
@Montana_Bob
2 жыл бұрын
My dad was a Bombardier on a B17 in England. He only told me he was an “equipment operator “ in the war. After he passed away i was going through all of his stuff and found his ribbons, medals and his dd-214. I wish I could have heard his stories.
@ridgebhouse
2 жыл бұрын
This guy have to be in his 90s he is sharp with his memories and I can listen to him all day. Thank you sir for your service
@rtrobinson88321
2 жыл бұрын
Can't believe he can remember the dates and time of the day of the missions. Thank you for your service sir. God Bless You
@t.r.4496
2 жыл бұрын
My uncle survived 27 missions as a ball turret gunner. He kept journal and I can say that it's amazing to read.
@vitis65
2 жыл бұрын
Respect for him. Any who survived were very lucky. My uncle was a tailgunner and survived 35 missions including 3 crash landings and getting peppered with shrapnel over France. His pilot got decapitated by a flak burst over Hamburg.
@junipertapes
2 жыл бұрын
My grandpa was a Navigator in the 8th Air Force Spring-Summer of ‘44 (384th Bomb Group). Sounds like he may have been on some of the same missions, at least as part of a larger formation. He was over Caen on D-Day, though his target was a bridge. Then on June 8th he was over Orleans hitting a railroad bridge (not sure if it was the same bridge Ralph talks about in this video). For some reason he only needed 31 missions, not 35. First half of his tour was mostly bombing Luftwaffe targets in Germany, then D-Day happened and most of his targets were in France. His tour ended mid-July, which was a good thing because they were flipping from bombing France and going back to Germany. A lot of the guys he went over there with got shot down during their last missions. But grandpa had already gotten 31 missions so all he could do was sit in the barracks and wait for news. He passed back in ‘07, I used to ask him all about the war, but I was a kid so there were a lot of questions I didn’t know how to ask yet. I’m glad this channel is preserving the memories of those who were there.
@JoelMMcKinney
2 жыл бұрын
Wow. Make a video. Do your research and honor his memory.
@MIKEL843
2 жыл бұрын
This man is over 100 years old and sharp as a tack
@dustineaton1827
2 жыл бұрын
My great grandfather was a b17 belly gunner for 50 missions which they required only 25
@celiagorleski2716
2 жыл бұрын
My dad was a B-17 pilot. He flew 35 bombing missions in WWII. Being a B-17 pilot was what he was proudest of during his 20 years in the military.
@anthonyabbett2473
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your Service Sir You literally helped save the World.
@charleserickson7948
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Sir for your service and all the rest of you brave veterans .
@P4OE
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your service sir .
@tomsmith5216
2 жыл бұрын
The Greatest Generation. This gentleman epitomizes whybtheyvare called that. My year as crew chief on a Huey was child's play compared to one mission these men flew.
@jefftee0421
Жыл бұрын
The descriptions Ralph gives of the bombing missions he was involved in are incredibly detailed and visceral. Wow!
@korypo303
2 жыл бұрын
Unfathomable. For anyone who might be interested in watching many of the similar accounts as this Veteran has been through in a B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber during World War II, I highly recommend watching "Memphis Belle". I salute you sir.
@kennethcaine3402
2 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful HERO, HE WENT INTO EVERY MISSION NOT KNOWING IF HE WOULD MAKE IT BACK. THERE WERE SO MANY THAT DIDN'T. THANKS FOR MY FREEDOM.
@lynnwood7205
2 жыл бұрын
Our family doctor was a B-17 pilot who went to medical school on the GI Bill. But I was too young to note, or to appreciate, what he tried to tell me.
@mdlm2011
2 жыл бұрын
My grandfather was a B24 pilot, 36 missions, Medal of Honor recipient, nothing compares to that generation. Truly the greatest.
@MissDewar
2 жыл бұрын
No notes, impressive. We're all glad you made it back from Berlin. He is a piece of American history!
@Noneya5241
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for my freedom Sir!! Thank you for your service!!!
@steveeuphrates-river7342
2 жыл бұрын
A very courageous man! Thank you for your service!
@csjones5513
2 жыл бұрын
Sir, thank you so much for what you did! It must have been harrowing to experience the Nazi air defenses. And thank you for sharing your stories with us. I truly appreciate it! Such an amazing experience for you and others. I can’t even imagine the stress. You’re a champ and we appreciate you and what you did!
@scograham
2 жыл бұрын
This was extremely informative. Great storytelling. Thanks.
@madmanmechanic8847
2 жыл бұрын
I have such a soft spot for all these guys they were tougher than an old boot. They don't make men like this anymore .
@mikeseibert4889
2 жыл бұрын
God bless all those brave soldiers in WW11 everyone one of them true American heros
@rikijett310
2 жыл бұрын
It would be a very proud moment to shake hands with this hero. Thank you endlessly for your service and may God bless you always!!!! 🇺🇸
@tyronebiggums1213
2 жыл бұрын
He does seminars and will go around St. Louis and talk about his experiences in the war if your ever in St. Louis and interested. When I heard him talk he was so detailed and had a more explicit memory than people half his age. It would be worth checking out if you ever have the chance to hear him in person, the man is a gem.
@rikijett310
2 жыл бұрын
@@tyronebiggums1213 thank you for the information. Unfortunately I'm pretty far away from St. Louis but, who knows, maybe I will do a road trip.
@bigdaddydaddy3203
2 жыл бұрын
This man came home a hero
@elvishuff1267
2 жыл бұрын
Amazing stories! Thank you for your service!
@mitchellkasdin1899
2 жыл бұрын
I salute you sir for your service. Job well done!
@dubhoven1
5 ай бұрын
Mind blowing interview! Unparalleled bravery and toughness.
@burtthebeast4239
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Sir, God bless you ALL 🙏
@Diabne
2 жыл бұрын
My dad flew 33 missions as a tail gunner, that we know of. He never would tell us. He flew over Omaha Beach bombing and strafing enemy tanks. They lost one man, a waist gunner and he said that was a good day. Now our country celebrates Nazis. I can’t imagine the hurt he would feel if he was alive today. He was in the 369th bomb group.
@dukecraig2402
Жыл бұрын
Our country celebrates Nazi's? I must have missed that.
@rolisreefranch
2 жыл бұрын
Happy Birthday Ralph! 100!
@joegotz1971
Жыл бұрын
A WWII vet who I worked with was a bombardier. He would go to high schools and give lectures with many photos of before and after bombings. The auditorium was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. He became an architect after the war, and worked for the NJ Department of Building and Construction.
@stevenkilcullen
2 жыл бұрын
A REAL AMERICAN HERO!!!! Thank you Sir for all that you did!!! Not only for your fellow Americans, but for ALL OF HUMANITY!!!
@tomjones3629
2 жыл бұрын
These stories are fantastic. The average Joes and Janes doing above average feats.
@panzerattack6139
2 жыл бұрын
True heros....Godbless all.
@titoh.9461
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you sir🇺🇸
@tomfaz4193
2 жыл бұрын
Remarkable soldier
@tonybells131
2 жыл бұрын
What balls on this man, and the men like him ! Knowing his plane would take flak and just focusing on his job and the mission. WOW
@tomvdb9369
7 ай бұрын
Thank you
@marcuslaporte6704
Жыл бұрын
The fact that these men can remember the time, temperature, weather, and details of these experiences 70 years later blows my mind. I can barely remember what happened last week WTF
@dukecraig2402
Жыл бұрын
I can barely remember last week but there's things from my time in the service almost 40 years ago I remember clear as a bell, including the dates and exact locations, and I'll remember them till the day I die.
@waldopepper1
2 жыл бұрын
Outstanding!
@tomdavies241
2 жыл бұрын
salute sir. thank you!
@miltonhollis703
2 жыл бұрын
I feeled Honored just listening too this Patriot American" If it wasn't for Guys like this Patriot 👌 We all would Be Speaking German and Japanese"
@pamelaharrison3196
2 жыл бұрын
God bless him
@the_musiccellar
7 ай бұрын
Wow I’ve listened to a lot of interviews w flight crews and this is one of the wildest! This guy has seen so much! 47 out of 48 b17s destroyed in a Russian airfield while he waited out the bombing in a trench!
@daxxydog5777
Жыл бұрын
My father was also a bombadier in a B17 in the 303rd bomb group. He also said he had the glass screen explode and cut his neck. He told me about freezing from the wind and thinking he’d die because he had no idea how bad the cuts were. He promised himself that if he ever got home, he’d never fly again. And he never did.
@juniorberns
2 жыл бұрын
God Bless. Airborne🚬
@johnfenwick7641
7 ай бұрын
My uncle flew 25 missions and was about to go home when a buddy of his got sick so he volunteered to fly his mission for him and he was shot down over Germany and spent the rest of the war as a POW I always admired the selfishness of that generation
@bim-ska-la-bim4433
Жыл бұрын
Guy is amazing
@mikecain3134
29 күн бұрын
The Norden bomb sight was compromised in 1940. The Germans had one. They tested it and found it wasn't any better then the equipment they already had.
@scottswisher4840
2 жыл бұрын
The greatest generation…. They weren’t looking for participation trophies or safe rooms. Times have changed.
@rogerwilco5918
2 жыл бұрын
And not 1 bone spur amongst them.
@lavernedofelmier6496
2 жыл бұрын
Great interview with a true veteran, can’t imagine what he went through mentally mission to mission. Sadly our younger generations aren’t educated about the horrors of war and seem to be interested in letting our country deteriorate to a slum with all the free stuff. My dad put his time in Europe and father in law in the pacific and mother welding in the west coast ship yards. Seems that all the effort of millions to let us live as we have for 3 generations is about to end. 🤷🏻♂️
@MrBeck47
2 жыл бұрын
I admire all these men who did there duty to stop evil in the world. I wonder if younger generations of Americans would sacrifice there lives for future generations. Im 60 i asked my grandfather who was in the bulge why did you go. He said he didnt want to go but after time past he was happy he served because he saw what a great country the usa became
@Rusty_shackleford
2 жыл бұрын
Who even puts a thumbs down on these things lol
@simmo67
2 жыл бұрын
Oh they're part of the "weak as piss generation!!"🙄
@hughmungis713
2 жыл бұрын
It’s crazy he looks like he could have fought in Vietnam but he’s talking about WWII fighting
@steveg6978
2 жыл бұрын
Make America Great...Yhea you're looking at it.
@davidthomspson9771
2 жыл бұрын
Wow
@andrewrivera4029
2 жыл бұрын
Imagine If this guy were President how great America would be.
@richardsmith2684
7 ай бұрын
my fathers b17 hit by flak,,i crew killed with an arm off,,an 88 or 105 shell came thru the floor and out the top,,it didn't explode and would have blown the plane in half,,,the blood froze right away as he died ,,they tried to work on him and gave him a lot of morphine,,he didnt want to be bailed out,,didnt lose concious and died then,,,my father and half the crew were flak hit also,,the 22 year old capt,,pilot got the plane back,,,terrible times,,in my own unit in vietnam also,,,my father and i were the same age in our wartimes,,,20,,he was extremely upset i volunteered for viet,,,"what the hell did i go for",,
@martylost167
2 ай бұрын
He faced death more than once so you wouldn't have to. I would have been mad too, but you survived. Thanks to your family for their service.
@richardsmith2684
2 ай бұрын
@@martylost167 as i said i did also,,volunteer vietnam,,,recon infantry,,
@rrshowtime3900
2 жыл бұрын
Solid Proof of all claims required.
@L.C.Sweeney
5 ай бұрын
Having done 35 missions there must've been about a 5% chance of this man surviving the war? Was there not?
@SS-gu6hs
2 ай бұрын
Today's generation couldn't fathom let alone execute going to work and executing your assignment knowing there was a 70% chance you wouldn't return.
@antoine06066
2 ай бұрын
FDT
@adriannogales513
2 жыл бұрын
A living piece of history, listening to him is like having my grandpas B24 flight logs read to me. Amazing details. We love our WWII vets
@richardsmith2684
7 ай бұрын
my father had a mission diary,,,left behind and filled out after each,,he was flak hit on #13,,,shaky hand writing half the time,,
@MichaelDonahue-o5y
4 ай бұрын
@@richardsmith2684 4:54 😅
@klo3496
2 жыл бұрын
My dad flew 35 missions also in WW2. He was in Fifteenth Army Air Force. Ninety Ninth Bomb Group. 416th Bomber Squadron. Mostly out of North Africa and Italy. Last mission was May 7th over SE Germany. Thank you for your service sir. God Bless all of our veterans.
@johnkelly4233
7 ай бұрын
I got to meet chuck Childs at a fagen fighters show He did 33 or 35, guy was almost 90 years old sitting in a golf cart. Guy tryed to steal my wife lol. He said hey young lady wants sit over her and listen to my war stories. God bless the greatest generation
@DonnaShinn
6 ай бұрын
My Dad was a bombardier with the 15th too. 301st heavy bomber sqn. 40 missions. He was the "old man" on the crew most of the time. He was 24 and had been in the Army for 4 years already. He had to fly a lot of missions because of the horrible loss of crews and Forts and the slow replacement rotation. He and all those Boys in the Bombers were true American heroes. Salute! ❤
@ChancetheCanine
Ай бұрын
❤❤
@johnburrows1179
2 жыл бұрын
These guys were phenomenal. Heroic beyond description. About 10 years ago I was fortunate enough to go to an air show w B17s. As I crawled inside I was dumbfounded as to how cramped and small it was. You couldn’t stand up. I paid $400 for a 5 minute flight. I came down and my wife was waiting. She said how was it? I looked at her and said there’s no fn way I would have flown in these things. I can’t even imagine being 30,000 ft at -30 with flak and enemy aircraft. Jesus. I was a grunt in Vietnam 68-70. I’ll take the ground any day. My salute to every guy who ever flew in these🇺🇸
@screamingbaboon664
Ай бұрын
ha, I laughed at your response to your wife asking how was it? Yeah imagine being in one of those ball turrets on a mission in -30 degrees unpressurised for 14 hours 😶😶
@Brace67
2 жыл бұрын
Amazing stories from this brave airman who flew all those combat missions and somehow survived to tell his stories today so many years later. There are no words strong enough to express my admiration for this man and countless others who did their duty to help save the world from Hitler and the Nazis.
@JoelMMcKinney
2 жыл бұрын
VALORIOUS
@dotell3359
2 жыл бұрын
I feel that same way. Got bless you Sir and merry Christmas and Happ new year 🎊
@leithmark959
2 жыл бұрын
This is what people endured to ensure that YOU have the rights and liberties largely taken for granted. Today those rights and liberties are under even greater threat. I fear that the enemy is within this time around and if people don’t recognise the threat and act accordingly, everything these brave and selfless people gave us, on a silver platter at no cost to us personally will be gone forever.
@billjones5817
2 жыл бұрын
Well said. And it needs to be said.
@Bikewithlove
2 жыл бұрын
I’m doing what I can. This one is a psychological war. I’m good at figuring things out, but the way people choose evil wilfully and hubristically in their hearts is a dastardly thing. I’ve been looking it in the eye when it comes up to the surface. It’s a war of words and for reputation. Speaking words of personal independence and of well-grounded inspiration arouses the evil egotist - the accuser - in the ideologically possessed, and when the monster comes out the person can be neutralized if handled carefully. Learn psychology, and it’ll help you to be less afraid but it’ll also give you tools and ways to trick the enemy. This is a psychological war for the social standing - which means pay and food, and well-being. When this enemy is on to you that you’re on to it, its weapon is calumny and social isolation. This war can only be fought one-on-one, moment to moment. Good luck out there. Steady as she goes.
@soyounoat
2 жыл бұрын
I agree 100%. Americans who hate America have grown in number to an alarming level.
@bensears7499
2 жыл бұрын
@@soyounoat I guess they are not Americans then.
@MF-rtard89
2 жыл бұрын
@@bensears7499 doesn't matter. They outnumber you unfortunately.
@robotslug
2 жыл бұрын
I love how he presented the shrapnel, dude is a natural storyteller!
@shaunstrange1617
2 жыл бұрын
Braver smarter , more of a man than I could hope to be . You are the American we all aspire to be . Thank you Sir for sharing this !
@davidmay5338
2 жыл бұрын
This generation has NO equal, my Dad was a 19 year old B-24 pilot, it is freezing @ that altitude & oh yeah, enemy fighters & flak trying to shoot you down, nowadays the 19 year old cries when soy latte not hot enough.
@dbohler8640
2 жыл бұрын
This man is a national treasure. I can’t imagine what it took to go back up a second time after experiencing the fighter attacks, the flak; and watching so many other planes being shot down. I’ll bet he aged 10 years mentally every time he went up. God bless him.
@that1guy449
2 жыл бұрын
This gentleman did not miss a beat, rare at this age. Thank you for your service sir and it was an honor to listen.
@hilldwler420
2 жыл бұрын
These videos need a love not a like button. “No greater love than to give one’s life for his brothers.” Thank you ,sir and to your comrades for your sacrifices .
@billybarefoot1111
2 жыл бұрын
100 years old and still on point. Amazing
@wesharris2559
2 жыл бұрын
We owe people like him so much, I can't even imagine what it was like.
@brianrobertson1211
4 ай бұрын
Yes. We owe more than we could ever pay. All we can do is conduct our lives in a manner that honor those sacrifices.
@philbrennaman4572
2 жыл бұрын
A statistic I found interesting, the 8th Air Force had over 26,000 causualties in 2 years. The USMC lost 24,511 (19,733 battle casualties) the entire war. The island hopping campaign was as close to hell on earth (as is all combat) as you will find. But the number of Airmen that went out on a mission, and never came home is mind boggling. It took a special kind of heroic to go back out, after seeing 50% of your Airmen shot down, and there was nothing you could do. Respect is just such an insignificant word, compared to how I feel about these men.
@JoelMMcKinney
2 жыл бұрын
The word sir, is VALORIOUS. 🇺🇸
@Broccoli997
2 жыл бұрын
Well said
@stevek8829
2 жыл бұрын
Casualties does not mean killed, it includes wounded. The USMC had more casualties in Vietnam than WWII, but fewer KIA.
@philbrennaman4572
2 жыл бұрын
@@stevek8829 I was listing KIA numbers. The Marines lost almost 5000 non combat fatalities, that 19,733 is KIA. It is hard to find a hard number on AAF fatalities broken down in combat deaths, and non combat. Since they were part of the Army then, I could not find that stat for AAF only. It was probably pretty high, flying did not have quite the flying record we have today.
@stevek8829
2 жыл бұрын
@@philbrennaman4572 I gathered that you were, and I corrected. You're welcome.
@meadows408
2 жыл бұрын
No words are sufficient to express my gratitude for the greatest generation. My Dad survived 34 missions as a gunner on a B17 in the 15th AF and was sent home after VE day and on his way to the pacific when the war ended. A slow salute of respect and esp. for the Tuskegee Airmen that flew cover for them. I owe them my life.
@tomgabel4495
2 жыл бұрын
I just can’t imagine what it would be like to be flying one of those amazing planes through flak in the night sky. must have been terrifying I just see all the noise and rattling in movies and imagine how much worse and crazier it probably was from the eyes of the pilot actually being there.
@stevek8829
2 жыл бұрын
First imagine just riding in one. You might be a radio gunner next to an open window at 25,000 ft and 40° below zero with 250 mph winds blowing through. You have to wear oxygen masks and wear thick gloves while you make sure your 50 BMG is ready. That's enough for me, without the flak and search lights and fighters. Pilots nowadays crash if a kid points a laser pointer at them.
@redsballer1904
2 жыл бұрын
@@stevek8829 I was lucky enough to go on a flight tour in a b17 a little over a year ago, they are incredibly loud inside, cold af, there is only sheet metal between you and outside, and very little room to move around. If I was any bigger (I’m 5’9 190lbs) i think I would be too big to move around with any comfort. What a plane tho, it’s amazing.
@JamesBond-et2hy
2 жыл бұрын
Love these stories watched every single one and its incredible to hear these veterans talk
@JoelMMcKinney
2 жыл бұрын
Im working on it. Taking it slow but steady.
@23draft7
2 жыл бұрын
Isn't it. Just fantastic!!
@JoelMMcKinney
2 жыл бұрын
@DRFelGood
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your Service, courage and sacrifice for freedom 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
@dr.barrycohn5461
2 жыл бұрын
Wow, what an amazing fellow. 👏 wish I knew more details about this guy.
@ter8901
2 жыл бұрын
True American hero. Thank you for all you gave sir. My grandpa was in AAA 136th BN t4 communications specialist.
@shawnpa
2 жыл бұрын
The 8th Air Corps consisted entirely of great men. God bless them.
@bendaves77
2 жыл бұрын
I had 2 great uncles that served in ww2.. one was a pilot and the other was a rifleman... the pilot Uncle Edwin came back and was a farmer until the day he passed away and I'd go out to help him do chores including bailing hay.. the soldier became a owner operator truck driver that ran from the midwest out to California and back every week and was the first one to take me to Cali at the age of 10 in a semi truck.. I loved when they'd come pick me up because they needed some help doing whatever.. I didn't mind the work especially because I knew that at lunch or supper I'd get to ask questions about their experience in the war.. that generation of Americans was the best that has & will ever be..
@emmgeevideo
2 жыл бұрын
Those guys had guts.
@beyondtheclearblueskies
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you and your parents for creating a brAve, true , and ferocious knight of the skies , thank you your service, amen
@ronaldwarren5220
2 жыл бұрын
Where did we find such men? Amazing. I have been under artillery fire and it turns your guts to jelly.
@stevek8829
2 жыл бұрын
I'm glad you got home. Hope you're well.
@FullFrontalExposure
2 жыл бұрын
Imagine one flak burst knocking out two engines
@janew2108
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for sharing with the future. These stories will always be relevant.
@jerseybob4471
2 жыл бұрын
A wonderful remembrance. We should all remember that freedom is not free. In St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England, behind the main altar, is the American Memorial Chapel. In the Chapel is a huge leather bound book. The book contains the names of every American serviceman who was stationed in England and was killed in World War 2. Every day they turn a page.
@howitzer8946
2 жыл бұрын
A salute sir. Thank you so much.
@Surf427
2 жыл бұрын
What a f**king BOSS and his mind is so sharp. Happy Belated Birthday Grandpa Goldsticker! And thank you🇺🇸 🏅 (and the 6 dislikes, you may want to reconsider. This guy is a bada**!)
@ottoso7044
2 жыл бұрын
Love when there’s new veteran videos . Need more Vietnam ones
@23draft7
2 жыл бұрын
There coming. God 🙏🙏 bless you. Thanks! Special people.
@Error_404-F.cks_Not_Found
2 жыл бұрын
They are trying to get all the WWII guys before they are all gone. Luckily we have a few more years to get to the Vietnam guys before they have all passed.
@ottoso7044
2 жыл бұрын
@@Error_404-F.cks_Not_Found yeah that makes sense
@23draft7
2 жыл бұрын
@@Error_404-F.cks_Not_Found what I figured also but asked kind of the same question on another interview. Just was putting it out there. Hoping they do.
@Error_404-F.cks_Not_Found
2 жыл бұрын
@@23draft7 I agree for sure.
@23draft7
2 жыл бұрын
What a guy. God 🙏🙏🙏 bless you sir. Thank you for all you did, and your mates also!
@discaddicts
2 жыл бұрын
Stumbled on this and it made my day! Freedom is not free, thanks for your courage sir.
@shirleylake7738
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your service and sacrifice 🙏 ❤. Those memories are part of you and history. They never fade in your mind. I know because my father was a WWII soldier.
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