Ok, here is the deal. My grandfather served in WWII and he was a pilot in the US. Army. I want to get a tattoo of the kind of plane he flew, with an orange rose rite next 2 it. It is going to be in honor of him since he died when i was real little...What i NEED 2 know is, is there any possible way that i can find out what kind of plane he flew, and/or get a picture of it? If so, can ANYBODY "point" me in the right direction? Any and all help is greatly aprreciated ahead of time, so thank you so very much...
2007-10-03 22:44:25 · 5 answers · asked by *♥* N. D. *♥* 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Also, the plane pic, if i can get it, DOESN"T have to be THE one he flew, it can be a modern replica....if you yourself, do by any chance know the plane he could have flown...
2007-10-03 22:46:09 · update #1
My Grandfathers name was Werner F. Merz, and he flew in European theater.
I have one of his "dog tags" but it doesn’t tell me anything i dont know. My grandmother is dead, and his sister doesn’t know much. What I do have is this laminated little driver license looking thingy. If I remember correctly it say honorable discharge and it may even have the squadron he flew in...The problem is that it is SO small and I can't read it...but I think he might have been (if I remember correctly from when I could read it,) a Srgt. and in squadron 14, and was station in Germany, France, and Switzerland form what I think I remember at least…
2007-10-04 06:45:09 · update #2
You have to be more specific than this. The US Army Air Corp in WW2 had dozens of different planes, from fighters, to bombers to transport planes to recon planes.
Can you describe the plane? 1 engine? 2? 4?
Was it a single seater? Did it have a crew? How was it armed? What color was it? Where did it fly from?
A lot of these questions seem tough, but will greatly help in figuring out what he flew. You didnt mention his name or if he flew in the Pacific or European theater. If you could give more info, I can help you out.
2007-10-03 22:58:39 · answer #1 · answered by sixtymm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm guessing that you are not able to ask your grandmother or other family member about this...It would be the easiest way to get the info you need. No one in the family knows which plane?
Okay, assuming not......You'll need to obtain your grandfather's DD214 form from the Veteran's Administration. It is a document which outlines the veteran's service record and serves as his/her discharge papers. The DD214 is a record which most vets consider very valuable, so it may be in your grandfather's "papers". Do you have access to those, or to someone who does have access to them? If not, you can obtain one with the signature of his next of kin....that could be a son or daughter. You can get the ball rolling by using this website:
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/
When you get the DD214, it will list any military units he served with. With that info, you'll have to do some research to determine what aircraft that unit flew. I found several websites which were basically forums for vets and their families looking for others who they served with. You would search google using the unit's name and number.
This is probably going to be a long-drawn out job for you. But like most things in life...it should be well worth your effort. And you will undoubtedly learn much about your heroic grandfather.
Bravo for you for wanting to honor him in such a way. I'm sure he is smiling down on you.
2007-10-04 06:08:16 · answer #2 · answered by artistagent116 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to do some research at home. Such as finding letters, photos and physical stuff like that. If you can find out what unit/squadron your grandfather was with, then you can google it and may be able to find out what kind of aircraft the unit flew. Once you know the type of aircraft you can google that and should be able to get plenty of pictures of it.
2007-10-04 06:21:17 · answer #3 · answered by alexco 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The link below is for the web site of the Commemorative Air Force. They are the ones who fly vintage aircraft in many of the air shows throughout the country. At the bottom of their "contact us" page is their address. If you write them and include a sketch of that "plane art" you described, they may be able to provide the information you seek.
2007-10-04 11:21:58 · answer #4 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh yes!, he flew a Boeing B-29 straight to Nagasaki in 1945.
2007-10-04 06:15:06 · answer #5 · answered by Mr. Spock 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋