Lewis E. Johnson
Redmond, WA

As a veteran of the European theater of operations I spent the last year of my tour of duty in England in preparation for the Normandy invasion. I served in the U.S. Naval Amphibious Forces with landings in Africa, Sicily, Italy and then Omaha Beach on “D” day. Needless to say there were some rather exciting experiences during those operations.

Which brings me to my point. I watched those B17s (and other aircraft) coming back across the Channel from raids over Germany. Some of those B17s were rather low, due to being shot up, oft an engine or two were idle. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that one day I would actually fly in one.

Thanks to the Experimental Aircraft Association I did get to fly in a B17, the Aluminum Overcast, on June 8, 2001 in Seattle, WA. The last B17 I saw was 57 years ago and that was under combat conditions. I am now 78 years old and want you to know that flight was the experience of a lifetime.