Pastor unites WWII veterans with similar service paths 05/27/09 Email this story to a friend The following story was written by Jim Peyton, three-year resident of Fulton and pastor of Wesley, Water Valley and Bethlehem United Methodist Churches. Peyton has met with many WWII veterans, and documented their accounts of the war, an interest he developed after his uncle, a WWII pilot of a B29 Bomber, became a second father to him and whose courage and sacrifice he admired. One of these elderly men may live just down the street from you but you may be unaware of the courage and self-sacrifice this person made on your behalf. He may have medals of honor hanging from his wall, even a purple heart, but you often won’t know it. If you see a man about 85 years old or older, stop and politely ask him, “Sir, did you serve your country in World War II?” Chances are good that you will then hear some incredible stories of bravery, but you may have to pull it out of him a little. We are surrounded by unsung war heroes and for years I have searched for them and found their stories to be inspirational nuggets of gold. Let me tell you about two such nuggets – their names are Bob Ryan and Duward McAlister. Both men are 87 years old, both served in India during World War II in close proximity to each other, both now live in Fulton, only a mile apart and yet they never met face to face – until May 10, 2009, 64 years after the end of that terrible war in which they both served. I was thrilled to introduce them to each other, photograph them, and sit with notebook in hand to listen to them swap amazing memories from their times in India and China. I feel like a window into the past had opened wide before me and I had a clear view. Three years ago I had the privilege of meeting Duward McAlister at Wesley United Methodist Church in Hickman County, in the community of Beelerton. I am his pastor. I discovered he had served in World War II, stationed in Mohanberi, India and the Assam Valley. He was an engineer/mechanic on board large cargo planes, such as the C-46 and C-47 which “flew the Hump.” The “Hump” was the expression used to describe the dangerous Himalayan Mountains, which Duward flew over to carry supplies to American troops in China. The missions were terribly fearful and life-threatening, given the dense fog, the clouds, the mountains, and the frequent attacks from Japanese fighter pilots. Maneuvering over the mountains under such conditions, carrying a heavy load of cargo, including bombs and gas, often led to crashes into the side of the mountains or being shot down by the enemy. Now what are the chances that living one mile from Duward and only 100 yards from my house, I happen to meet another World War II veteran who was a highly decorated pilot of those huge cargo planes that flew the “Hump” himself?” Such coincidences, some call them synchronicities, send chills down my spine, but it happened as I took my morning walk. I carry dog treats with me as I walk up and down my street for exercise. Recently I noticed an elderly man near my house with his dog. He and I struck up a conversation, as I handed a treat to his dog. I soon discovered to my astonishment that this man had flown the “Hump”! He had flown it 72 times as a highly experienced, expert pilot. You would have to call Bob Ryan the “cream of the crop” in skillful pilots. I sat spellbound on May 10 as I listened to Bob and Duward swap World War II memories at Bob’s house. They talked for two hours and it seemed like two minutes. Bob had flown a C-87 cargo plane, which had been converted from a B-24. He flew often from Tezpur, India over the dreadful Himalayan Mountains to Kunming, China. Military commanders agreed that a flight over the “Hump” was more dangerous than a bombing mission over Europe. Over 1,300 pilots and crew members lost their lives flying the “Hump.” Over 500 transport planes crashed attempting these missions. The cargo planes transported supplies for American troops in China, especially bombs for the B-29 bombers, known as “Super-fortresses.” They were the largest planes in the world at the time. In addition to transporting bombs, other supplies including such things as gasoline, cigarettes, and even live pack-mules! In 1988 Bob received a letter of thanks from the Chinese government and a certificate from the Chinese Air Force to honor him, signed by General Hsing-Ling, commander in chief. Bob was also sent the Chinese wings to wear as a medal of heroic honor. Our military awarded Bob with the coveted Distinguished Flying Cross, another medal of honor. Both Bob and Duward saw unforgettable things on their flights. One of Duward’s friends was killed as the plane exploded in mid-air, triggered by tons of gasoline on board as cargo. When Japanese fighter planes, known as “Zeroes” came to attack Bob’s plane, he would fly to high altitudes which they could not reach. He could do this though only when his own plane was light enough from having emptied its load of cargo. He remembered looking down at the enemy planes circling below him, eager to blast him out of the sky. Duward wore a military –issued cloth jacket with Chinese words on the back to let the natives know he was friendly in case he got lost. He jokingly said he never knew what the words even meant but he still wore the jacket. Bob stated that he never had time to be afraid – he had to fly the plane, but there were occasions when after landing he would actually shake in his body when he had had a close call, a brush with death. To relax him after he landed, the flight surgeon would give him a shot of whiskey, an ounce or two. This would help him get some needed rest, but after only eight or 12 hours he was awakened to prepare for another flight. The mental, emotional and physical stress of this constantly on your body and mind is hard to imagine. When listening to these stories one realizes that every time these men flew those planes while they were risking their lives. When they left the ground they never knew if they were coming back alive. Bob said, “I was one lucky man to always get back alive.” Both men recalled how the war brought the country together and how everyone went to war effort, even housewives and sixteen-year-olds worked in factories. Both men lamented our recent invasion of Iraq, believing it to be a big mistake. On one occasion Bob’s C-87 four engine cargo plane had an engine failure, so he had to open the cargo doors to dump his heavy load in order to lighten the plane’s weight. He managed to fly over the mountains with only 3 engines running. When the cargo door was opened to dump the load, the engineer was almost sucked out of the plane by the strong wind, He held on for dear life and survived. The temperatures on the ground were often sweltering hot, especially during the monsoon season. But after boarding the plane and climbing to high altitudes, the temperature inside would reach 30 degrees below zero, so cold inside the plane that frost would form. The men wore wool-lined, sheepskin flight jackets. On board each plane there was the pilot, co-pilot, a radio operator and an engineer, also called the mechanic. Everything else on the plane was cargo. Sometimes their flights took them near Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. Most of their flights were at night, to avoid the Japanese fighter pilots. Night flying and thick fog meant flying solely by trusting your instruments. Bob attended the best flight training schools in the country and specialized in flying in complete dependence on his instrument readings. Use of the oxygen masks was essential in high altitudes and the men grew weary of wearing them. Usually after climbing to 8,000 to 10,000 feet they put on the masks. With oxygen masks there was no talking and certainly no laughing or joking around. Once one of the planes disappeared and it was feared the crew would never be seen again, but incredibly, after six long months, a group of mountain men from Tibet packed an injured crew member down from the mountain in a rope-sling. He had suffered a broken back and they had cared for him. The only time the Hump flights were shut down was on Dec. 11, 1944 due to horrible weather. Eleven planes and all the crews were lost that day, so the remaining flights were canceled. The clouds and fog were so thick at night that Duward described it this way, “they looked like huge black mountains.” In other words the visibility was zero; you could see nothing out of the plane window but ace pilots like Bob flew anyway in what they called “blind flying.” Duward grew accustomed to the tea plantations all around him, for all he had to drink was hot tea and warm water. Imagine having to drink this in a hot climate where he had no ice, no milk, no coffee. There was only one refrigerator in their kitchen for 300 soldiers. As a mechanic/engineer Duward removed and replaced wings on the planes and even changed entire engines. He made “ice runs” to the famed Marauders, who were fighting the Japanese in Burma, India. All the planes were known for frequent fuel leaks and hydraulic leaks, which could be disastrous. Bob described many of the pilots as looking so young they appeared to be fresh out of high school. Bob and Duward often carried their loads to northern China to the Chengtu area. They would at times allow Chinese troops to ride back with them to Burma, India. Bob’s favorite plane was the P-38, used for camera duty. It could reach speeds up to 300 miles per hour with a bit of help from the wind. Bob flew on one occasion as a co-pilot on a B-25. This plane model was made famous by the Doolittle raiders who used the B-25 in a surprise attack on Tokyo that was very successful. Bob called the B-25 “a wonderful plane.” It is no wonder these men developed an affectionate attachment to their planes, since their lives depended on a plane that proved trustworthy. The planes were given personal names and at times artfully painted with the feminine features of a girlfriend back home. In Bob’s den I felt I had entered a sacred shrine. There hangs on the wall a painting of his plane, the C-87. On another wall there is a photo of Bob as a small boy, standing beside his toy airplane. A third photo shows Bob in his pilot’s uniform which he wore when he flew for 25 years after the war for North Central Airlines, now known as Northwest Airlines. Bob Ryan and Duward McAlister, both now 87 years old, are quiet heroes to me. They are humble, salt-of-the-earth type men. Very soon all of our World War II veterans will be gone. Let’s not wait till later to give them their roses. Let’s honor them now. These two men are why Tom Brokaw titled his best selling book “The Greatest Generation” as an apt description of a breed of brave men who are now rare and hard to find-our World War II veterans. They have so much to each us if we will but listen. Bob still exercises by walking each day in the early morning and still drives his car. Duward still has a very strong grip in his handshake, is fit and trim and recently drove all the way to Baltimore by himself to visit his family. As they say, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore. After the war they returned home and resumed life after the horrors they had endured. How can we dare ignore them and not gratefully acknowledge their courage and sacrifice? I was honored to read Bob’s flight record book. He had carefully logged every flight he had ever made-hundreds of them- the thousands of hours he flew, the date, the destination, and the model of plane. On one page I found these words: “Chattles, wealth, or real estate by simple fact or quirk of fate we can’t bestow when we expire, whether interred deep or urned by fire. But recorded word that here you see, all left to all posterity, as our only legacy.”