Real WW2 Bomber Pilot Tells His Story | Memoirs Of WWII #52
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- World War II bomber pilot Ralph Waldrop recalls his experience flying a B-26 and a C-47 over war-torn Europe. From the Invasion of Southern France to the Battle of the Bulge, and many bombing runs in between, Ralph flew over 100 missions in the war against Germany.
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Written and Directed by Joshua Scott
Filmed by Christian McLean
Edited by Joshua Scott
Post Audio by Lane Tarr
Archive Footage Sources:
www.archives.gov/
Archive Photo Sources:U.S. Navy
Royal Air Force Bombardier Command
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
National Museum of the US Air Force
Primary Musical Score Source:
artlist.io/
Artlist Songs and Composers:
“We Finally Made It” by Kyle Preston
“Did You Ever Go Sailing” performed by Lulu Belle and Scotty (1940)
#history #ww2 #veteran #wwii #military #mastersoftheair #pearlharbor #airforce
Sir the ammo and gasoline you flew in the Battle of the Bulge helped save my Grand Father's Life what you did literally made my very existence possible.
❤
same here my man, my grandpa would only ever say 2 things about his time in the war, they were both about the Buldge.
Ralph lived to be 100. Thank you Ralph.
LLR God speed ol boy
God speed 💔
One of the happiest people telling stories ive ever heard. RIP Hero
Years ago I dated a German woman who's grandfather flew in the Luftwaffe during the whole war. He flew combat missions during the invasion of the West,during the Battle of Britain and at the final months of the war as a Defence of the Reich pilot. He shot down several fighters and bombers the stories he told me about his fighter group engaging the bomber formations are gutwrenching. The stories he told me about the times he shot down B-17's and B-24's... I'm just glad I met this man. Unfortunately he passed away about 13 yrs ago,he started to write down his memoirs a few years prior, but unfortunately never got to finish it.... R.I.P. to all the brave men who fought in the skies over Europe,German and Allies alike.
Would be interesting to read what he managed to write down, even if it isn’t complete.
I hope the aircrew of the planes he shot down were alright, even if it’s unlikely…
@Cybermat47 I don't have contact anymore with the family, they moved to another town, but yeah I would've loved gotten the few notebooks he had written...
We need to read his memoirs
His memoirs? He was part of the invasion of the west. Go read about these murderers of women and children. They would strafe the citizens evacuating on the roads out of Paris. He’s vermin and not to be associated with this man speaking here.
I wouldn't date a German to save my life. 😂
Rest in peace the greatest generation I was hoping he was still with us..my dad passed in 2017 he fought in Europe too..
I was hoping this entire time, that he would still be alive. What a Hero, great laugh as he is going trough his experiences.
Ralph Waldrop lived to be 100 years old. He died in 2023.
@lesliegoodman-malamuth9796
May he rest in peace, the greatest generation.
Ralph Waldrop was, IMHO, a Hero. He stated, IIRC, that he flew 75 missions.
Ralph was fortunate to make it to 100 years. There are many that pass away just shy of that Century mark. My father and father-in-law both WW2 Veterans passed away at 98 years.
RIP all of you Mighty Warriors that have gone to your rest. God Bless you all.
@@harrisonmantooth7363The video description says 100 missions!!!
@@truthtriumphant Well pardon me. Guess I'll have to watch it again.
He sounded like a hell of a nice man to hang around with. The bus driver story was funny. It got him laughing pretty good both times. Haha! He, like everyone else that made it back, definitely had the hard memories that hurt him. I’m grateful to have heard him talk just now. Rest easy, sir.
And he was just dying laughing during the parachute story 😂
I was at a Dr’s office and I couldn’t quit giggling. His laughter is infectious.
Glad you got his story before he passed away
We lose too many of the Greatest Generation daily…
Imagine those that we don’t get to hear from…
Oh what stories and memories…
Every opportunity I get I’ve been trying to meet as many ww2 vets as I can. I just want to meet them before they are gone just so I can hear their story and sort of have a connection with them. Since once they’re gone I don’t want to regret never getting to meet them.
What an American hero - Mr. Ralph Waldrop!!! What a wonderful man with a great sense of humor!!!God bless you!!!❤❤💯🇺🇸👏🥰
Good timing with the "Masters of the Sky" series running 👍
I was going to comment this but you beat me! Haha!
Rest in peace, Ralph. Thank you for serving our country.
Friends or Foe. they shall not be forgotten. Rest n Peace to all of the Soldiers During The Second World War.
Rest In Peace, Sir.
My great grandfather served in the Eighth Airforce in England between 1941-1943. Thank you for you service. The Greatest Generation 🙌
Been a while since a new veteran's video came out, I was starting to worry about the channel. So happy to see another story from the Greatest Generation! 🇺🇸
Thank you so much sir, for your dedication and sacrifice to this great country. If it was not for a few good men like you, our freedoms would not be free 🇺🇸
He had a wonderful story. Just like my grandfather who was a WW2 veteran here in my country the Philippines. Wherein my grandfather fought the Japanese in the Pacific theater.
May they both rest in peace.
Was he one of the Filipino Scouts?
@@jvleasure yes and he was a guerilla as well. When he died he was given military honors US military honors.
@@roselindaracellefernandez9660 awesome. The scouts and guerrillas had it rough...
@@jvleasure yes that's what my grandpa used to tell us his grandkids. They had a hard life back then.
@roselindaracellefernandez9660 i have a uniform that belonged to a Filipino Scout that was either captured at Corregidor or survived the Bataan Death March. He survived the camps, joined the US Army, moved to America and served during the Korean War.
Next week I am going to a homeschool learning center to lecture on WWII. It is always great to teach the next generation about the amazing stories of the WWII generation. I have all my lectures up as well if anyone wants to watch them. I have been a college history professor for over 25 years.
This needs to awaken peoples minds to NEVER turn to war. End all wars.
My grandfather flew this plane during the war. They made him teach people after a while. His brother is buried at the Lorraine cemetery in France. I think about what they went through alot.
My great uncle was a B17 pilot in the 92nd bomb group. He flew 37 missions over Europe, losing two aircraft in the English Channel on the return trip. By the end of the war, he had earned various medals including an air medal with oak leaf cluster. Im told when he returned from the war, he burned all of his medals and destroyed his possesions from the war because he felt he wasnt worthy. His father was a WW1 veteran, so i imagine that was a huge influence on him.
I wish i knew all of this before he passed so i could learn more of his story. As always, thank you guys for giving these veterans a voice.
Your Uncle is a Hero in my eyes.
He was part of the Greatest Generation To Have Ever Walked The Earth!! ❤🇺🇸🙏
God Bless Him and His Buddies Who Flew All of Those Missions and Came Home Again...❤💙🇺🇸😞
I think you can have his medals restored /reimbursed/reinstituted (apply for it, I am not sure about the technical terminology here), 37 missions are very exceptional indeed-only a few were able to accomplish that, contact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs they should be able to guide you, take the medals and go to his resting place and show them to him-I think he would like that...or get his records of decorations and include them in the inscription of his headstone (people all over the world are in debt to him and the above is just a humble respectful suggestion).
@@christersvensson4948 Great idea! Yes! I believe that they would infact help him out..if he would want his Uncle's medals??..
I hope that he can get them, because I am now invested in this story..
So please let us know if you do!!
My Uncle flew B-17's in Europe. After he got home he never wanted to fly an airplane again. Many years later he did join the Confederate Air Force.
@christersvensson4948 thank you for the suggestion, I have heard such but haven't yet contacted them to get replacement metals. His brother was killed during the battle of the Bulge so perhaps I'll get his metals as well and store them together.
what a legend
Definitely. A movie should be made about his story, or ones similar.
My great grandfather flew 63 missions over Europe in a B-26 as part of the 387th Bomb Group of the 9th Air Force. So cool to see a video sharing the story of another veteran who served on a B-26. I don’t come across many videos about B-26s let alone the men who served on them. Unfortunately, I never got to meet my great grandfather, making videos like this all the more special and interesting to me. We owe so much to the greatest generation and can never thank them enough. 🇺🇸
Yes you could tell he was a good man....kind heart
God bless all who served.
"It's a hell of a way to settle something" hits home!
Imagine having to stay straight and level, and just take it! If i had to be in the air, i sure as heck would have prefered being in a P-51! My respect, sir!🫡
Mr. Waldrop sir. I had a good chuckle when you said when dropping bombs on gasoline depots you really knew when you hit them. Course you knew when you missed them to.😅 Thank you for securing the freedoms my family has . ( Skimmer) USAF Ret.
101 years, wow
These guys are absolute LEGENDS...
I can't imagine what they endured and went through...
God Bless Them All...and God Bless The Ones Who Didn't Come Back Home...❤ 🙏💙🇺🇸
What a truly great hero! Thought about how much harder the others had it. What a laugh. Thank you Ralph, for what you did for your country. RIP. My flag flies for you today 2/3/24.
I love Ralph's laugh, his ability to laugh about his good fortune with his friends amid a dark time. Thank you Ralph.
Thank you so much for this channel! I am 66 and did not talk with my Dad much about his service in the Navy.I so regret that now. These guys were true heroes. The real deal. I was doing ok watching this until I saw at the end Mr. Waldrop had died in 2023. Now I am crying. The greatest generation? You damn right they are. Love watching these stories. Thanks again. And thank you to these WWII veterans that jumped into the fray to help save the world.
God bless you Sir for your service,sacrifice and courage for freedom ❤️❤️
Wow! After 4 months.
I'm sure it's getting much harder to find veterans.
This channel is an amazing archive of people, lives and stories that many people born nowadays will never hear in real life again.
What a great man of that great generation!!! And a good old southern boy who did his country proud!!!🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
We need to understand this generation more, as a nation. Thank you for giving these heroes an opportunity to share their story and help us understand the sacrifice of this generation. God bless.
I love how overjoyed he was at the woman who thought he was a bus driver!
Everytime I watch these episodes, I start to tear up. This generation went through so much, lived through it. I tell myself all the time I was born in the wrong decade.
Me too! Those times were tough, but overall seemed to better in terms of people’s values. People were friendlier, less snobby and valued family, Christianity and close friends much more, in my opinion.
RIP Ralph. Hooaahh from a fellow Airman. What a great laugh. I feel like that was a if I dont laugh I would cry moment. My grandfather was 12th AF, WW2. He was in Sardinia as well.
Oh man, what a character!!!! Thank you for your service sir!! Your family must have a huge hole in it after you passed on. May you rest in peace.
Never forget. 🙏 Thank you for preserving history.
Thank you for your service Ralph! May you rest in peace. Loved this story so much. 😢
101 is a hell of an age to make it to. Thank you for your story and for your service; rest in peace, Ralph 🕊️
Very impactful. Thank you for bringing these stories to life. I think more people need to remember the sacrifices of our WWII service members and their passion for protecting our democracy and way of life.
R.I.P. and thanks for your service WHAT A GENERATION!!!!
I’ve missed the videos. These videos help me feel connected with my grandfather
Yep me too!!!
And me with my father. Rest well Dad. A hero!
Thank you sir for your service and dedication to our country. I’m 45 years old and people from my area will never forget what you’ve done for us. We try and pass it on to our nieces and nephews and get them to understand exactly what you sacrificed.
There is no possible way any of us from proceeding generations can truly understand what these men endured -
but we sure as hell can honor, appreciate and remember.
The older I get, the more I acknowledge that fact - and the gratitude just comes heavy and naturally from within.
God bless and keep them all - and may our country once again become healed and thankful.
- Ed on the Ridge
Thank you, Mr Waldrop. ❤
Thank you for bringing Ralph's story to us. He was a true hero and I'm happy to know his story is being preserved.
Thanks!
Hey I just saw a news story on a WWll vet from California named Arthur Larson
Just turned 104
Need to get his story!!
His story was on Fox News between 10 and 11 pm March 5th
Thanks again for all you guys do!
"You looked like the bus driver."😀😆😂
Coming from men like Ralph, I love the simple humorous stories where people can laugh at themselves. He chuckled a few times. A great outlook towards life.
😭😭😭 I hate that at the end you find out that he's passed away always make me burst into tears
I love these videos. You’re doing great work. My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. He was a flight instructor. He survived the war, though I don’t know very much more than that about is service record. He passed away 4 years before I was born. 1990. I’m thankful for these videos, just being able to hear their stories, but also knowing they don’t have much more time.
A correction here, you stated the 444th Bomb Squadron was in the 340th Bomb Group. Actually the 444th was a part of the 320th Bomb Group. The 340th Bomb Group flew B-25's not B-26's. Great interview by the way. Glad you got his story before he passed.
What an incredible man with incredible stories. Everyone should watch this right now as this country is so divided. Maybe they need reminders as to why America is worth fighting for.
Just wanted to say u do an awesome job with your u tube channel. Enjoy listening to the veterans accounts and ordeal they have been through. Thanks to the veterans and your u tube channel. Really enjoy military history. Thank u very much. Respectfully herr Dave blackburn
Damn... That caught me off guard. Rest in Peace, Good Sir You have done you time in hell. Thank You, Ralph
Rest in Peace Sir and thank you for our freedom.
Can’t wait to watch this when I get off work.
Ralph sounded like he was a lot of fun to be around RIP sir.
Thank you for you service Sir. I often wondered why my father would not talk about his years on a destroyer during WWII.
This man,is priceless,,,,,
As always, God bless our greatest generation!
Beautiful story of bringing wounded troops back safely. I never did that, but I was once asked about the bus schedule by an elderly lady while I was waiting at a Greyhound station in Mississippi. That was in the late 1970s. I guess Greyhound bought their uniforms from the same supplier the Air Force used. The driver got a good laugh out of it.
Like I say in all the Memoirs of WW2, these fighting Men were absolutely THE GREATEST GENERATION 🇺🇸
I know he was laughing but I’m sure he had some very traumatic moments. My dad served in the Vietnam War and saw things no one should see! RIP sir and thank you for your service!
I can tell this Man knows how to party! Thank you for your service! 🇺🇸🗽
I love that this guy is laughing the entire time. He doesn’t even know how tough he was. Haha.
It always strikes me that these old fellows telling these stories were usually only 20 years old or so doing these duties. Literally the same age as my two boys are now. I always wonder of the emotions of all the parents that had to see their children venture out and fight these wars. Wondering if they would ever see them again, wondering what kind of hell they might go through to uphold freedom and country.
I just started the video, but I just wanted to say thank you for your service sir, not just this amazing and beautiful man, but for all the beautiful souls that survived and those that unfortunately did not. Your sacrifice and bravery shall not go unnoticed ❤ life is a little bit more beautiful and remarkable with men like you in it. I only hope I can be a half as great as them ❤
May he rest in peace with his fellow soldiers 🫡
Just awesome. Ty all. We will never forget!
Thank you Mr. Waldrop. May you rest in peace.
Outstanding...🕊
Both of my great grandfathers served in this war, one in the Pacific theater. Both of my grandfathers served in Korea, one Army and one Navy. I never got to meet my great grandfathers, but the one who served in the Pacific was stationed in Japan after the war. He befriended a Japanese man who gifted him a few antique coins, a couple of which were already over 150 years old at the time. They’re probably worth money, but I could never part with them, I think they’re part of our family history forever.
So glad you posted again. Been re watching all the old episodes waitng for new ones. My favorite RUclips channel by far
Thank you Sir
Godspeed to you sir. I am in awe of you and all like you.
Been waiting forever for a new episode! Thank you.
Thanks, great insight
Thank you.
great video
Awesome Story
What a terrific man! I would love to meet and talk to him! These old timers have such incredible memories and wisdom
Amazing story. Thank you so much for your service sir 🙏🏻🫡🇺🇸❤️
Amazing. Thank you for making these videos. God bless.
These accounts are extremely important in the sense that we must never forget this generation who paid the ultimate price so that we can live in peace. If this is forgotten, God help us!
This is dedicated to Ralph Thomas Waldrop, created in collaboration with Copilot.
In the skies of old, where history's told,
Ralph Waldrop took flight, brave and bold.
With wings on his chest, not a bus driver's cap,
He soared through the clouds, closing the gap.
From Mayfield's ground to the Mediterranean blue,
In a B-26 Marauder, his mission was true.
Targets in sight, bridges and rails,
He delivered his payload, as flak filled the gales.
A soldier of air, in the war's fierce grip,
Ralph Waldrop, in his bomber ship.
A cargo of hope, through flak and fire,
Delivering aid, as needs grew dire.
Across the fields, where cattle grazed,
To makeshift runways, hastily razed.
His plane, a lifeline in the fray,
Carrying the wounded, far away.
To Paris' heart, where healing waits,
Through skies of peril, tempting fates.
A co-pilot's fear, a soldier's plea,
"Get us home safe," their only decree.
Ralph's steady voice, a calming balm,
In war's cruel storm, a moment's calm.
A promise kept, a mission done,
Grateful words from everyone.
Post-war reflections, tears unbidden,
Of battles fought, and fears well hidden.
"It's okay to be scared," he'd softly say,
For courage shines in every way.
Through mud and blood, the soldiers trudged,
While Ralph above, his aircraft nudged.
A bond of service, shared by all,
In freedom's name, they answered the call.
Ralph Thomas Waldrop, a life so grand,
From skies of strife to peaceful land.
His story etched in history's weave,
A pilot's honor, we now perceive.
R.I.P
Excellent
I love this channel
Finnaly a new video 🎉
The way these men were able to fly those machines in such conditions, at such young ages too is just insane. They were not sophisticated planes like they are today, they were very difficult to fly, everything was analog, it was all on the hands of 18 year olds.
You can hear the love that war ingrained into that generation for their fellow brothers….. war is tragic but he tells it like it was the best time of his life an probably was 😅
Im tellin you Josh you got the real deal goin on here man.
We beed more videos please!
The senior living center is in park ridge I meant my great aunt grew up in Germany during the war and experienced many bombing raids in 45 and food was so scarce and she is still alive today born in 1940
My grandfather served in the 2nd world war and as a child I would always ask him about it.. he would have turned 100 this year. Lest we forget.