M1 Carbine Field Maintenance

[Col. Colt]

Outstanding Job, John!!! And thank you so very much for the recollections! Your insights will help preserve the history of a very important military specialty - caring for the weapons that protected our soldiers, sailors and airmen. I had the great good fortune to speak to Col. Robert Morgan, the pilot of the famous B-17 "The Memphis Belle" a few years before his passing. He was raising money for the Belle's preservation as a monument to our fighting men. Her was a certified Hero of WWII, and both my exwife's Dad and my Father had been Army (MP from Normandy-end of War, and 82nd Airborne, respectively). We kind of made light of our father's contributions, since they were not "heros" to anyone but us - and Col Morgan stopped us COLD! He very quickly and intently looked us both in the eye and said, forcefully, "EVERYBODY DOES THEIR PART". After that sank in for a few seconds, he started recounting the importance of everyone in the supply and maintenance chain that produced VICTORY in WWII. He started with the Merchant Mariners, who brought him all of his ammo, fuel, and parts - and who were left to die in the cold North Atlantic if their Liberty ship got torpedoed - the convoy could not stop or they would be torpedoed. He reminded us of all the servicing personnel - his ground crew sometimes worked 72 hours straight - without sleep - to get the "Belle" back in shape for the next mission. (9 engine changes, tail repairs, much more). He then spoke about all the people that were up all night preparing food and coffee, preparing navigation and weather information, the flight surgeons and chaplins that had crazy hours to take care of the men. His only wish is that they could ALL have been better recognized - as they were HEROS to him.


So thanks so much for your Service, and for your continued service by recalling a history that must not be forgotten.