As I type this at my bedroom desk my foot is resting on my father's WWII footlocker. It's a standard issue olive drab footlocker painted blood red. The top has a white P-38 Lighting stenciled on it. One side has "LT. C.F. "Mac" McConnell USAAF, in care of Innis McConnell and then his parent's home address". The other side has a large hand painted squadron emblem, a large 5th AF emblem, a Nationalist Chinese shield, last but not least the survival script with Chinese writing and an American flag. All hand painted like fuselage art, many friends over the years suspected they were decals.
In the trunk are my father's medals, patches, career flight logs, citations and hundreds of photos of my family before I was born. Most photos are from occupation Japan, my sister three years older was born there in 1948. I have treasured this for six decades.
In thinking of Normandy and regardless how you feel about our President you should read the transcript of Trump's speech. It's second only to Reagan's and it's moving. The Greatest Generation's courage and sacrifice is humbling. God bless.
Last edited by MACMC; 06/06/2019 9:18 PM.
