Flashing back to 1999 when I met famed WWII pilot Robert K. Morgan at the Warbirds Air Show in Fredrick, MD. He piloted the first Army Air Forces heavy bomber to complete 25 combat missions over Europe and return to the US. The Memphis Belle, a B-17 Flying Fortress, was named for Morgan’s then-fiancee, Margaret Polk, from Memphis, TN.

The relationship didn’t last but the name became an inspirational symbol of American air power and the potential to defeat Nazi Germany.

After the government sent the crew on a war bond tour to boost morale and raise funds, Morgan flew a second combat tour– this time piloting a B-29 Superfortress bomber in the Pacific.

The Memphis Belle was the subject of a 1944 War Department documentary by Academy Award-winning director William Wyler (see below) and a 1990 Hollywood film.

Morgan was 80 when I met him. He graciously shared stories, patiently answered questions, and happily discussed technical aspects of the planes he flew. Two years later he released a memoir and three years after that he passed away. Seeing these old photos reminds me of the bravery that ordinary, unassuming Americans found within themselves during the crisis of war.