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Poetry of Direct Personal Experience
Our Collection of Aviation and Military Poetry

Gunner's Wish
John R Kyler USAAF


I wish to be a pilot and you along with me,
But if we all were pilots where would the Air Force be?
The pilots just a chauffer, his job to fly the plane,
But its we who do the fighting, though we may not get the fame.
It takes guts to be a gunner and sit in the lonely Ball,
When the Messerschmitts are coming and the Fw's give their all.
So if we must be gunners then let us make this bet,

We'll be the best damn gunners that have left the US yet!

From the notebook kept by John R Kyler 407th Bombardment Sqs, 92nd Bombardment Group. He is shown in the crew photo.The Cook crew: standing left to right are: Thomas J. Mikulka, tail gunner; John J. Alexander, Jr. right waist gunner; Milo E. Blakely, left waist gunner; Jay Joyce, radio operator; John R. Kyler, ball turret gunner; John Booth, top turret gunner/flight engineer.

Front row: Lt. Emmett H. Bell, bombardier; Lt. Donald H. Caylor, navigator; Lt. Robert B. Bangs, co-pilot; Lt. Lawrence H. Cook, pilot

Lawrence Cook Crew 407th Bombardment Sqd

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 • Last Modified: 27 September 2020, 16:43