The B17 bomber gave the Allied Forces decisive air superiority that turned the tide in WWII. Today on a tour of the Palm Springs Air Museum, I stooped low inside the cockpit of the B17, saw the gun turrets and tried to grasp how our pilots and crew managed to muster such bravery and resolve in the face of such horrific conditions. The museum docent shared that less than 13 percent of the airmen survived. One of my father's twin brothers was shot down and killed over Normandy and the other was taken prisoner of war in Italy for the duration of the conflict. It was so moving to talk to some of the veterans there who volunteered their stories about their escapades.
