Last Reunion of the WWII 55th Fighter Group

Last weekend, we joined the 55th Fighter Group for their last official reunion in Albuquerque, NM. David and I were lucky enough to go to their reunion in Omaha, NE in 2008, and since we weren't there last year (and it was in Austin, no less! But, right after the wedding), we wanted to make sure we were there for their last celebration as a group.

Because it was in Albuquerque, we also got to see and stay with Jessica (unfortunately Brett was out of town - bummer!). It's always good to see Jess, and we got to see their house and hang out with Watson the bulldog! Jess joined us for the formal dinner that took place during the reunion.

For those of you who don't know, the reason we attend these reunions is because of David's great uncle Joseph M. Fluty (or Mack). He was a fighter pilot for the 55th, and crashed during the war. We are fortunate enough to have a lot of items of Mack's, including photos, journals, news articles, letters, and his uniform because David's great-grandmother saved everything. David has always been interested in Mack and what he did in the war, and in 2007, he and his parents traveled to England to where Mack was based and the crash site. David had done some research online and found Russ Abbey, who is a historian for the 55th and lives in England. He met David and his parents and gave him a tour of the base, and told him a ton of information about the group. Russ put David in contact with Frank Birtciel, who was a fighter pilot and friend of Mack's. These two people were instrumental in us attending our first reunion in Omaha. During that reunion, we had the privilege of meeting many other members of the 55th, as well as relatives of members of the 55th. It was such a great experience and we couldn't imagine not going one more time.

So, that brings us to Albuquerque. David went out on Thursday, and spent the weekend with everyone, which included a tour of Kirtland Air Force Base. I came out on Friday night, and attended the last official business meeting of the group and the formal dinner on Saturday evening.

Here is the group (that was in attendance) after the business meeting:

The dinner was very small this year, but as always, a lot of fun. The stories we heard were fantastic, and hearing about their lives since the war was great. Here are some pictures:

David with Lt. Whitelaw Wright Jr. (or Whitey). He replaced Mack when his plane went down.

Jessica and I with Sgt. Harold Hall (one of my favorite people - he and I had lunch in Omaha together during the Omaha City Tour).

David with Capt. Frank Birtciel (David keeps in regular contact with him, and we see him and his wife, Velma, everytime we are in Arizona).

David with General Edward Giller (he is the President of the association, but hasn't been able to travel to a reunion in years - the last one was held in Albuquerque, where he lived, so that he could be there).

David with 2nd Lt. John Cunnick.

At the end of the dinner, they presented each member with a print of a painting that Gen. Giller and Frank Birtciel's planes on it. Each of the members signed the prints. They even presented David one on behalf of Mack.

Although we were only able to attend two of the many reunions they had as an association, we were very lucky to meet them and get to know them. Anyone who has had the chance to get to know a WWII veteran (or many, in our case!), would understand the awe and respect we have for these gentleman, because without them, we might be without our freedom. We are grateful for all they did for us, and hope you are too.