peperez
Charter Member
I have to admit that I forget about all the nations that banded together to defeat the Axis. When I was in Rio de Janeiro as our ship transited to the South China Sea in 1968, among the places I toured with my friend was the WWII museum honoring the Brazilians who fought in Europe and the Atlantic. Brazil was one of the Allies of World War II. It was also the only Ally from South America to provide troops. The country made significant contributions to the war effort. ... The Brazilian Navy and Air Force helped the Allies in the Atlantic from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. Children today, sadly, are learning next to nothing about WWII history. My generation knew much because our parents (both my mother who worked in the office of the Secret Service and my father who I said above served in the Panama Canal Zone) were actively a part of it. As a ship modeler I built a number of ship models for families to give as gifts or individuals as a reminder of their service. I built: USS Colorado BB; a number of DD's: an LST; and an LSI: One of the most interesting commissions I did was a freighter and a tanker for the merchant marine captain who carried supplies back and forth from the U.S. to England. the freighter was torpedoed and he survived. After his recovery leave he was assigned to the tanker which I modeled for him to do likewise. It too was torpedoed and he miraculously survived. He requested and was allowed to retire after that. He said that he felt that was enough...3 strikes and you're out he said. It was disgusting to me that it took too many years for our country to recognize that the merchant marine were true combatants and as such deserved like recognition as the other services. We wouldn't have been able to fight the war without them. Likewise, the WASPS and the famous Tuskegee Airmen who contributed so much took years to truly recognize their contributions as well. A BIG salute to all of the unsung heroes from every country.
We have no B-24, but a lot of American birds operated from Natal, Recife, Salvador and Rio, including some B-24 and PB4Y. The only B-24 in Força Aérea Brasileira records was used as an instructional mechanics asset in Salvador.
Cheers
Pepe