It’s important to put the Sheffield event into context. It was not a remembrance ceremony per se but a response to a dedicated British pensioner’s long-held desire for a flypast to salute his ten American heroes. As a corollary, it also served as a tribute to all 30,000 USAAF aircrew killed while serving in the UK in WWII.
I understand that the RAFA has conducted a formal service of remembrance at Endcliffe Park annually for many years and, commendably, will continue to do so. Tony Foulds’ complementary attention to the memorial is, perhaps, more to do with his involvement as a witness to the crash and his feelings since.
After yesterday’s spectacle, the F-15s flew over the American Military Cemetery at Madingley, where three of Mi Amigo’s crew are buried. The site is a proper place for the formal remembrance of US service personnel, which was duly observed at the men’s graves. No need, or desire, for a red sofa there.
But let’s not denigrate the BBC’s efforts. I imagine USAFE chiefs, and the US Embassy, were delighted to have the opportunity (via Tony Foulds’ story) to highlight American aircrews’ WWII sacrifices and possibly inform a new generation about their presence here 75 years ago. It’s important to bear in mind that yesterday’s event also made the news in the Mi Amigo crew’s homeland, where attitudes to armed forces commemorations differ somewhat from the UK’s.
I had an e-mail this morning from a former commanding general (CG) of the US Eighth Air Force, in which he said: “What an incredible event. I wish I could have been there. May God bless Mr Foulds.”
I, for one, would second that.
Last edited by XV490; 23rd Feb 2019 at 13:33.
Reason: spacing