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William Hanna

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On June 6, 1944, Bill Hanna flew his B-17 toward Normandy and dropped his bombs right on target just inland. It was early, before men began hitting the beach. He recalls the awesome sight and wonders how they managed to organize such a large effort. (3:05)

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Bill Hanna reveals why the 91st Bomb Group was known as the "Ragged Irregulars." His B-17 also had a name and he explains why they chose it and painted it on the nose of the plane. (2:54)

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Bill Hanna relates the steps in executing a bombing mission, from the sketchy breakfast to the debriefing, where he once had to describe a prototype rocket plane he saw. As if the danger of formation flying with hundreds of planes wasn't enough, he just might face a Buzz Bomb when he went to London to have a beer. (7:22)

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Pilot Bill Hanna returned to service for the Berlin Airlift and remained in Europe to provide transportation for the Cold War effort. He remembers a little wine-based detente in Italy when Communists marched on his picnic. Also, he explains why he decided on a career in the Air Force as a result of walking into a clothesline. (7:01)

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As an advisor in Vietnam, Bill Hanna faced an unusual obstacle, the cultural phenomenon known as "saving face." This led to some perplexing situations as he tried to school the Vietnamese in running a modern Air Force. (6:13)

William J. Ely

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He was having trouble paying for college, so when he heard that West Point would pay you to attend, LTG Ely secured an appointment and entered the academy in 1929. Assigned to the Army Corps of Engineers, he soon was selected for a major project, the construction of the harbor entrance on Midway Island. (6:17)

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Assigned to 6th Army headquarters staff, engineer LTG Ely planned and managed the construction of bases in New Guinea and the Philippines, as Allied forces took territory back from the Japanese. His first operation was at Arawe on the coast of New Britain, where he learned how it felt to be strafed and what it was like to see death up close. (6:04)

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LTG Ely recalls the moves of General MacArthur through New Guinea and the Leyte campaign. The senior engineer helped plan the Philippine invasion and the development of bases as the Allies swept through the islands. He describes a shooting gallery as Japanese planes attacked his transport, and the bravado of MacArthur when stray bullets found his headquarters area. (7:47)

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At General MacArthur's headquarters outside Manila, engineer LTG Ely was helping plan the 6th Army's invasion of Japan when the atomic bomb changed all that. One month after the surrender, he was flying over Hiroshima in a Japanese plane, trying to find the best landing areas for the victorious troops. (4:36)

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Engineer LTG Ely was instrumental in supporting the 6th Army's successful Pacific campaign, and once he came home, he continued a long, illustrious career in the Army. From the Pentagon to Paris, he served in a variety of administrative engineering roles. (3:25)