Col. Richard Bushong (ret.) will relate his experiences flying B-17 bombers like the one pictured during a presentation to the Sun Lakes Aero Club gathering November 16 at the Sun Lakes Country Club Mirror Room.
Gary Vacin
A B-17 pilot who participated in the first full daylight bombing raid on Berlin during World War II will be guest speaker at the Sun Lakes Aero Club (SLAC) gathering on Monday, November 16 at the Sun Lakes Country Club Mirror Room. The public is invited to attend.
USAF Col. Richard B. Bushong (ret.) said the 8th Air Force put up 775 B-17s on the March 6, 1944 raid. “The Germans launched everything they could that day to prevent us from bombing their capital city,” he added. “There were 69 heavy bombers lost on that mission.”
In addition to his experiences in World War II, the 90-year-old-plus Bushong’s presentation will cover combat flying F4C Phantom jets in Vietnam, flying as a test pilot, and many other experiences in the Army Air Force and U. S. Air Force.
During his 32 years of service, he flew a total of 41 different types of military aircraft, including B-24, B-25, B-26, and B-29, and many jet aircraft.
Currently residing in Green Valley, Arizona, he serves as a director and docent for the 390th Memorial Museum, a one-of-a-kind museum at the Pima Air and Space Museum at Tucson, built by the veterans of his WWII B-17 Flying Fortress.
Now in its 20th year, SLAC sponsors programs the third Monday of each month November through April at the Sun Lakes Country Club. The programs are open to all Sun Lakes residents and others interested in aviation. More information on the club is available from Bob Walch at 895-8869, Gary Vacin at 298-7017, or at the club’s web site at www.sunlakesaeroclub.org.