News-Info-Alerts

Re: B-17 Flyover For Former POW

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Date: August 22, 2002

"Warplane pays tribute to deceased World War Two pilot


Bloomfield, New York-AP -- It was the kind of tribute Charlie Bennett would have loved. That's what Bennett's widow says about watching a B-17 fly over her husband's grave in western New York.

Bennett was a B-17 pilot during World War Two. On his 13th mission over Germany, his "Flying Fortress" was shot down in 1944 and Bennett spent 13 months as a prisoner of war.

After Bennett died six months ago, his son contacted a Massachusetts-based group that still flies some of the last remaining warplanes from the Second World War.

The group agreed to do a rare flyover after learning that Bennett flew B-17's during the war.

Yesterday, a restored B-17 made two low-level passes over Bennett's grave as his widow and a small group of friends and family gazed upward.

Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

© Copyright 2001 - 2002, WorldNow and WCAX

AND

Son arranges soaring tribute to warrior dad

By Jack Jones
Democrat and Chronicle
JAY CAPERS

(August 20, 2002) — BLOOMFIELD — Nearly 60 years after he flew them on bombing raids over Nazi Germany and six months after his death, a veteran was saluted by a historic B-17 "flying fortress" that made a rare appearance Monday in Ontario County skies.

"It was beautiful -- but it did bring the tears," said Margaret "Peg" Bennett, after the warbird made the second of two low-flying passes directly over the grave of her late husband, Charles Bennett, a former prisoner of war.

"Charlie would have really loved that."

Charles Bennett, a B-17 pilot shot down in April 1944 while on his 13th mission over Germany, spent 13 months as a prisoner before being liberated at the end of the war.

He returned home to operate his family's hardware business on Main Street in Bloomfield, where he also served for 11 years on the Town Board and as village mayor from 1976 until 1985.

His son John Bennett was among a small group of friends and family members who stood at the veteran's gravesite in the East Bloomfield Cemetery for Monday's aerial ceremony. The son arranged the B-17 salute by contacting an air base in Stowe, Mass., where several historic aircraft are based.

The B-17, named "Nine-O-Nine," is one of about a dozen of the wartime workhorses still flying, Bennett said.

Bennett said he arranged the flyover by contacting the foundation that maintains the historic warbirds in flying order for air shows around the United States and Canada.

The flight, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, was rescheduled after a line of thunderstorms forced the plane away from Bloomfield. It was en route from Erie, Pa., to an air show in Oswego County.

"I can't say enough about how great it was for these guys to do this," said John Bennett. "After the bad weather forced them away on Saturday, I wrote it right off. But they got back in touch this (Monday) morning and said they would be flying over this afternoon."

Bennett said he was told that his was "an unusual request ... but due to the circumstances of my dad being a former B-17 pilot and their plans to be in the general area for an air show around Oswego, they said it was do-able."

Dr. Joseph Ferris, a lifelong friend of Charles Bennett and himself a Purple Heart recipient wounded while fighting with the Marines on Iwo Jima during World War II, said Monday's overflight stirred bittersweet memories of war and of camaraderie.

"Anybody who was in the war was glad when it was over with," said Ferris. "But it's nice to look back on it in some ways -- and it was real nice to see this being done in honor of a friend."

E-mail address: jjones@DemocratandChronicle.com

Copyright 2002 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle"