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"The Cottontails"
A poem by: Doug Williamson
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Look to the skies and you will see, the coming of sweet liberty.
Just ahead of those long white trails, are the airmen of "THE COTTONTAILS".
Assembled late in '43, they flew a course to Italy.
To catch the enemy in his nest, from Regensburg to Bucharest.
From small town, city, village and farm, these boys got in the way of harm.
Not for anyone they knew, but for their great, red, white and blue.
The crew's were from all walks of life, some men left a child and wife.
Lawyers, machinists, miners and laborers, walked away from friends and neighbors.
Determined that they would end the war, and guarantee freedom forever more.
The world had not seen before, the awesome might of the B-24.
To the crew's there was nothing greater, than their "Ugly Bitch" the Liberator.
Every day those boys would fly, up in to a hostile sky.
Not knowing if they would come back, through mountain pass, fighters and flak.
Knowing all too well, it could be their turn, to be shot to hell, or cracsh and burn.
Or maybe good luck should prevail, and with a chute they would get to bail.
To mother earth and all her rapture, but chances are they would be captured.
But still these boys of unknown fame, would fly away just the same.
The sky would turn to puffs of dust, but in their pilots they could trust,
to fly to target, just in time, and dump their payload on a dime.
Down to the target those bombs would sail, another gift ADOLF from "THE COTTONTAILS".
Bomb after bomb, ton after ton, eventually the war was won.
But try as they might to no avail, some blood was shed by "THE COTTONTAILS".
Look to the sky and you will see, the coming of sweet liberty.
Just ahead of those long white trails, were the HEROES of "THE COTTONTAILS"
This poem was submitted by Doug Williamson. Son of 1st Lt. William Williamson, 720th Squadron, 450th BG(H) |
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