B-17 monument remembers fallen soldiers

WEAKLEY COUNTY, Tenn. — This is the story of ten airmen, who took off on a B-17 from Dyersburg Army Base on their way to war back in September of 1943.

“There were ten of them, and they were to hook up in Gulfport, Mississippi and go to Germany to form a squadron of ten,” said Jackie Laird, director of American Legion Riders Post 55.

But while flying over a field in Weakley County, engine trouble took their trip on a turn for the worst.

“There was an explosion on the port side of the engine. The plane started spiraling to the port side,” Laird said, “and the plane started disintegrating.”

Joe Means says he was only seven years old when he heard the plane exploding in the sky.

“When it started coming apart there were popping sound, and we found out later that the popping sounds were the rivets coming out of the plane. Pew! Pew!” said Means, witness to the plane crash.

But Laird says even though seven out of ten of those crew members lost their lives that day, they should never be forgotten.

“I heard one time that a soldier dies twice. The first time when he takes his last breath on the battlefield, and the second time when he’s forgotten,” Laird said, “and we brought these gentlemen back to life.”

This is why they dedicated this monument Saturday, funded by members of Weakley County.

“Today’s weather was the same weather that they were going through on that day,” said Laird. “It’s just all falling back into place, and we’re reliving history.”

“Oh man! They would be tickled to death. I know they would,” Mean said. “They’re heroes in my book.”

Laird says his club has spent over two years trying to find family members of the men involved in the crash, but have been unable to. He says, however, they haven’t given up yet.

Organizers say the last surviving crew member died in 2003 in Kentucky.