Today News 25’s Toni Miles shows us one WWII veteran here in South Mississippi with a sharp memory and heroic tales of his first-hand experience and participation in world-changing events now chronicled in an oral history by the Brown Condor Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum in Gulfport.
- today news 25's toni mile's had- the honor of meeting one- world war two veteran here in - south mississippi with a sharp- memory and heroic tales of his- first-hand experience - and - participation - in- world-changing events now - chronicled in an- oral history by the brown condo- mississippi - aviation heritage museum in - gulfport.
- - <nats>- the sound of a roaring aircraft- engine fills the air-possibly - - keesler airmen on a training- mission - down below at the - mississippi aviation heritage - museum in gulfport, - thomas dewey adams, junior, a - world war two veteran in a- class all his own, tells his- story.- thomas dewey adams, junior, - world war ii veteran: "i was- part of about 400 men - that came to keesler, and we- were the first class."- the virginia native landed here- in south mississippi back - in 1941 for airplane engine and- mechanics school, a new - training program launched at- what was then the - newly-activated keesler air - field, a base to support the- world war ii training build up.- <nats: "he's a tail gunner.
- that's me, right here.
That's - rocky, the radio- - - - <nats: "he's a tail gunner.
- that's me, right here.
That's - rocky, the radio- operator."> - eventually adams would fly as - part of a bomber crew in- the pacific theater during the- tail end of world war ii.
- thomas dewey adams, junior, - world war ii veteran: "i flew 2- missions, and the - war was over."- at age 24, there was no room fo- error - but plenty of faith.- thomas dewey adams, junior, - world war ii veteran: "we had a- hour and a- time for the airplane to be at - certain point and go on a bomb- run.
No lights, no- nothing.
I, like everyone else,- was saying the lord's prayer."- <splice> "i - didn't have any fear of flying.- once in a while you think about- all that water and all those- sharks."- toni miles, news 25: "preservin- the history of our veterans has- - - never been more important,- especially when it comes to - those who served our country- during world- war ii."- chuck eastman, board member,- mississippi aviation heritage - museum: - "we have a limited amount of- time, and that is one of the- things that has driven- us to put this museum together- is that we capture that history- so we can learn from our- past."- and what better way to do that- than through first-hand - accounts from living legends an- history like south mississippi- resident and world war ii - veteran thomas dewey adams, - junior...whose stories are now- chronicled and will be passed - down for generations to come- thanks to this, and other - oral history projects, by the - mississippi aviation heritage - museum.
- in gulfport, toni miles, news - 25.
