My Uncle, Ed Poltrack enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1940 after High School with the hopes of being a pilot. When war was declared in 1941 the pilot requirements for a college degree were suspended and he became a b-25 pilot at the age of 20.
Lt. Ed Poltrack flew 61 missions with the 823rd Bomb Squadron out of Port Morseby, New Guinea. I often reflect that at the same age I had only been driving a car for two years, much less piloting an aircraft with people shooting at me.
In 2016 I had the opportunity to take a flight aboard a restored B-25 bomber operated as part of The Wings of Freedom Tour operated by the Collings Foundation.
After takeoff I crawled through the tunnel under the pilots into the front gunner position as we flew over Manchester, NH.
The 822nd and 823rd Bomb Squadrons field-tested a 75 mm cannon which replaced the Plexiglass front canopy. My Uncle remarked how deafening the sound was. On one mission he burned out all his guns.
