When I was growing up, we called my fathers grandmother Nanny.
Fast-forward a bit to 2015.
The article reminds me that Bob had a son.
I decided to take a stab at find Jeff.
At this time, coincidentally, the report regarding Bobs accident becomes public after 70 years.
This is between the two atomic bombs dropping so they are training to go to Japan.
The weather report was done but they encountered an unexpected storm that pounded the plane.
The wing sheared off and Bob called for a bailout.
Eleven people bailed out of that big plane.
As the plane descended quickly during the spiral, it pushed the hatch up and trapped the co-pilot.
Bob, being the pilot, had to bail out last.
11 survived, and Bob died.
After reading the report, I continued my effort to find Bobs son, Jeff.
It was hard because, over the years, his last name changed as his mother got remarried.
I finally found him using a private investigator and called him on the phone.
We had a very long talk.
Bobs wife, Georgia, is still alive, he tells me.
We arrange a trip to visit Jeff and Georgia, and my Dad meets us out in San Antonio.
They are lovely people, and we have a great lunch catching up.
By this point, none of those hard feelings remained.
Georgia was a lovely person who passed a few years ago.
I met Jeff s daughter, Allie, in Nashville, close to my home in Atlanta.
Also a lovely person.
She invites me to her wedding in Reno.
The morning of Allies wedding, I overslept.
I wound up sitting way in the back of the seats at this outdoor wedding.
She told me that that plane means a lot to her family because her grandfather used to fly one.
From the Official Accident Report
The Superfortress Tattoo
Uncle Bobs Grave in LA
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