Combat pilot shares adventure with 700th AS Published Jan. 25, 2008 By Senior Airman Robert Dennard Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga., -- The word hero is thrown around a lot today, often used to describe athletes - the baseball, football and basketball players that children idolize. Some servicemembers here recently had the privilege of meeting another hero. Some would say a "true" hero. He's not a football player, not a firefighter, and not even an Iraq or Afghanistan war veteran, but a man who was part of America's "greatest generation." Retired Air Force Col. Harold "Hal" Weekley is the last remaining B-17 pilot from World War II. He spoke to members of the 700th Airlift Squadron here during an Air Warriors Briefing Jan. 5, and signed copies of his book, "The Last of the Combat B-17 Drivers." "We started the Air Warrior Brief program here about a year and a half ago. Our goal is to motivate and instill that warrior spirit in the squadron. We have about one a quarter and it's the highlight of the UTA," said Maj. Todd Copley, assistant operations officer and part-time historian with the 700th Airlift Squadron here. "I used to have trouble finding folks, but once you meet one, you meet another and since working on the 60th Anniversary of the Air Force, I have a backlog of folks who want to come." Colonel Weekley flew the B-17 Flying Fortress on 20 missions during World War II as a member of the 398th Bomb Group. During his twentieth mission, supposedly a "milk run" (a flight with little expected danger or difficulty,) his plane was hit by flak and went down over enemy-occupied territory in France. He spoke to servicemembers about being hit, the crash, and then evading capture by the Germans for the two-and-a-half weeks after he was shot down. "The No. 1 engine was feathered, the No. 2 was on fire, and No. 3 was wind-milling. I had a fire in the tail and a fire in the radio room. Communications were shot out and hydraulics were shot out," said Colonel Weekley. He found out a few minutes later that one of the aircraft's wings was also on fire. "On top of that," he continued, "the hydraulics were located right behind the copilot's seat, and when they hit the hydraulic line the fluid started running down the floor. I had already been hit and wounded and when I saw that red fluid running down I thought, 'Man, I'm hit harder than I thought I was. I'm in worse shape than I thought!' But later, as I slipped and slid through it, I realized it was hydraulic fluid." The German forces in the area were known for shooting machine guns at parachutists, so he dropped below 20,000 feet, jumped and fell for about two minutes before opening his chute. Colonel Weekley and his crew had parachuted down into enemy territory "After I hit, two young boys came over to me and I asked them where the Germans were. They pointed one way and I went the other," he said. Separated from his crew deep behind German lines, he was unarmed and alone. The events that followed could be straight out of a Hollywood movie. He was taken in by a French family in the town of Brachy who, along with some of the other town residents worked as members of the French Underground to get him to safety. Colonel Weekley was hidden away in the mayor's attic for a few days before being taken to another town, Yvetot, by bicycle. He worked on a farm for awhile under an assumed identity. The farm was frequented by the German occupying force and one night he even braved a dinner at the same table as enemy troops who came to the farm. Colonel Weekley said that there were a number of close calls, especially thanks to the sometimes over-excited children of the townspeople. It was dangerous for not only Weekley, but also for the locals who helped him. Anyone who helped allied forces would be executed by the Nazis. When word came that 3,000 more Germans were headed to the town, Colonel Weekley decided for everyone's safety it was a good time to leave. He stole a girl's bicycle and traveled to the Seine River where he was picked up by a patrolling boat from the English Eighth Army and finally transported back to safety and across friendly lines in England. After numerous debriefings and reuniting with some of his own crew, Colonel Weekley was sent home to the United States. In light of his time as an evadee, his next duty assignments were inside the United States. Colonel Weekley served a total of 26 years in the Air Force as a pilot and instructor. He then worked for the Federal Aviation Administration for 14 years as an operations inspector. He flew the B-17 "Aluminum Overcast" for the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) until 2001 when he officially retired with 58 years of experience and over 5,000 flight hours. "Currently, we're a training unit. So, it's very inspiring for folks like Colonel Weekley to come share their stories with us. It keeps us motivated. We are responsible for training people to go out and face combat like that," said Major Copley.
