Interview Six: Bob "Punchy" Powell & the P-51 Mustang
Bob "Punchy" Powell doesn't consider himself a "hero", in the military sense. You see, he was a pilot in WWII, and flew the P-51 Mustang over the beaches of Normandy, during the D-Day invasion. He has been heard to say that the guys on the ground that day were the real heroes...he was just doing his everyday job.
In getting ready for my "Reaching High" exhibition, he was kind enough to grant an interview about his days flying the P-51 in combat. Even at 90+ years of age, he still vividly remembers his days as a young pilot in the US Army Air Corps, flying all sorts of missions over Europe. Some were routine...some were terrifying.
It was a great pleasure speaking with a man who put it on the line, like so many others did, in trying to bring a sense of humanity back to a world that had lost it's balance. His stories are at once poignant, and are grim reminders of the cost of war. Almost an hour long, he had me wanting more. Enjoy!
Created as part of the Reaching High exhibition, now currently showing at the Tellus Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, until 30 November, 2013.
