Masters of the Air, the Bloody 100th and John “Lucky” Luckadoo

[@retiredsmitty9692]

Words don't do it justice. Captain Luckadoo's amazingly detailed recall of his experience from almost 80 years prior speaks of course to his enduring health but also how those events were burned into his being. His willingness to share such detailed memories are so precious. To hear Captain Luckadoo relate his experience with such clarity mixed with deserved seriousness as well as humor is beyond description. We owe SO MUCH to this generation who, as citizen soldiers, preserved our nation's future...our present day. May God bless Captain Luckadoo and all of his peers. We should NEVER forget....

[@jillchandler8532]

I can't get enough of listening to Mr. Luckadoo. His voice, his articulate stories and his sharp recall. He is a hero!

[@drraybenedetto2064]

MAJOR Luckadoo. His service and sacrifice deserve recognition of his military rank. He’s not a typical “civilian” and his salutation should reflect that.

[@catherinewilkerson2745]

We all have the lives we have today because of your courage and bravery. We will NEVER forget the Greatest Generation, and the price they paid for us. God Bless You, Captain.

[@alvermeil5884]

This should be played in every high school history class. To give this generation A perspective of The type of courage that is needed to maintain freedom

[@tjk3430]

I'm always impressed by strong storytellers. More often than not they're from this man's generation. It's a dying art.

[@stevenwatsham5973]

This man to me is one of the greatest man that ever existed..

[@deborahreardon4875]

The GREATEST GENERATION. THANK GOD THEY ANSWERED THE CALL TO SAVE OUR FREEDOMS.

[@rushpinn]

What a wise old man. Just incredible to hear his memories and thoughts. And it's astonishing how increadibly clear thinking he still is at the age of a 100, he could be 50 years old. I am glad he got a 100 years for everything he did for all of us. Thank you, Lucky.

[@steveranelli3992]

Amazing to hear this man and his experiences. This should be a mandatory watch in every school in America!

[@francopasta3704]

Our school administrators would rather have a transvestite speak to our kids…Fact

[@davidkimmel4216]

Amazing interview. So proud of him for Our Country. The Greatest Generation.

[@raymondallo9947]

What a story teller and great sense of humour. We owe so much to his generation. I teared up at the end.

[@shoofly529]

One of the best lectures on what it was to face Germany in the air in WWII I've ever listened to. Thank you to all at The National WWII Museum involved w/this.

[@philc4520]

Truly the absolute greatest generation. Undisputed.

[@Nighthawk1966]

This guy is sharp as a tact and recalls his harrowing experiences like they were yesterday. Just an incredible human being and American Hero ! Thank you so much for all your sacrifices & my freedom Mr. Luckadoo ! May God Bless you sir !

[@guymelton1094]

They got it done, how in the world can I ever be so grateful for their sacrifice 👍✌️🇺🇸😊

[@katiem6773]

Incredible interview. I love listening to Mr. Luckadoo's stories. What a brave man.

[@trekker3468]

One of many incredible individuals who's bravery and skill who did the impossible. Our nation will be forever in their debt.

[@billfraser9731]

No one understands what these guys went thru! Amazing courage!

[@Gravelgratious]

Flying ,freezing in the air, plane get shredded by flak, men mutilated by bullets meant for planes, dying in a fireball, or falling to your death, parachuting opens and you get strafed, etc. I don't see how someone couldn't understand, but I do see how few could sympathize with such a unique experience. That doesn't mean you can't empathize with what the experienced. That empathy can aid people in the future who may be put in a similar situation.

[@tomjarrett2477]

Privileged to have met him at National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Memorial Day weekend. He autographed his book for me.

[@pumpkinkoot865]

How long was that ago? That's incredible...

[@longwildernesswalks]

This is without a doubt a valuable piece of history that needs to be preserved. THe world has forgotten what was sacraficed to stabilize this world to grow to what it is today. Incredible. Thank you Lucky, thank you for all you gave up for us.

[@10_points]

My grandfather was a b-17 pilot, he summed it up like this Government "you're 18, and uh, you need to go to war" Him "wait what" Government "you have to save the world" Him "uhhhhh" Government "get to it" Him "yes sir"

[@joseluisa.ortecho3494]

Real heroes who won this adjective in a frozen battlefield! Not in a warm office.

[@lwherndon]

Those bombers were freezers

[@lc2kid]

Great story, Digging the series. Thanks for your service!! Guy sounds very close to Walter Cronkite

[@70ss454_elco]

I totally understand how cold -50 or more is when he speaks of it. Stationed in North Dakota with B-52s, we saw many a cold day below -50. Being Mechanics we worked in it for 8 hours+ to get our aircraft ready.

[@F4FWildcat]

Wonderful stories of harrowing times. Thank you Lucky. Thank you to you and the men with which you served and especially those that died for our continued freedom!

[@gonzaemon4711]

Fantastic panel. Learned so much from this. Thank you!

[@paulrugg1629]

Glad u guys Are expanding. Don't u dare run out of material. U guys sre some of the best, bringig a personal approach With great guests, Carry on!!!!!

[@andybrown8293]

We owe this gentleman and others who gave and sacrificed everything for any generation after them be they be airmen, soldier,sailor, marine, land worker, substitute factory worker…….. May your god bless you Lucky!

[@stevemizar4143]

Thank you for your service and God bless you!

[@AnthonyBrown12324]

Captain Luckadoo seems quite clued up about the wider issues regarding targets , bombing accuracy ; fighter cooperation etc. I suspect he has learned a lot of that after the war . Bomber Command RAF had 4 years previous experience > I gather USAAF authorities had looked at night-time bombing but it was just another layer of training that would delay general operations . Some USAAF units did do night -training . There was quite a lot of co-operation between the RAF and USAAF at liaison level . Certainly there was mutual help with equipment and knowledge ; it was nice of John Luckadoo to acknowledge the skill of the RAF. Certainly heavy bombers of WW2 did not have the ability in general to hit pinpoint targets ; except the odd squadron like the 617 ; highly trained with specialist equipment and they were not always successful . To some extent the myth of the Pickle Barrel has survived into legend ; you see it in You Tube commentaries some times . It' a testament to the 8th Air Force ' that they turned it around in a short time and as John Luckadoo says they saturated targets and destroyed them that way , as did the RAF . Together they made a large contribution to the defeat of Germany .

[@pumpkinkoot865]

Watching this... Listening to him... It hits me so hard when I think about the fact that this part of history is coming to a close in a way... That the men and women who served our country are dwindling. A man/boy [they really were still kids] technically needed to be born by 1928 (you could enlist in the army at 17 with parental consent) to fight even for a little while... 2028 is coming up fast and most people (especially men) don't live to 100. Women had to be 21 to volenteer.. so born by 1944.. They would be 100 today. This man right here is amazing and that he can _still_ tell his story.. These men's stories.. so well is certainly incredible.

[@thomasbullock6416]

GOD BLESS ALL OF THEM THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE 🙏🏼🙏🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@angelf3365]

This man is over a hundred and he is so sharp.

[@pumpkinkoot865]

Is this a recent interview? Physically he looks like he's maybe 80 and mentally 20. Damn!

[@imanicoppola-v5n]

Thank you all for your service but John Lucky Luckadoo. What a life and military career I salute you sir . Least we forget 🥀

[@Geesum44]

This Gentleman survived because he was needed to narrate his and all the other’s experiences that were there .

[@seanohare5488]

An American hero lucky lackadoo i salute you for your bravery determation and love of America

[@bruceradford9031]

Gratitude

[@samlongden834]

I’m watching the 2nd world war documentary on Netflix which is the first time I knew about this man but what a man

[@christiancruz4533]

INSANE all those bravery man like Lucky went thru. Did know about many things just to be up there in the B17. The Best generation of all times for sure. WW2 Generation.

[@carolcisko6768]

Wow bravo to you sir and thank you ❤️

[@ThomasLauersdorf]

What ever it takes to keep this guy alive will be well worth the price. He is the last chapter in the history of WW2. Old dude got issued a double set of extra big balls.

[@danielblaney3388]

Thank you Lucky!!

[@mattduke1181]

Lucky is a great guy i have met him

[@gailcarey3597]

We love you, Lucky! See you soon, God willing, in Savannah.

[@eamo106]

Probably the best and greatest recount of a WWII Bomber crew that I recall, summarizing the air war over Europe in WWII. Summarizing with the intent that you listen to the whole 34 minutes and the subsequent questions, 1) The Brits said bomb at night. 2) Fear, Fighters, Flak, Freezing, 3) Co-Pilot as a tail gunner ? (unique story) > ? 25 Missions in 25 days , their record, 4) New Co-pilot.. stress, non acceptance. 5) Nov 1943 daylight bombing of Berlin, 22nd mission, story ! Such insight of the times ! Curtis le May, Thorpe Abbots to Berlin ? Mission Scrubbed ! A story ! 6) Cracked officers with combat fatigue vs RAF, Idk if he is correct. 7) Bremen, Purple Heart core. AA fire. Luftwaffe attack, rallying his remains under three engines.... THE Q and A is amazing ,, Schweinfurt etc >> The Brits area bombing was successful , horrible but Area.

[@francopasta3704]

89 missions

[@eamo106]

@@francopasta3704 Sir, I forgot my post 4 months back or even the post I watched and replied to . Were you the Author ?

[@MrJJuK]

Thank you sir and for telling your story

[@toddhansen931]

Hero’s…Real hero’s!!! Gratitude for these men and women of this generation that saved us.. Not stupid NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, etc..

[@davidcbr0wn]

At 19:46 of Part 2 in the series is when they first address daytime vs nighttime bombing and how the British bomb at night, but they don’t mention the British are bombing at night because they got their asses kicked during the day and had to change.

[@HeavyDragoon]

My Grandfather met these men in London.."on the piss.." In The Franklin pub..near Charing Cross... And would ask..the next day.."Where is Harry?.." The simple anwer was.."He never came back" And they continued.."on the piss" THAT was a part of my Grandfather's war..a war that he..as an infantryman was envious of in that aircrew were selected because they were more intelligent by selection..of their academia... There was my Grandfather..from The Rifle Brigade and Kings Royal Rifle Brigade (infantry) talking, speaking having fun with these men in a pub who treated him as an equal in this war.. It broke his heart when he spoke of men like him that did not come back

[@tommyboit9494]

He could have been a great leader, such as a president. What an amazing man from an amazing generation.

[@briancooper2112]

Greatest Generation! Kids in school have no idea about America's military history!

[@carolcisko6768]

That is part of the reason we lost our national pride that resulted during and after WWII

[@nevillemontgomery7318]

this video should have millions of views …….. and it does not. That is the truth of society ……. we do not focus on the past , to understand the world and reality and be grateful to these men who defended our freedoms .

[@jimkilloran9038]

Watching Masters of the Air. I thought Band of Brother's and the Pacific were great. Masters so far is an equal! Just finished episode 6. My goodness, what these kids went through. Ib said kids on purpose, cause they were.

[@TheSocratesian]

What did the normal tail gunner do when the plane when the co-pilot would be sent to the tail?

[@martinwade7824]

It was great except for the buzz of the mike/speaker

[@davidmeek8017]

USAAF - United States Army Air Force. NOT USAF. Please correct! The USAF did not come into existence until 1947.

[@davelane4055]

Superlative

[@chief1960]

Sir,as a warrior I salute you cant sit long your ##$$$ are bigger and I was at -60 degrees and I know how you felt.The pucker factor is what we know about. I follow my compass to defend freedom. God speed to you. Freedom is not FREE

[@nealskrenes2612]

Lucky sounds like Walter Cronkite

[@kevbrix9686]

Sir

[@joehimes9898]

Man, he sounds like Walter Cronkite

[@Pheebs77]

He's 10000 times more on the ball than Biden. Massive respect for this man, he's an amazing storyteller and carries such gravitas with his words. I've flown in a Ba7 I know just how cramped they can be when full of people.

[@isamu237]

It boggles my mind that they've had over a decade to figure out why the Pacific didn't work as well as Band of Brothers and they still couldn't get it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6qZepJjo51lrZo

[@markolson9913]

This guy is a great story teller and we owe him so much! But fingers self amputating to the knuckle? That sounds absurd. I'd really like to know where he heard that or if he saw that happen.

[@nicholaswilson2761]

Oh no, this did happen. Not made up. Airmen regularly got severe frostbite. Self-amputation is medically called “autoamputation,” which is what he means. There are many possible triggers, including frostbite. At that altitude, where the temperature ranges from -40 to -70 degrees Fahrenheit, severe frostbite can occur within a few minutes. During active combat, it would have been easy to do this accidentally.

[@davidcbr0wn]

Bottom turret stories of getting wounded and the blood would freeze and roll around on the bottom and the best thing to do was to gather the frozen blood drops so they wouldn’t smear the turret when it got warmer at lower altitudes.

[@TomWakeman-ul7om]

Owe you a debt...you cleaned up your own mess as a generation.

[@captainamerica3814]

Army Air Force. The USAF didn’t exist yet.

[@ThomasLauersdorf]

Ballsy dude for a young 20 something.