The Infamous Eager Beavers & Their Custom B17 Bomber - Old 666

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[@the_fat_electrician]

Keep the recommendations coming!

[@willy_b_coyote]

You should do the story of the mutiny onboard a Russian frigate that inspired the Hunt for Red October (look up the Storozhevoy Mutiny).

[@deadlyred0112]

Sr71 black bird. The whole story. Everyone deserves it and I remember the poll you put out and we got the mosquito which was awesome but the black birddddd

[@insaniam_convertunt_scientiam]

How about the Alamo?

[@Garrettthebanana]

Not sure if you’ve already done this although you probably have so you should do the story on the one Russian dude in a submarine the was an admiral or something for a submarine he basically stoped ww3 from starting

[@114Riggs]

Thank you I Needed this as someone with shitty eyes.

[@EDT308]

Honestly Im surprised the plane could even fly with the sheer amount of balls it had to carry

[@andrewwilliamson9544]

LOL

[@riphopfer5816]

Seriously.

[@dj_duplicity4862]

I'd agree but I'm pretty sure those balls were not affected by gravity due to a lack of fucks given.😂

[@kentleytaggart5816]

Fantastic reply 😅😅😅😅

[@dadofamadhouse4194]

That b17 had an amazing Ball Load lol

[@shakyboi]

I was curious to read what happened to the plane and- "By March 1944, Lucy had been returned to the US to be used as a base transport aircraft and later as a heavy bomber trainer. It was finally flown to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in August 1945 to be sold for scrap." Damn shame because that plane deserves a spot in a museum.

[@stratigangames508]

That's some bull. She should be in a museum.

[@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643]

What's remarkable-and telling about the state of things in the SWPA at the time-is that '666 was repaired and returned to active service within months, though without the Eager Beavers' modifications. By September it was back in combat with the 63rd BS. There is a photo available of the plane in flight from the starboard side with obvious repairs done around the nose.

[@oz_jones]

I mean, it's kind of poetic that she was scrapped. From rust to rust, scrap to scrap

[@HANKSANDY69420]

*Same thing happened to that sub that Pool was on. The government can be pretty fucking stupid*

[@matthewirizarry8467]

​​@@oz_jonesshe was a vessel for the spirit that had gripped her crew. A suit of armor animated by sheer will power. At the pinnacle of their greatness, the devil took his fee and left. Without them, the magic is gone. It is right to let Lucy return to that from which she came.

[@NygaardBushcraft]

My neighbor is a 89 year old gentleman that is completely blind and he loves to listen to The Fat Electricians videos, and he is blessed with a special kind of memory so when play list is over the material is all new to him again and he enjoy it all over again.

[@ahnessa]

This is so sweet 🥲

[@user-rs8on5pd7d]

this is somehow sad and wholesome at the same time, and i love it

[@milldawgj9598]

That is awesome!

[@Crossword131]

That special memory lets him meet new friends all the time, too. You're awesome for sharing this.

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

May God bless you both, and the Fat Electrician too.

[@tioch5957]

As the grandson of a B-17 tail gunner who survived 3 yrs in a Nazi POW camp and lived to tell the tale, I love stories about B-17 bomber crews. This one might be my favorite (next to my Grandpa's). Seriously, all of the those bomber crews were such incalculable badasses, especially those that went on daytime raids. Great video. Apparently my house is also infested with onion-cutting ninjas as well

[@lancerains7297]

Need to watch masters of air if you haven’t me and my wife did was fucking amazing

[@Crossword131]

Naw, bruh. It's the pollen. Allergy season. My eyes are all red, too.

[@RayvenTheNight]

​@lancerains7297 definitely agree. Watched it like 3 times back to back. Gonna order the book soon.

[@kamina7347]

Hell yeah, giving the military anti heroes the respect and recognition they deserve, these long videos are the best bro

[@the_fat_electrician]

Glad you liked it

[@azazel-jr1bn]

im not ruining the 69 likes bro

[@chase1914]

Amazing story! True hero's

[@tompatchak8706]

Add them to the list,

[@alphacentary]

I don't think of them as anti heroes at all. Just Heroes.

[@johndjenssen]

To be completely honest, I don't think she could've had a better name than Old 666. This crew and plane deserve a movie

[@michaelbarnes7351]

A mini series like Band of brothers and the pacific would be better, that way you could properly tell the story.

[@dafender]

​@michaelbarnes7351 your getting my hopes up

[@AngelDame17]

A Movie and a Sabaton song.

[@stargate525]

You try pitching this and I think every executive would shoot it down as too over the top and unrealistic.

[@orthy853]

@@stargate525The truth is often more profound then anything they could imagine

[@Sybaification]

This is the first time I've heard of these guys and Im pissed. These heroes need to be in every textbook

[@granatmof]

The interesting thing is the average lifespan of a bomber in WW2 was like 3 runs, and the last recon mission was in fact the third mission between the eager beavers and the 666. They also had to wait Months for weather conditions to be right for the final mission. The final mission is also the one they had all 19 50 cal on. 20 missions was enough for a bomber pilot to end his tour of duty, and Jimmy Stewart was one of the relatively few to make that number (though reportedly he completed more missions without permission of command).

[@boydsinclair7606]

I'm thinking Jimmy Stewart would have been so polite and easy going it would have been hard to say no to him.

[@the_part_time_geek]

My 13 year old daughter has a tendency to watch these video with me.. her comment was, "If history class was like this, I'd be acing the course." (she has a B in it, so I'm okay with that). That said, your methodology of storytelling history is bar none some of the most informative and engaging education I've ever taken part in. I'm a 50 friggin years old ex-grunt, and I look forward to seeing what I'm gonna learn with each video. Thank you for all of this.

[@QargZer]

The good news is he is going for a degree in history so that he can write history books for teaching. He talked about this on a podcast

[@dosentmatter1593]

@@QargZer im assuming its the unsub podcast but. do you know which one?

[@dravenocklost4253]

​@@dosentmatter1593how about you just watch all the ones he's in and find out.

[@dravenocklost4253]

Swimmers still work you old grunt, huh? Lol

[@QargZer]

@@dosentmatter1593 kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZCXamurZrRnoaMsi=AhRbtDJn2NnZEEtj at 1 hour mark "fat electricians getting masters"

[@Ohiotrucker1]

Old 666 is the most gangster name for a plane EVER.

[@zoopdterdoobdter5743]

Well, yeah and hell _was_ coming with them. 😏

[@dannymcreynolds1060]

I love that Lucy was more than likely short for Lucifer, because they were about to rain almighty hell down on the Japanese.

[@ryoga8170]

​@@dannymcreynolds1060Exactly what I thought! 💕🇺🇲😎👌🇺🇲💕

[@SecNotSureSir]

There was a cargo plane(C-47 I think. I can’t remember) called “Big Nigger”.

[@cleverusername9369]

​@@SecNotSureSirdude. Just say n-word

[@davidaschwanden2094]

Wow. How does one even comment to that? As a US Navy FireControlman that phrase "Putting warheads on foreheads" is f'ing gold. Brother your narration of this story is beyond perfect. My grandfather was an Aviation Machinist in the US Army Air Corp in WWII and worked on a bunch of these B17's. Like most of those incredibly strong and badass men he never really spoke to us about what he did over there. Although he did receive several awards, medals, etc for some pretty brave stuff he did under fire. I can't I'ma trying to work on my Harley with guys shooting at me with machine guns and just continuing to turn wrenches. That's the breed of man that made this country so great. I can only pray that we can find those few amongst these younger generations that still have that type of heart, drive, and integrity in order for us to retain our nation. Because let's face it, a lot of the younger kids out there now are weaker than wet toilet paper. God bless these heroes and the freedom they sacrificed so much for in order for us to live under the blanket of. Godspeed to each and every one of them! Killer job on the video sir.

[@HANKSANDY69420]

*Wet single-ply toilet paper at that*

[@Rikki0]

I'm 73 and a WWII aviation buff since I was 12. I knew this story but have never heard it told so well and completely. I love the way you present these stories. One small point, they could not have damaged both rudders since the B-17 only had one. B-24 had two. But that didn't hurt your great story-telling. Oh, and one other thing. Where was your wife? I always get a kick out of her little interruptions.

[@G-Cole-01]

Jay Zeamer really is the embodiment of "DO NOT DENY ME MY FREE BIRD SOLO" for not letting the copilot do his thing whilst bleeding out and doing all other kinds of shaboingery.

[@tommydotyjr.2966]

I'm sorry... shaboingery???? I'm using that now 😂

[@G-Cole-01]

@@tommydotyjr.2966 first heard it in a therussianbadger video and now it's just baked into my ROM for slang terms

[@Volvith]

@@G-Cole-01 I was thinking that sounded weirdly familiar. To be fair, it's up there with SwawS.

[@ruralandroid4984]

​@@G-Cole-01"imagine being brought in on felony tomfoolery charges"

[@cornholio069]

​@@ruralandroid4984that happened to me once

[@Arcqueid]

The CH 47 I flew in to Iraq on, had the tail number 666. It had a recliner and 240B ratchet strapped to the tail gate.

[@davidsimmons7359]

Hooker mafia, hell yeah

[@daviswhite3591]

My 3rd deployment I had a custom high back humvee. Only fit for 2 Marines. The back was full of gear and equipment. Our standard stuff buuuuut we also had television, a sound system, an Xbox, DVD, coolers, fans and a BBQ pit. We had a slave cable that ended in a 110 DC power converter box so we could run everything on our engine. We had a place to call home "The Titty Twister" but we were rarely there so we started carrying our own beds with real mattresses and we created a hot water shower system. I tried to get us a door gun for the passenger side but the grunts would not let us have one. So we got lots of personal firepower instead. Everything but a belt-fed. Our mission was simple and also difficult in that simplicity. Bring joy to Marines living way outside the wire. We're talking small unit elements snooping and pooping. No more than 25 Marines at a time. We'd feed them, let them watch movies, give them our Satphone and fill in where needed so some poor crusty bastard could have a hot shower and a decent night's sleep. Feed them till supplies ran out, hook up with a patrol going back to the rear, load up fresh supplies, find another patrol headed out. Repeat. Extremely dangerous. Extremely fun. They called us ------ The Chuck Wagon. We flew The Jolly Rodger on our antenna.

[@JeffChapa]

​@@daviswhite3591 That's Awesome!!! Aid and comfort to the frontline soldiers

[@ch.r8285]

I have no idea what you just said, but it sounds bada$$. Thank you for your service!

[@libbiejohnson3068]

My Dad, Jim Cobb, was a radioman on a B17 plane called the Eager Beaver.

[@anthonytsapralis9393]

Great Story. The Army in the 80's and 90's was pretty much the same way. Soldiers left on their own devices always do amazing things.

[@matthewschoen9827]

This is the best video you've made so far and the fact that their isnt a feature length movie about these men is a war crime.

[@DragunovJ]

The first time it was actually a war crime...

[@MadDog-1961]

Exactly my thought!! I was going to post but started reading comments first...

[@maxlvledc]

This...that last mission alone has Oscar written all over it.

[@MetalManiac1911]

@@maxlvledcgood title for the movie too, “The Last Mission”.

[@maverick1685]

somebody needs to write a movie script and submit it........ to who?

[@SynchronizorVideos]

Holy balls. How has this not been made into a 3-hour action-adventure movie yet?

[@oz_jones]

"too unrealistic"

[@trikstari7687]

Because the government and Hollywood are assholes.

[@TheAzureNightmare]

Not enough Alphabet People.

[@libertybell8852]

Too many Alpha males in this story. Not enough actors to fill those roles anymore. 😂😂

[@daiganmonceaux7347]

"Fighter pilots make movies, bomber crews make history"

[@danzjewla]

Can I just thank you. One of my grandfathers was army in WWII. While the other was Civilian construction in the pacific. Your stories bring back some of the stories my father (a marine) would tell me of their histories. All three are now deceased so this channel brings a smile to my heart in remembrance.

[@iiiiivirusiiiii]

Every time I listen to your videos I'm like, "wow this HAS to be the craziest WW2 story". Then you find one that tops it in the next video

[@hillrodhighlife990]

So as my wife was in labor. I was looking through KZbin because why not. I started watching this video and much to my surprise my wife wanted to watch it as well. Needless to say we put off having a baby to watch this. Well done my friend. Oh and I didn’t shed a tear when the baby came. But I did for the ones that were lost.

[@seanholland1947]

Congrats

[@infpail7232]

Congratulations sir

[@zippymoons2124]

Congrats! Name the Baby Lucy!

[@maxpower4584]

Congratulations man

[@jordanlarson8310]

If she's having a girl you really should name her Lucy

[@jefferyscholl]

1) Please never stop the long form 2) History has never been so fun (I still love you @kingsandgenerals) 3) The humanity you bring to these experiences is incredible. Thank you.

[@Pr0toPoTaT0]

This. 100% this. Gave him a thanks because of it lol. Want it to keep going!

[@GTGibbs]

This was one of his top stories, and that’s a seriously hard list.

[@kilcar]

My dad was part of Operation Cartwheel which was a multi island landing scheme , the islands of Kiriwina, Woodlark and others were occupied. His seabee unit 20 NCB with NCB 60 buiilt the airfields on those islands and in Munda and Bougainville later. Many " fly- fly boys" as they were dubbed never returned from those missions from the airdromes dads unit built. Those were dark days early in the war .

[@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643]

Your dad and the Seabees were rock stars, and did as much as anyone to save the war in the Pacific. You can't have an air force without air strips, and the crazy speed they created the airstrips on the islands and at places like Iron Range, Milne Bay, Dobodura, and beyond was almost miraculous under the circumstances they were working under.

[@conniefoxx9813]

SEABEE'S......we need some stories about the SEABEES TOO!!!

[@nikulasschobitz2731]

“The Larry Bird of putting warheads on foreheads” is absolutely one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a good bit!

[@JustSomeGuy117]

If you haven’t heard, Qatar threatened that they would stop oil production due to the Israeli Gaza war, committing the cardinal sin of raising gas prices. Nothing could go wrong with that plan.

[@marcmichaud1643]

The response will definitely be "proportional"

[@the_fat_electrician]

Cant wait to make that video …. A “Senile” response

[@smoogs1841]

The U.S. hands out fractions, proportions and meat bag misting technology like no other. Interested to see how the Dementia Man handles this.

[@zacharyfreelove6101]

​@the_fat_electrician it's funny because our president is a corpse

[@GuadalupeF.Arredondo]

It’s not like gas in California is already 7 dollars a gallon 🤷🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

[@user-fn4rp4vf7e]

I’m in the middle of the book “Lucky 666: The Impossible Mission” and it’s truly unbelievable what all Jay and Joe went through. They also have a display at the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. They have the jackets of some of the crew and a map that takes you through the mission. Worth the trip if you can go

[@DutchTraveler]

Time to go book searching.

[@gotmike]

Nice! I just bought it! Looking forward to this one

[@coalman124]

I live an hour north of that museum. I have gone dozens of times and every time I go a new exhibit makes me tear up. This was one of them

[@seanholland1947]

To bad they scraped old 666

[@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643]

The first couple of chapters and the last chapter of Lucky 666 are pretty solid. The middle, especially once they get in theater, is an absolute historical mess. It's *a* story of the crew, but it's not the actual story. They don't even get the crew right, and muff the story of the plane itself. Great read, poor history.

[@BeansAndBullets1391]

I really enjoyed this one, my Great Uncle Richard "Buzzi" Davis was a waist gunner in a B-17 during WW2, he flew missions out of England (I can't remember the name of the Air Base) he passed away several years ago and I so badly miss talking with him and hearing the stories about what he did and what they all went through together. Truly the Greatest Generation, thank you to all who served, those who made it home and all those who didn't, America is forever in your debt.

[@jennidyke918]

Never stop doing what you do! I watch these videos with my daughters and they are also thoroughly loving it. The12 yr old has spent most of the day laughing about the absolute insane things these people do and learn history in the process. I lived in Illinois over 20 yrs and didnt know we had a german sub!

[@BrandonHerrera]

“Hindsight being 20/20” I *see* what you did there 👀

[@the_fat_electrician]

Honestly it was an accident lol

[@brian-8814]

​@@the_fat_electriciandad jokes become instinctual.

[@bilboes6634]

@@brian-8814 How do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it...

[@legallyblind3781]

@BrandonHerrera have you made it to be our first trustable politician yet?

[@aznravechild6i9]

Today we're talking about the guy who successfully ran for congress and never finished the AK50.

[@drcovell]

There is a story about a Wildcat pilot during Guadalcanal who, when out of ammo, lowered his landing gear and clubbed a Japanese bomber repeatedly, finally knocking it out if the sky. Japan didn’t learn until far too late that Americans also have a *Samurai* spirit-we just express it differently!

[@SovereignwindVODs]

Looking at history, it feels like the Japanese followed the thought process of "I will die to kill as many of you as possible" while the Americans followed "If I'm gonna die, you're all gonna join me in hell". Very similar thoughts, wildly different implementation

[@projectdeveloper9311]

And them they tell me that I can't do that in War Thunder because it's "unrealistic"

[@dillonpierce7869]

​@@projectdeveloper9311I've survived a few mid airs with enough damage to limp away..... Couple have knocked one wheel off so landing hasnt been better than ground looping but hey who cares. They still count as landings for some reason too.

[@rawchicken3463]

​@@dillonpierce7869most ppl just belly land in wt

[@dillonpierce7869]

@@rawchicken3463 shame. But makes sense given the way they give the 15-25 min match timer depending on match type and they can be over inside of 4 mins.

[@nickkrivosh1973]

A lot of the stories you’re telling I’ve heard about through the history channel or other shows like that, but the way you tell the story is not only hilarious, but makes it so much more memorable. I love what you’re doing. You keep making them I’ll keep watching them.

[@MagRes50Cal]

Discovered this channel about a month ago while searching for videos on the Benelli M4. Since then, I've watched multiple videos per day and learned quite a bit while having some pretty good laughs and picking up some new favorite phrases like Yeetus Deletus. This video is by far the best content I have seen from this channel, and I dare say KZbin as a whole. Great content, sir. There may or may not be onion cutting ninjas in my home as well. Definitely stirs emotions. Keep it up, and thank you.

[@tacocin]

My Dad was in the Signal Corp and spent the whole WW II in the Solomon Islands. He was tasked to set up radio comms on Bouganville after the Marine invasion. He and another soldier were clearing a cave when a booby trap exploded and killed the soldier in front of him. He said he remembers a blinding light and then a seering hot burning pain, and then went into shock and passed out. The next thing he remembers is waking up at a hospital in Australia. He had suffered multiple shrapnel wounds to his chest. He was told he would be issued a Purple Heart Medal, his family would be notified, and he would be returning to the States very soon. He got angry, said he wasn't going home, declined the Purple Heart and demanded he be returned to his unit to "finish the fight'" And that's exactly what he did. He returned home after the Japanese surrender and married my Mom whose name, coincidentally is ... Lucy.

[@TRUMP_WAS_RIGHT_ABOUT_EVRYTHNG]

awesome story! we Enjoy when people share family history like this!

[@johnathanblackwell9960]

Hell yeah my kind of man

[@16rumpole]

God your father was a badass. You must be proud

[@andyhelipilot3528]

🫡 to your father another true war hero

[@lonyaidaniel]

Thats badass!😎

[@Taolan8472]

I knew a couple of things about these guys. I knew they were the most decorated aircrew, I knew they flew a customized B17, and I knew that their pilot was easily one of the most scarily competent pilots to have ever flown anything. I did not know that the 'customized' b17 they flew was effectively custom built from a literal skeleton. I did not know just how scary the good Captain's competence really was. and I didn't fully appreciate just how tightly knit that crew was. Now, I'm sitting here wondering why TF we don't have a movie about these guys. And if we do actually, I want to go watch it.

[@1975Paladin1]

Why we don't have a movie of them? BECAUSE NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE IT! Seriously, it's the same reason why they had to tone down the movie about Desmond Doss. People tend to not believe the actual reports because they are so hard core that they seem to be fantasy.

[@jenniferhanses]

Definitely, we need a movie about them. But you know the movie could not possibly convey the whole story, particularly the ending. 45 minutes of air combat is too long to film as well as unbelievable. They'd probably have to abbreviate it to 15 minutes, and even then, people might start getting bored in terms of entertainment quality because that's very different than direct experience. I can see how to script it though. Needs a bit more research on the rest of the crew, and some stuff would probably have to be changed for dramatic effect since we can't hear the inside of people's heads thinking.

[@samuraigaming3042]

whos dez doss?@@1975Paladin1

[@raymondwallace1031]

Would’ve been better than Memphis Belle

[@WhiteIkiryo-yt2it]

Mel Gibson needs to direct it. We Were Soldiers and Hacksaw Ridge were awesome!

[@yambo59]

I cant even convey the emotion I feel when hearing this and so many other unbelievably brave and heroic stories. I had uncles who fought in WWII and none of them would ever talk about their missions or battles they fought in, just get real quiet like they didnt want to or couldnt relive the events or......??

[@Firetiger93]

The funniest part of this story is that the sideways tilt you describe is called "attitude". Command told them the only way to do this mission would be with zero attitude lol

[@Veritas.0]

They didn't steal all the gear for their bomber. Some of the other crews were putting in false requisitions to make new parts get ordered. The old ones went to Jay's crew. The other crews knew they were good and effective and didn't want them sidelined. Plus I imagine they wanted to see what would happen next. It gets boring on a base when you're not on.

[@ColburnFreml]

I would assume a fair number of them enjoyed knowing there was a crew that would volunteer for the most absurd/dangerous missions.

[@mrmabyr]

Either way, good sketchy work. Takes nothing away.

[@prestongarvey57]

That’s good. I’m glad they weren’t just being assholes

[@texvanwinkle]

There was no need to steal anything. Zeamer was the squadron executive officer of the 65th BS in May 1943 when '666 was returned to the squadron by 8th Photo, plus the 65th was transitioning to B-24s at the time, which meant Fortress parts were more available. Zeamer wouldn't have had any issues obtaining whatever parts he needed.

[@texvanwinkle]

@@ColburnFreml "I would assume a fair number of them enjoyed knowing there was a crew that would volunteer for the most absurd/dangerous missions." That is undoubtedly true. No one dreamed of turning down missions, but no one was judged harshly for not wanting to volunteer, especially for the long-distance mapping missions. Zeamer just wanted to fly and be doing something, as did Sarnoski. There's a reason they handpicked the crew they did.

[@danielbretall2236]

How has this story NOT been turned into the best WWII movies ever. If Spielberg had made this his follow up to Saving Private Ryan, it would have made 500 million dollars and won 5 Oscars.

[@ericyirka684]

Lets be honest. Who would believe this if hollywood made it lol. Personally i feel stories like this shouldnt be made into movies because the truth gets so lost in movies it, in my eyes at least, tarnishes the actual legacy

[@Hsnyd]

​@@ericyirka684good point

[@justincarrel7930]

People would call BS until they looked it up, it literally needs no fluff, just the record of his service is a stellar war flick

[@IIMoses740II]

I get where you're coming from, but I don't want Hollywood butchering these stories, either (and we all know they would)

[@stevetheduck1425]

He would have made it a comedy. - and failed.

[@conniefoxx9813]

I don't know why, but I just LOVE these stories. My dad was Army during Korea then changed his MOS to USAF for the next 20 years through Vietnam era. Uncles USAF, my son straight up Army, and both of my husbands were Navy. I grew up watching the old tv shows like Combat, Rat Patrol, and 12'Oclock high. I love my men being men and am so damned proud of all who serve. THANK YOU!

[@MikeHawk8008]

Been listening to these for the last 2 hours and I’ve caught 4 black drum and a mang snapper, all keepers. You sir, are my new lucky charm.

[@SirMattomaton]

Not going to lie, I'm a pretty stoic man, but I got a bit emotional at the parts where Joe Sarnoski refused to bomb where the Japanese officers were because he wanted to save the innocent geisha girls. It's good to see real *chivalry* in action and with boldness. It's so horrifically rare these days.

[@zacharysnyder2520]

Ignore civilian target, bolster the war effort. We aren’t demons.

[@SirMattomaton]

@@zacharysnyder2520 Exactly. Military "brass" across the world tends to become more psychopathic and deranged the longer a war goes on... And the more an opposing side is dehumanized.

[@fearthehoneybadger]

They knew they were going to win and they wanted the geisha girls for themselves.

[@jarlathquinn2628]

@@zacharysnyder2520except there were several high ranking generals there that if killed could have caused fewer deaths

[@firepilotfilson3881]

Its amazing the plane was able to get airborne carrying the brass balls on board

[@kyleaugustine6886]

I've asked this question for years, ever since I first heard this story. . . . *_WHY IS THIS STORY NOT A MOVIE!?!?!?!?!_*

[@the_fat_electrician]

Thats a great question

[@internetzenmaster8952]

Default answer: Because Hollywood couldn't list it as "based on a true story" because it sounds too ridiculous to be true."

[@raikbarczynski6582]

isnt that what Reagan told the press about Roy benavidezs story as he presented him with his MoH?@@internetzenmaster8952

[@kyleaugustine6886]

@@the_fat_electrician There is another war story is also tied at number one for WW2 stories I think should be made into a movie... Scratch that this one is getting a movie here soon. *The Battle of Castle Itter.* It was literally one of the craziest battles to happen in all of WW2 where US troops, Wehrmacht deserters, and a mix of Freed French and Austrian political prisoner including the former French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud, Charles de Gaulle's sister, and a tennis star by the name of Jean Borotra.... I know, your asking, why specifically mention a tennis star, I don't know, every rendition of this story always makes special mention because it's just that weird. Anyways, this ragtag team of unlikely allies had to defend a medieval castle which used to be the prison for these French political prisoners in order to servive a force of several hundred Waffen-SS who where out to unalive those prisoners. . . You can't make this shit up.

[@Yuracirlce]

Fat electrician made it all up that’s why. Haha jk

[@ProCactus167]

Beating the sun in a staring contest is the most Army thing I've ever heard, and it came from a civilian doctor

[@vancemccutchen1434]

Thank you for keeping history alive. These men were part of The Greatest Generation.

[@charlie1832]

Oh hell yeah, you know it’s going to be good when it’s a 35+ min video, this has quickly turned into one of my favorite channels after seeing you on demo ranch

[@B.E.Z.nOtLayZ]

This!

[@jackclark1994]

I swear, if he had taught my history class i would have aced it.

[@steve390gold]

What? He was on demo? He need to go to Matt's abandoned resort and give it a colonoscopy, I mean go spelunking in Matt's holes. I mean explore Matt's caves!!!

[@iansullivan7777]

Yes. Greatest war stories I’ve ever heard, also maybe the funniest YT channel.

[@pabloavalos8153]

I was so entranced by how amazing this video was, that when you said it was 35 minutes. I couldn’t believe it.

[@rayparga879]

Bud after the war became a police sgt in Pacific Grove CA. He was my dad's Sgt when he started in 1966. Bud's hair turned white while in theater almost overnight. I was lucky enough to know him as well until he passed in the 90s. He was a really cool guy

[@GTGibbs]

Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@jroar123]

That is incredible to find out, thanks for sharing.

[@CameronMcCreary]

I had never heard about this. Great account of a great crew; it's a shame they're most likely all gone but they will be remembered.

[@philippennington5415]

I don’t usually like history but I glued to this story as I once wanted to be a o pilot in the Navy. You had me at the beginning wanting more of his story! No one cried at the end here someone shot tear gas in my room while I watched till the end!

[@blackmoon8459]

Don't worry Nic, I also have an infestation in my car. You aren't the only one dealing with those assholes.

[@johnbryan1862]

Man, those onion cutting ninjas are everywhere!

[@sethdunlap9868]

I didn't consider ninjas... I thought the manly tears were from a passing cat or pollen or something.

[@DMETALSMITHSRESTORATIONS-dp2zu]

Damn chopping onions ninjas….

[@elistewart3435]

US chain of command: “We are no longer giving you easy missions. We are going to give you the most dangerous missions we have.” Eager Beavers: “Don’t threaten us with a good time.”

[@rayray80234]

"Jokes on you, we're into that shit" - Eager Beaver crew, probably

[@pissymema6633]

What a story. Wow. My husbands grandfathers both served in the Pacific... One was a radioman on the USS Missouri, the other a Marine. He fought on Saipan ax=s well as other islands. But he only ever mentioned Saipan,. The only thing I ever heard him say about his experiences in WWII was, "On Saipan, the Japanese were really dug in."

[@MisterOceanCity]

My dad worked with Joe Sarnoski's brother, Val. When I was a kid we would visit him all the time in Binghamton, NY...

[@stwilson3550]

Jay Zeamer-"If you want your stuff back you can try it. But the guns are loaded. " Other bomber crews- "He's bluffing." Jay- "also you have to fight Willey." Everyone else- "Nah, we're cool!"

[@PatrickJDoyle-bw3fu]

My grandfather was a mechanic on B-17's in England, some of the stories of having to cut the aircrew out of the wreckage and flak damage were horrifying, braver than brave.

[@ghomerhust]

yeah those b17 crews were insanely brave guys. but what an airframe! they took so much damage before they'd actually go down. the men really felt like they could rely on the old bird to get them home

[@circuitd942]

This is the third story I’m watching and it’s interesting that in every one of them there is a Polish dude assisting with some weird American plans. In the u-boat was the polish mechanic, Virginia Hall was married to a Polish spy and now Sarnowski. It’s like every time people come out with some crazy plan they get a polish rep for good luck lol

[@Wickit96]

The story deserves a movie honestly, and to be fair, old 666 is probably the best name they could have given it

[@Jackaboy1476]

My uncle was a ball turret gunner and survived dozens of missions before being shot down and taken prisoner by Japan. He was tortured but never talked about it, all we ever knew was his head was so scarred he couldn’t grow hair and wore a toupee his whole life. Those men were basically sitting ducks on every trip they took, but they’d till went. The epitome of big balls and nerves of steel. Thank god men like that existed when they did.

[@skraf883]

Holy hell.. if even only half of this story was true, it's still epic. This guy's story needs to be made into a movie.. problem is no one would believe it because it's so hard core out there.

[@richardhicks5031]

There's a lot of war stories Ike this that are to absurd to believe

[@musewolfman]

And it would have to be 6 hours long just to do the story justice.

[@jedi_country_boy1703]

Mini series on HBO

[@JohnDoe-dr9ff]

@@jedi_country_boy1703Like Band of Brothers. Could definitely see this story as a mini-series.

[@nicholasmosley2851]

Just like in the movie hacksaw ridge where Desmond daws’ feats had to be down played and or omitted because the writers said no one would actually believe one man accomplished them by himself.

[@MarstheGod16]

I too went to Culver Military Academy. thats pretty cool that this badass of history shared the same campus

[@CUtigerz97]

"...the best at putting warheads on foreheads." Top notch narration!👍

[@Lybarger12b]

As a veteran myself x combat engineer I promise you disassembling and reassembling a f****** 50 while blindfolded under a minute is wildly impressive

[@678rwhp]

12B's rule!

[@Jacob-nl5bd]

My great grand father is Jonnie Able I am glad to finally here your take on this story. I still have all his medals in my house and like to revisit his history

[@kylemoore687]

Must be awesome to have such a badass in the family tree that people are still making videos about him today

[@BlCKuT-nv8gv]

This is the Reason Why I LOVE Boeing B-17B Bomber Planes..!! They’re so Customizable and you can basically turn them into a GUNSHIP..!! That’s why Jay was able to Gather over NINETEEN Fifty Caliber Machine Guns for the Plane..!! Also, Nic..!! You NEED to cover the Story about “The Bloody Hundredth”..!! The 100TH Bomber Crew who were Responsible for Bombing the Heart Of Nazi Germany during WWII..!!

[@deckerjake438]

This is my absolute favorite video so far. Thank you for your service and these amazing videos. My grandfather was an aviator and engineer… he told many many great stories.

[@debunkeduser1461]

As a pilot in training. I find it highly impressive that he maintained PERFECTLY level flight for 22 minutes straight. The B17 had only a very basic autopilot so my assumption* is that the pilot did that manually, accounting for wind, pressure differences and weight change never letting a single degree of turn, pitch, or yaw occur. If that does not speak mastery. Nothing does

[@ok-qz7cx]

i mean, this is perfect weather, so that might help quite a bit

[@pocketinfinity5260]

For joe to be hit with 20mm and still kill a couple more planes before passing on is unbelievable. He didn’t want to leave those men for anything. Same for jay to make it back after nearly bleeding out the whole time.

[@archimedes372]

This might be the most deserving to be a movie video you have done!!

[@willlambert1809]

I don’t actually learn much from your videos more than I already know but the way you tell it is better than I could ever remember it, always look forward to your videos

[@seancallaway5204]

Love how your channel has evolved from the short-form, quickie highlights to full-on stories about various military units/ships/personnel. Your older videos are still great, but I really enjoy your longer-form stories about epic soldiers, battles, crews, and vehicles, and the way you describe everything is equal parts humorous and informative. Perfect for keeping peoples' attention.

[@willymac5036]

As an amateur WWII historian myself, I’ve read/heard countless stories about individuals and small teams of men doing extraordinary things during the war. This story of the Eager Beavers is one of my absolute favorites. It also helps that the fat electrician is absolutely hilarious and I thoroughly enjoy how he tells stories!

[@cdpgeorge]

I will accept interpretations if they're this entertaining. It's a damn wonder, it wasn't made a movie. Makes me think Hollywood hates telling patriotic stories.

[@dracodraco1982]

@@cdpgeorge >.> Actually, I think it's the exact opposite. They don't tell a lot of these stories because it highlights just how bad leadership was. These characters are heroes, yeah, but when most of the story has these guys struggling against US brass instead of actual enemies, it puts the military and government in a bad light. It's sort of like those "feel good" stories you see from time to time, where a kid does a bunch of work to help a friend with a medical problem; or a bunch of teachers donating sick days to a colleague battling cancer, yet who has run out of leave. Yeah, people are being heroes, but it kind of begs the question: why do we accept a system that demands such heroics from disparate people, rather than implement a system that alleviates the need for such heroics in the first place, leaving kids to be kids and teachers to their own sick days? You can frame it just right for 80% of people not to notice, if you keep it to like 3 minutes. Make it a two hour movie, though, and a lot more people are likely to notice a problem. Seeing as we had the Red Scare (where questioning the military/government carried very real risks of getting blacklisted), and now any major military movie relies on cooperation from the relevant military branch, and given the top brass of such arms won't back a project that portrays their branch in a negative light, there just wasn't a lot of time between the two for this story to get told. >.o The only way this gets made, then, is if the story gets heavily changed for political reasons; or is backed with enough funding that cooperation from the military isn't needed.

[@stormmorrell7583]

Off the top of your head any good ones I could read ?

[@willymac5036]

@@stormmorrell7583 there are a ton of heroic stories of American service members throughout the years. Just off the top of my head, a few that come to mind are Lyle Bouck jr. and his band of 18 soldiers that stopped the entire German 1st SS Panzer Division in their tracks for more than 18 hours, essentially SEVERELY hampering German efforts during the battle of the bulge. These men were absolute warriors, and after they were taken prisoner the Germans just could not believe there were only 18 of them. Lt Lyle Bouck Jr was only 21 years old at the time. Another is Alexander “Sandy” Bonnyman jr, who posthumously received a Medal of Honor for his actions on Tarawa. He had already fought in the Guadalcanal campaign as well. I can’t remember the name of the man, but there is another one about a private during the Korean War who, while his unit was retreating, decided he had just had enough, and he wasn’t going to retreat one more step. He told his battle buddies what he was doing, and many of them gave him all the ammunition they could spare. He set up his machine gun for a final stand and held back an entire Chinese division, by himself, so that his unit could withdraw. He was never seen again, but after the war the US government was able to find out that he stood his post until he ran out of ammunition, and only had two grenades left. He used one on the enemy, and the other on himself when several enemy soldiers rushed him, taking them with him. This kid of only 19 or 20 years old took something like 125 Chinese soldiers out before he ran out of ammunition. If you do just a little digging you will find there are literally thousands of stories like this from every branch of the military, from every war America has ever been involved in.

[@nolanraney914]

I read the Art of Seeing in college and I can attest the bates method does improve eyesight to a slight degree.. as it reduced my prescription by whole numbers. It doesnt advocate staring at the sun but rather 'sunning' your eyes, which is just exposing them to indirect full sunlight during the exercises (for short periods).

[@kellymedia99]

Your retelling of these stories is amazing! The long videos are my favorites. Great job

[@cs9978]

Lately I have the attention span of an ADHD suffering fruit fly on crank and you do the near impossible and hold my rapt attention for over 30 minutes straight. You may well be making the best long form content on this entire site. Another moving and inspiring story, sir.

[@samblundell1872]

Ha ha underrated comment!

[@kendradavies8377]

Y’all “Willie” is my uncle and he was the absolute sweetest, most humble and unassuming man you ever met! No way you would ever see him as a straight up assassin! LOL Unbelievable badass!! Thank you for highlighting this amazing crew- all heroes for this country! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus]

The kindest people can be the most dangerous, glad you got to spend time with family and that family was a real American hero.

[@denotwos]

You can't hide the respect you have for this crew. Thank you for telling this history.

[@jeffryrichardson9105]

Great history lesson! Thank you for sharing this with us!👍🏽😀❤️🇺🇸

[@Crynocent]

Along with Jay Zeamer, Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa was one of the best bomber pilots in history. Using an SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber, he shot down 2 Zeros with guns and took another in basically a knife fight in the sky. He slamming his wing against the last Zero's during a roll, ripping the top of the Zero's wing off, without any significant or visable damage to his Dauntless. They transfer him to an F4F Wild Cat and he becomes an Ace in a Day with another 7 air to air kills in a single mission. Guy had no chill in a pilots seat.

[@krautyvonlederhosen]

Swede’s rear gunner wrote that he was barely able to avoid throwing up during the fight. Sparks should do a story.

[@kw3023]

Yes! Do a video on Swede!

[@trcslythriller1128]

@the_fat_electrician PLEASE

[@lsswappedcessna]

to be fair the Dauntless was a great plane

[@drewsmith5675]

I fifth the motion

[@rcrawford42]

There was a bomber named "Patches" -- for all the repairs it needed. Despite being shot up, none of its crew were ever severely injured, so it was a unit favorite. Eventually Patches was so beat up it took off at a crab angle -- unfortunately a general saw it taking off and ordered it taken out of combat. The unit kept it, though, using it for "supply" and R&R runs to Egypt.

[@DonBell-tt9cm]

376 th liberondos

[@paulzammataro7185]

Wasn't that a B-24?

[@MANTUEFLIE2]

Plane of Theseus

[@aaronmechlem796]

This story had me more on the edge of my seat than a $400 Million Budget Hollywood Blockbuster!

[@darrenquirk2269]

I've only just discovered your channel. This was brilliantly researched and presented. I've seen a couple of other videos on Old 666 before but you covered much more detail of the plane, the mission and the personal background of the crew.

[@bobw7018]

You sir, are the only man who can do these men justice and share their tales of bravery. I loved how this was a 35 minute video, and it was EXCELLENT the whole way.

[@jordanmeek2531]

So command not only drew up a mission where they had to make themselves a sitting duck and couldn't move for 20 minutes straight, but while on their way they were also ordered to "Hey, do a flyby over the island to make damn sure everyone knows your there first". They were obviously trying to kill these guys.

[@sword_racer185]

Yet only 1 man died on the mission. I swear history can be way more absurd than fiction

[@jeice13]

​@@sword_racer185 given enough time and people you get lots of lottery odds

[@doesntmatter4477]

They weren't obviously trying to kill those guys. Killing your own men on purpose in a war like that, simply over not like their attitude is nonsense. They would have been sacrificing multiple service men but also the mission itself completely, plus all the Intel gained as a result of mission success. All that and much more, would have knowingly been sabotaged with those men

[@doesntmatter4477]

They weren't obviously trying to kill those guys. Killing your own men on purpose in a war like that, simply over not like their attitude is nonsense. They would have been sacrificing multiple service men but also the mission itself completely, plus all the Intel gained as a result of mission success. All that and much more, would have knowingly been sabotaged with those men

[@devinlewis3096]

People have been fragged for less​@@doesntmatter4477

[@INDYANDY4C]

Culver Academy still there, in Indiana with great kids. The Cadets often March in parades in DC. Sometimes the Rose Bowl too.

[@hughpickrel569]

I love the way you narrate! I come from a long line of "Vets" - back to the Revolutionary War and every war that this nation has ever fought. My dad (Navy - VPB116) and my uncle (LOTS of different units - WW2, Korea, and Nam) lie in Arlington National Cemetery. Please give a look at VPB 116! Shoestring Navy B-24 squadron assigned to "Island Hopping" missions - Truk, Iwo Jima, Tinian, etc. Dad had 9 air medals and 2 DFC's as a pilot/navigator/bombardier in his squadron. They did this in resurrected 8th AF planes that had been refurbed by the manufacturers. The Navy was FAR more farsighted than the AAF. They had pilot, copilot, bombardier, and navigator as interchangeable positions - trained by the China Clipper navigators! (My time in service was modest. I was an O.R, tech in Nam in support of the 3rd MarDiv. for 12 months in I-Corps. I am forever humbled by my ancestors and family, I am in awe of real heroes.)

[@thegooddonut1]

The part where he mentioned Jay had to receive his award posthumously i started getting teary eyed, not quite crying but that was hard to accept and think about.

[@righteousviking]

Those onion cutting ninjas were in my house too

[@duelgundam]

Joe was the one who "bit the bullet", so to speak.

[@mattthompson9917]

Operation "Broken Reed" was definitely the most gangster human Intel gathering mission of the Korean war. Not declassified until 1998, allowing the Army Crypto guy that was on the mission to finally write about it. This mission's intel probably was the only reason Truman didn't use nukes. They go all across North Korea as fake captured pows on their way to a Chinese prison camp. It's an amazing story and your delivery style would be awesome for It's retelling

[@SuperMuddybuddy]

You heard about the book sing a song to Jenny next? It was believed to be a suicide mission

[@corneliusconijn881]

Love the energy of your story telling, and the humorous side analogies!

[@mike393000]

Second time watching this and it was even better! It popped up after watching the Cassius Clay video and I was working out so I let it go. Awesome story and you are a MASTER story teller! I consider myself a history buff but I learn so much from you in such a fun way...and lately almost everyday! Thank you for this channel! Even the stories I know, you add so much detail in such an awesome patriotic way! I sometimes get teary eyed too! I appreciate you being out here! Keep it up! God bless America! and don't mess with our boats!! LOL

[@jero37]

I want a Band of Brothers style series made about these guys and all my favorite guntubers to play the Eager Beavers. Damn right Joe deserved that medal, he was a man of honor.

[@bigdrew565]

Maybe Tom Hanks will do a companion series or a one-shot.

[@noctodemus]

Dude you may be one of the most gifted storytellers I've ever encountered. Keep 'em coming.

[@justwannaname]

The amount of testosterone on that plane could fuel: Monster, Rockstar, redbull, etc for a decade.

[@kevinkelley8690]

I just found you and gave subscribed. You mix facts and humor and “real information” such as how the way things really get done by the actual fighters. Thank you.

[@03Grunt-arrino]

Thanks for keeping all these gents alive via your videos. Dumb that most males know random NFL players stats back-to-front, but we don’t even know these war-dogs’ names. You’re helping change that. Well done.

[@randallcraft4071]

"They never got a chance to finish their nose art, thats why they never got a cooler nickname then their tail number." Dude "Old 666" is like the best nick name though.

[@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643]

They did finish the nose art. There's a photo of it from September 1943 when the plane had been transferred to the 63rd BS. It was "Lucy," in script underneath and to the left of the enlarged port window, done by an artist in the squadron who'd done it for at least another couple of planes. The reason "Lucy" didn't catch on is because it was only added shortly before the final mission, sometime after their June 2 mapping mission over the Admiralties (which included, incidentally, a non-eventful recon over Buka). Zeamer stuck with "Old 666" out of respect for the girl it was inspired by, Lucile Christmas, daughter of Major John K. Christmas, who he dated while at Langley, but mostly out of deference to his wife.

[@koathekid8255]

@@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643 Lucy? Like short for Lucifer literal fucking *satan* I guess that’s what it was called old 666 it’s the satan gun

[@ZeamersEagerBeavers0643]

@@koathekid8255 It is a funny coincidence. You have to wonder if any of his crew pointed that out to Zeamer when he named it for Lucile.

[@Michael-qo8bs]

I commend you for the detailed report...it was fascinating! I had heard of this mission and plane bedore...but the added back story was fabulous! And made it even more amazing! The value of thinking outside the box...and commitment to a common goal...outstanding video Thank you

[@brandonberglund3078]

Genuinely thank you for posting this kind of content, I listen to this at work and the layman's terms of what actually happened in the past is indescribable

[@rexbrown1255]

I'm a 67 year old Veteran and absolutely love your videos. You're a natural at story telling. I found you and subscribed several months ago, and have went back to view all of your content. Can't get enough! This video however, may be your best one yet. I was a Tank Crewman and Drill Sergeant while serving and now retired HVAC Technician. My best friend is an Electrician. You bring great credit to the trades as well as inspiring people to be proud of our military and country. Bless you and much continued success!

[@kramreklaw3535]

Well worth it to go back and watch especially the one about military mechanics

[@chrisban6007]

I've done the same sir, and have watched most several times.

[@BrianLopez-dv7ep]

My grandfather was a DC-3 pilot in WW2. He had a photo of him and his crew standing next to their plane and the plane was shot to shit but they made it back safe. After the war, he went on to work for NASA and JPL. His name was George Petrovich. I haven't seen that picture since i was a kid, and since his passing, no one knows where it went. EDIT: I really appreciate you telling these stories. It reminds me of when I used to sit on his lap when I was a kid and he told me all these stories of places he's been and all the crazy things he'd done. Thank you.

[@pauld6967]

You are fortunate Brian. My father was in the Army Air Corps/Army Air Force during W.W. II and he steadfastly refused to tell war stories. All I know comes from an off-hand comment he would make from time to time & the rare times I heard him reminiscing with other veterans when he didn't know I was around. He would immediately stop and leave the talking to the others if he noticed I was around. I suspect he didn't want to glorify combat. That said, he also didn't try to talk me out of joining the military and was proud to have me follow his footsteps in donning the uniform.

[@JohnnAlaniz]

@@pauld6967 that’s man saw hell and kept marching , my grandfather was they guy they sent out to find booby trans and disarm bombs in ww2 , he said they called em hounds he also did say one time he missed one and stepped on the mine but it’s just went click no boom , we are big hunters but when he would go with us he would just say he’s done enough killing already

[@jakedavid8187]

If possible I wish their entire lives was lived with "big balls" playing in the background...badass dudes