logo
At 101, Dunedin World War II veteran reflects on service during ‘Victory in Europe Day'

At 101, Dunedin World War II veteran reflects on service during ‘Victory in Europe Day'

Yahoo09-05-2025

The Brief
Bob Russell, 101, was a fighter/bomber pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Europe when he heard the news that the Germans had surrendered.
While the Japanese had not yet surrendered in the Pacific region, May 8 marked the end of World War II in Europe with Victory in Europe Day.
Russell and everyone in his 405th fighter squadron received air medals for containing German forces during the historic Battle of the Bulge, which was a resounding battlefield success.
DUNEDIN, Fla. - May 8, 1944, is a day Bob Russell remembers well. A fighter/bomber pilot with the U.S. Army Air Corps in Europe, he was in a hospital room near Belgium recovering from being shot down when he heard the news that the Germans had surrendered.
"There wasn't much celebration. We were just ready to come home," Russell told FOX 13.
READ: Manatee County World War II veteran receives highest honor from France
The backstory
While the Japanese had not yet surrendered in the Pacific region, May 8 marked the end of World War II in Europe with Victory in Europe Day (V.E. Day). There is another day that is equally important to Russell, however. It was the moment that lit his patriotic fire.
When news broke of the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, he knew that it was his calling to serve.
"We were all very patriotic then," he said. "Much more so than we are today."
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
His memory remains sharp at 101 years old.
"I'm going after 102," he told FOX 13 with a determined chuckle.
Barely three years after enlisting, he'd found himself piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt in the Army Air Corps. He flew cover for General George Patton's troops on the ground in Europe during the Battle of the Bulge in late 1944.
"We were trying to keep the German Army out of Berlin," he recalled.
MORE: Air Force veteran shares artistic talent through personalized plaques and signs
He did just that, flying low-level bombing and strafing runs at tree-top level while dodging enemy fire. His memory is rivaled only by his confidence when asked if he was a pretty good pilot; "The best," he snaps back with a wry smile and another chuckle.
He would need those sharp piloting skills on his 13th and final mission. Shot down by an explosive German shell, he managed to pull off a perfect emergency landing, landing on the belly of his plane with no landing gear and Nazi forces on the ground around him. His knee was badly damaged by shrapnel, but that didn't keep him from running to safety once he landed.
He told FOX 13 he can't believe it's been 80 years.
Big picture view
But, opening doors of reflection often reveal the weight of the unknown. He's often haunted by the unintended victims down below who just happened to be near their targets. So, heavy remains his heart.
"I was always hoping we never hit any children," he said with a long pause. "But we probably did, you know," as he wiped a wet eye.
READ: Palm Harbor WWII veteran finds comfort in new mission at 100 years old: 'Life is golden'
Russell and everyone in his 405th fighter squadron received air medals for containing German forces during the historic Battle of the Bulge, which was a resounding battlefield success. But, it did not come without tremendous loss.
By the numbers
Between December 16, 1944, and January 23, 1945, the United States suffered 81,000 casualties with 19,246 killed, 23,000 captured and 38,000 injured, according to the National Archives. A handful of Russell's friends in the 405th were among those who didn't get to come home.
He thinks of each of them often.
"It's, uh... [wipes tear] a lot of good kids," he said.
He was just 20 at the time, as were most of his squadron pals. But, there's no mistaking youth for lack of character during war.
Russell reflects on all of them fondly.
MORE: Heroes' Village bringing first-of-its-kind veteran housing to Sarasota
"Of all the places I've been, it was the greatest group of people I ever associated with," he told FOX 13 of his 405th Fighter Squadron.
Another reminder that this was a generation of great sacrifice, but even greater valor, with a young Bob Russell leading the way.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Portuguese is the third most-spoken language in Utah
Portuguese is the third most-spoken language in Utah

Axios

time6 hours ago

  • Axios

Portuguese is the third most-spoken language in Utah

Portuguese, Chinese and German are the three most commonly spoken languages in Utah, other than English and Spanish, per new census data. Why it matters: The myriad languages spoken across the state reflect the settlement and colonization of centuries long past, as well as more modern immigration patterns. By the numbers: Just over 13,800 people speak Portuguese in Utah, followed by 9,100 Chinese speakers and 8,500 German speakers, per the census data. That is a fraction of the 310,300 Spanish speakers in the Beehive State. The survey data represents the languages spoken at home from 2017 to 2021 among people five years and older in the U.S. The intrigue: Portuguese is prevalent in Utah in part because the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has ties to Brazil. The South American country is home to 1.5 million church members, according to church statistics. As of 2022, about 7,700 foreign-born residents of Utah hailed from Brazil, according to Portuguese is the top language after English and Spanish in four other states: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Between the lines: Nationally, many multilingual people speak one language at home with family, but use English at work, school and elsewhere. Just over 60% of people who speak a language other than English at home also say they speak English "very well," per the census data. Zoom out: Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese are the three most common languages spoken in the U.S. after English and Spanish, per the census data.

Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison
Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison

Chicago Tribune

time9 hours ago

  • Chicago Tribune

Today in History: James Earl Ray escapes from prison

Today is Tuesday, June 10, the 161st day of 2025. There are 204 days left in the year. Today in history: On June 10, 1977, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee with six others. He was recaptured three days later. Also on this date: In 1692, the first execution resulting from the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts took place as Bridget Bishop was hanged. In 1854, the U.S. Naval Academy held its first graduation ceremony. In 1940, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, formally entering Italy into World War II. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963, aimed at eliminating wage disparities based on gender. In 1967, six days of war in the Mideast involving Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq ended as Israel and Syria accepted a United Nations-mediated ceasefire. In 1978, racehorse Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, won the 110th Belmont Stakes to claim the 11th Triple Crown. Alydar, ridden by Jorge Velasquez, finished a close second in each of the Triple Crown races. In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard of Meyers, California, was abducted by Phillip and Nancy Garrido; Dugard was held by the couple for 18 years before she was found by authorities. In 2018, the rover Opportunity sent its last message from the surface of Mars. Originally expected to serve a three-month mission, Opportunity functioned for over 14 years, traveling over 28 miles across Mars and unveiling critical discoveries about the planet's geology. In 2009, James von Brunn, an 88-year-old white supremacist, opened fire in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., killing security guard Stephen T. Johns. (Von Brunn died at a North Carolina hospital in January 2010 while awaiting trial.) In 2020, protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy. Today's Birthdays: Political commentator Jeff Greenfield is 82. Actor Frankie Faison is 76. Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts is 74. Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is 72. Actor Gina Gershon is 63. Actor-model Elizabeth Hurley is 60. Comedian Bill Burr is 57. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is 53. R&B singer Faith Evans is 52. Actor Hugh Dancy is 50. Country musician Lee Brice is 46. Actor Leelee Sobieski is 42. Olympic figure skating gold medalist Tara Lipinski is 43. Model Kate Upton is 33. Former first daughter Sasha Obama is 24.

Today in History: June 10, Opportunity rover sends last message from Mars
Today in History: June 10, Opportunity rover sends last message from Mars

Boston Globe

time10 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

Today in History: June 10, Opportunity rover sends last message from Mars

Advertisement In 1772, rebels in Rhode Island looted and set afire the HMS Gaspee in Narragansett Bay after the ship ran aground chasing smugglers. The defiant act was considered one of the sparks igniting the American Revolution. In 1775, 250 years ago, the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts set down guidelines for daily provisions for each soldier in the 'Massachusetts army.' Those include: 'One pound of bread : 2d. Half a pound of beef and half a pound of pork; and if pork cannot be had, one pound and a quarter of beef; and one day in seven they shall have one pound and one quarter of salt fish, instead of one day's allowance of meat : 3d. One pint of milk, or, if milk cannot be had, one gill of rice : 4th. One quart of good spruce or malt beer : 5th. One gill of peas or beans, or other sauce equivalent : 6th. Six ounces of good butter per week: 7th. One pound of good common soap for six men per week.' Advertisement In 1854, the Naval Academy held its first graduation ceremony. In 1906, the Mother Church of Christian Science was rededicated in Boston after an expansion tripled its seating capacity to 3,000. In 1940, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini declared war on France and Great Britain, formally entering Italy into World War II. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963, aimed at eliminating wage disparities based on gender. In 1967, six days of war in the Mideast involving Israel, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq ended as Israel and Syria accepted a United Nations-mediated cease-fire. In 1977, James Earl Ray, the convicted assassin of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee with six others. He was recaptured three days later. In 1978, racehorse Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, won the 110th Belmont Stakes to claim the 11th Triple Crown. Alydar, ridden by Jorge Velasquez, finished a close second in each of the Triple Crown races. In 1991, 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard of Meyers, Calif., was abducted by Phillip and Nancy Garrido; Dugard was held by the couple for 18 years before she was found by authorities. In 2009, James von Brunn, an 88-year-old white supremacist, opened fire in the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., killing security guard Stephen T. Johns. (Von Brunn died at a North Carolina hospital in January 2010 while awaiting trial.) Advertisement In 2018, the rover Opportunity sent its last message from the surface of Mars. Originally expected to serve a three-month mission, Opportunity functioned for over 14 years, traveling over 28 miles across Mars and unveiling critical discoveries about the planet's geology. In 2019, former Red Sox star David Ortiz flew to Boston for medical care; he'd undergone surgery in his native Dominican Republic after an ambush by a gunman at a bar. In 2020, protesters pulled down a century-old statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis in Richmond, Va., the former capital of the Confederacy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store