Special Sub-Topic: My Father, My Hero Click Here To Play: My Father, My Hero

My father was shot down over Germany while serving as a tail gunner in a plane of the same type as the famous Memphis Belle. What was this airplane?

B17 Flying Fortress. The prototype of the Flying Fortress was built by Boeing and was the first truly mass-produced large aircraft. It was a four-engine heavy bomber; B stands for "bombardment" aircraft. It became the icon of American power and symbol of the United States Air Force. The B17 was mainly used by the U.S. military in the Air Force's 8th Air Force (previously the Air Corps) in the European theatre, primarily against Germany. The B17 was favored by Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, American aviation pioneer famous for the "Doolittle Raid". This mission took place in 1942 against Japan, for which Doolittle earned the Medal of Honor. The B17 was featured in a number of movies about WWII, including "Twelve O'Clock High" with Gregory Peck, along with "Test Pilot" and "Command Decision", both starring Clark Gable.

My father was born in which small Northeast Georgia town, noted for its well-known falls; a WWII paratrooper training base; and as the home of Paul Anderson, an Olympic gold medalist known as "the world's strongest man"?

Toccoa. Toccoa, Georgia is located about 16 miles from the South Carolina border and 90 miles NE of Atlanta. It is the birthplace of singer Ida Cox, rapper Leon Paul Woody III, philanthropist Paul Edward Anderson, DeForest Kelly (Dr. McCoy on the original Star Trek series) and All-American football player at Georgia Tech, Ken Swilling. James Brown, the King of Soul, also lived there for a period of time. As of 2000, the town's population was slightly over 9,000. When I was a child, Toccoa's primary industry was a thread mill.

After his capture, my father was imprisoned at which German prison camp, one that gained notoriety for its inhumane conditions and was the basis for the movie named after the camp?

Stalag 17-B. Stalag 17-B was located in Germany, six km from Krems, Austria. Originally designed for 240 men, Barracks 17-B housed 4,237 prisoners after only three months of occupancy. The entire camp contained 29,794 prisoners at its peak occupancy. Many of the men died of starvation, dysentery, weather and infection. The prisoners were liberated on May 2, 1945, one year after Normandy. They were force-marched out of the camp; along the way, all of the guards were either killed by the prisoners or ran away. They reached safety and were liberated by the 3rd Army. Although the season was late spring, the weather was extremely cold and the men lacked proper clothing. A number of them died along the march. The movie, "Stalag XVII", was made in 1953 and also became the basis for the television series, "Hogan's Heroes". There actually was a sergeant among the guards sharing the name of "I know nothingggg!" Schultz in the TV series, spelled "Scholtz". The men also dug a tunnel in an effort to escape. My father, who was 6'3" tall, weighed 95 pounds when liberated.

Dad served for many years after his retirement as the Judge Advocate of which organization, whose membership is open to all American former POWs in any conflict?

American Ex-POWs. The American Ex-POWs, established in 1942 to serve former POWs in all U.S. conflicts, is the largest active POW organization in the country. It presently has a little fewer than 10,000 members, a number that declines every year as most of the membership is composed of WWII veterans, who are dying at a rapid rate, estimated at over 1,000 per day. The organization's motto is "We exist to help those who cannot help themselves". The American Ex-POWs are an effective lobbying group with Congress for veterans' legislation and help countless POWs obtain benefits previously denied by the Veterans Administration. Dad served 8 terms as Judge Advocate, was the Chairman of the Alabama Department and also served as a certified National Service Officer for many years, helping vets obtain benefits.

After the War and marriage to my Mom, Dad was a salesman -- and an excellent one -- until his retirement, finally, in his 70s. Much of this time, he was a Branch Manager for this national manufacturer of heavy equipment, distinguished by the bright yellow color of its equipment. What is its name?

Caterpillar. For over 80 years, Caterpillar has been the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines. Dad worked in Caterpillar branches in Birmingham, AL, Shelbyville, TN and was Branch Manager/Salesman in Tuscaloosa, AL. Living and working in West Alabama, which has many coal mines, Dad made a great deal of his income selling mining equipment as well as road construction equipment. I got my first ride on a bulldozer at age 5!

We lived in this Alabama city through my high school years, which is famous for the Crimson Tide and its celebrated coach, Paul "Bear" Bryant. Which Alabama city is this?

Tuscaloosa. Home to The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa gained national fame for its championship football team, the Crimson Tide, and its even more famous coach, Bear Bryant. Tuscaloosa is located in West Central Alabama, 58 miles West of Birmingham. The University's Law School also has national standing, as do its School of Business and Department of Psychology. Named for the Choctaw Indian chief Tuskaloosa, it is located on the Black Warrior River, with a population of 89,000. Tuscaloosa became a city in 1819, one day after Alabama became a state.

Dad excelled in this "gentlemen's sport", playing every weekend until he retired and nearly every day thereafter until "Arthur" (arthritis) in his shoulder became too bad to allow him to continue. He ended each game day in the Nineteenth Hole. What was Dad's favorite sporting pastime?

Golf. Like many cities of its size, especially in the South, Tuscaloosa had several country clubs. Dad and Mom belonged to three, for what reason I have never ascertained unless Dad just wanted the challenge of several different golf courses. At any rate, playing golf kept Dad young well into his 70s. As an adult, I didn't mind visiting him in the 19th Hole for an adult beverage afterward!

Mom and Dad were faithful members of this religious denomination, the most prominent Protestant denomination in the South, where Dad taught a men's Sunday School Class for many, many years, continuing until his final illness. What denomination am I talking about?

Southern Baptist. Officially named the Southern Baptist Convention, it is the world's largest Baptist denomination, with over 16 million members and more than 42,000 churches. The denomination is evangelical in doctrine and practice. The oldest Baptist Church in the South, First Baptist Church in Charleston, S. C., was organized in 1682. (Source: http://www.sbc.net)

Dad belonged to this fraternity based on the Masonic principles of "brotherly love, relief and truth". What is the name of this organization?

Shriners International. The Shriners organization has 191 temples (chapters) and 375,000 members in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and The Republic of Panama. To be eligible for membership, a person must hold the title of Master Mason in Freemasonry. The Shriners are well known for founding and operating Shriners Hospitals for Children, begun in 1922 and having served more than 865,000 children. Dad was a member of the Scottish Rite Masons. The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar is a Christian-oriented fraternal organization and part of the Shriners International; it is an integral part of the Masonic Fraternity. It is based upon the original Knights Templar, the warrior monks of the medieval Crusades. (Source: http://www.shrinershq.org)

Always a ham, Dad starred in this play while a student at Piedmont College, about the real-life romance between Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning. What is the name of this play?

The Barretts of Wimpole Street. "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" was a play written by Rudolph Besier. First produced on stage in 1931 by Katharine Cornell at the Empire Theater in New York City, it was made into a film in 1934, starring Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Charles Laughton and Maureen O'Sullivan. The movie was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Picture category.