Memphis Belle

Flight Journal, Oct 1999 by Wise, Leon

Over a half century ago, Col. Robert Morgan piloted the B-17 Memphis Belle on the last of its 25 missions over Europe during WW II. It was the first B-17 and crew to accomplish this feat. A victory tour of the United States followed. Two motion pictures of the Memphis Belle story were later made to commemorate the achievement. After the tour, Col. Morgan volunteered to fly B-29s in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Years later, another B-29 pilot, Col. Paul Tibbets, Commander of the Enola Gay, was best man when Morgan married his wife, Linda.

At Barksdale AFB this past April, Col. Morgan celebrated the 60th anniversary of his being awarded his pilot wings. He was introduced to a B-52H named Memphis Belle III, and after a standard Air Force physical followed by election/survival training, he found himself at the controls of a heavy jet bomber making a high-speed pass down the runway.

Morgan, now over 80, still flies regularly and will continue to do so as long as "... my health holds up ..." but only in aircraft "... with more than one engine ...." He and Linda have been making public appearances for the past seven years; they especially enjoy telling the story of WW II to young people.

Other surviving Memphis Belle crew members are Jim Verinis, copilot; Harold Loch, FE/top turret gunner; Robert Hanson, radio operator; Casimer Nastal, right waist gunner; and John Quinlan, tail gunner.

The Memphis Belle is on permanent display at Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee, and has been declared a national treasure.