In this special edition of our podcast, WWII Veteran, John “Lucky” Luckadoo, shares a few memories of the path he took and how he found himself serving our country in the Army Air Forces during WWII. We hope you will enjoy this brief, yet informative special episode of At The Forefront!
ABOUT LUCKY:
John Luckadoo was a wide-eyed 21-year-old lieutenant assigned to the Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group when he manned the controls and took to the sky for his first bombing mission as co-pilot of a famed B-17 Flying Fortress. The aeronautical revelation at Luckadoo’s fingertips could fly at altitudes of 35,000 feet for up to 2,800 miles, and carried a hefty bomb payload supplemented by ten .50-caliber machine guns.
Luckadoo goes by Lucky, a nickname he earned while flying bombing runs over Nazi-occupied France and Germany. His group known as “The Bloody Hundredth” suffered staggering high casualties. By the war’s end in 1945, 36 of Luckadoo’s 40 classmates from flight school had either withdrawn from flying, been shot down, or killed in action.
John “Lucky” Luckadoo earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions during WWII. He currently resides at Presbyterian Village North in Dallas, Texas.
At the Forefront” is now available for listening via Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and viewing on our YouTube channel. Look for a new episode at the end of each month.