As I post this, seventy-seven years ago to the minute…

At exactly 6:41 pm Eastern time (12:41am Innsbruck Austria time) 77 years ago today, Captain John and his crew of a blackened B24 (aircraft #040) had just successfully dropped three covert agents deep behind enemy lines into the Austrian Alps. This was only after they had been caught up in a severe downdraft over the Alpine peaks, with winds exceeding 200mph that caused them to lose 6000 feet in 18 seconds. Keep in mind, this all happened in the dead of night, dead of winter, over high mountains, at precisely 12:41 am Innsbruck time… and on top of that, over Nazi-occupied territory with no protective escorts!
This top-secret covert mission of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the CIA) was code-named “Operation Greenup.” Because of the skill of Captain John and his crew, the three agents, Fred Mayer, Hans Wynberg, and Franz Weber were able to proceed on a most daring intelligence gathering mission, later after the war, it was determined that Operation Greenup was one of the most daring and successful intelligence gathering covert missions of WWII helping to bring it to a quicker end!
I can not say enough about the importance and success of this mission and the men involved, all you need to do is to google “Operation Greenup” and you will find enough to keep you reading for a very long time. (by the way, it is very much worth the time)
I just spent the day with John, and it never ceases to amaze me what this man, and so many like him, have done (and still do) that allows us the freedoms we enjoy today. As we look around us now with what is going on around the globe, let us never forget about our history of the past, so that in it we will try to learn so as not to repeat. And in our own country, may we remember that during past wars abroad, we fought side by side, spilled the same color blood, and with political views out of the picture… and all for the same cause, the freedom and common good for all!
John had many dangerous combat missions in the sky during WWII, 53 in all, and even after the war, his missions continued, so much good this man has done for mankind… now Captain John is on the last leg of just another mission, and knowing John the way I do, it will end no different than any other… and that is with Honor, Dignity, and a great feeling inside of Mission Completed… how honored I am to be able to call him my friend!