Omaha WWII vets meet for first time 8 decades after the war

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Three men are all meeting for the first time Friday -- but they all have one thing in common: they were all up in the air during World War II.

Robert Reisser wasn’t even old enough to drink when he enlisted in the Air Force.

“I was 19 when I went in, and by the time I got my wings, I was over 20,” Reisser said. “But I was the old man on my airplane. I had a crew of nine and I was still the old man.”

Reisser is now 101. He flew 28 combat missions and bombed Berlin while flying a B-17 bomber -- twice.

“My plane I named Heaven Can Wait...because I wanted to come back alive,” Reisser said.

Joe Burgess is the old man in the group. The 106-year-old veteran was a radio operator on a B-24 bomber.

“I was never away from home before, and I was really young. It was all new to me, but it was quite an experience. A little scary at times,” Burgess said.

Times when Joe had to man a machine gun to fight off German planes made things especially scary.

“You’re trying to follow him so you can aim your bullets properly,” he said. “It’s all fast, there’s no hesitation.”

William Brown piloted a B-24 liberator, flying 35 combat missions.

“People were shooting at me with anti-aircraft guns and I didn’t care for that,” Brown said. “I saw planes get hit and blow up nothing left but a cloud of smoke. That makes you think a little.”

Brown says people always thank them for their service -- but he says they’re thanking the wrong people.

“They should be thanking the people that stayed home and built the war equipment,” Brown said. “We couldn’t win the war without them.”

The group spent the afternoon talking over how important it was for America to win World War II.

“It was vital. Hitler was a maniac.”

This group of men will celebrate this Independence Day remembering what they did to keep our country and others free.

“U.S. and to free all of Europe. Europe was all in bondage, Germany had them all tied up, so we’re going to free them too.”

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