It was Saturday morning and the start of another beautiful sunny day across Florida.
Jason and Robyn got up early.
She made his breakfast to start off his birthday.
“Happy birthday Uncle Jason,” she said while she placed a plate of her famous French toast in front of Jason then she kissed his cheek.
“Thank you, baby,” he said, then took a bite of his French toast.
After breakfast, Jason drove Robyn to the Sandbar Island Airport.
Jason helped her pre-flight her Piper Arrow, and they were soon inside ready for a short trip.
Robyn started up the Arrow and taxied over to runway 11.
After her ground check was performed, Robyn taxied her plane to the hold-short line.
“Sandbar Island traffic, Piper Arrow eight seventy-four Alpha Hotel departing runway one one, Sandbar Island,” she said into the radio then taxied her plane onto the runway and lined up with the centerline.
After a quick glance at the console gauges, Robyn gave it full throttle, and she rolled her Arrow down the runway.
She was soon airborne and then made a right crosswind departure out of the traffic pattern.
Robyn banked her Arrow and headed southwest.
In West Haven, Cindy woke up and after her breakfast, she left her lovely house on Lake Hartridge and headed to the airport.
Up in the sky inside Robyn’s Arrow, she was straight and level at two thousand feet.
Jason glanced over at her and looked the console over. “You haven’t forgotten what I taught you.”
“How could I, with your nagging voice seared in my brain.”
They both chuckled.
“Where are you taking me for my birthday?” he asked while he looked at the compass heading and the ground down below.
“It’s a little surprise,” she said while she scanned her console gauges.
Jason looked curious as to his birthday surprise while he glanced out the window and enjoyed the scenery.
In West Haven, Cindy arrived at her museum and conducted a short meeting with all her employees and volunteers. They all indicated they were ready to work the grand opening that was about to start in thirty minutes.
Back up in the sky at two thousand feet, Robyn started her descent to the West Haven Gilly Field.
The clouds were starting to build up, and she could see a thunderstorm off about ten miles to the southeast.
Jason saw the airport up head, and he knew where she was landing. “Why are you taking me to West Haven?” he curiously asked.
“I wanted to take you this new aviation museum that’s having their grand opening today,” she told him while she monitored her descent, which was now at eighteen hundred feet.
“Robyn, I really don’t want to see some aviation museum. Can’t we go to Disney instead?”
“I thought you would love this place since they have some World War two planes and other items,” she replied.
“I don’t know, Robyn,” he said and didn’t look thrilled with seeing old World War two stuff.
“When I saw the ad in the Flying magazine, I had this good feeling about this place,” she replied with a gleam in her eye.
“Turn us around, and we’ll go grab my car and drive down to Disney,” he replied.
“Gilly Field traffic, Piper Arrow eight seventy-four Alpha Hotel, five miles to the southeast of the airport. Heading for a forty-five-degree entry for downwind on runway five, Gilly field,” she talked into the radio.
Robyn flew her Arrow at a thousand feet and entered the downwind traffic pattern for West Haven Gilly Field. “I’m the pilot in command, so you just settle back and trust me for once,” she replied with a tone of authority. “Besides, there’s a storm to the southeast so we might as well wait it out in the museum,” she added.
Jason watched while she flew her Arrow in the downwind leg for runway 5. He decided to go ahead and go to the museum since Robyn had her heart on taking him there for his birthday.
A few minutes later, Robyn taxied her Arrow over to the area for airplanes visiting the museum. She shut down the engine then secured the cockpit.
After they tied the Arrow down, Jason and Robyn walked over to the museum. The sound of thunder of the approaching storm was heard.
Jason held open the museum door for Robyn then he entered.
The grand opening was a success so far, as there were approximately one hundred folks inside the large building.
Big band music entertained the guests from the numerous speakers located throughout the building. At the moment, Glenn Miller’s In the Mood song played over the speakers.
Robyn walked over and paid the five dollar entrance fee for the museum for Jason.
After they got their tickets, they looked the area over and saw numerous vintage airplanes on display in the center of the room.
On the other walls were entrances to other rooms with different displays.
One room included a souvenir shop where you could tell by hats, tee-shirts and numerous aviation books.
“Are those planes bringing back old memories?” she asked him.
“A few,” he replied while he looked at some of the nearby planes.
“Great. Maybe I’ll finally hear about your experiences over in England,” she responded then placed her arm around his arm.
“Like I’ve told you before, I flew, the Germans shot at me, then I came home. The end,” he told her.
“There has to be more to it than that, Uncle Jason,” she replied disappointed.
“That pretty much sums it up,” Jason replied while he looked over at the airplanes.
Robyn looked determined while she placed her arm and walked Jason over to the first airplane, which was a PT-17 Stearman Kaydet.
“I love the Stearman,” Robyn said while they walked around and admired the plane that was painted to its 1941 Navy color scheme.
“I learned how to fly in a Stearman during my Army flight training,” Jason said while he peeked into the rear cockpit. “I would sit in the back with the instructor in the front. He would talk to me using a rubber tube, called a Gosport, connected to my helmet’s earflap. But that wasn’t a good way to communicate, so our instructors would use hand signals,” he said while he walked around the plane. “There’s nothing like flying in an open cockpit,” he added with a smile remembering those early Army Air Corp days.
Robyn smiled over him telling that bit of information.
“There, that didn’t hurt, did it? I had no idea you flew in a Stearman during your training.”
They walked around and admired the Stearman a few more times then Robyn walked Jason over to a P47 Thunderbolt.
Jason smiled while he walked around and admired the P47.
“The P forty-sevens would escort our B seventeen bombers to Germany. They saved my butt numerous times from the German Messerschmitt’s,” he told her while he looked at the engine of the P47.
Robyn kissed Jason’s cheek. “You’re on a good roll,” she said with a warm smile.
“That’s about all there is, except for all the destruction our bombs did. But that’s nothing to brag about.”
Robyn walked Jason over to an Army L-4 Piper Cub.
They walked around and admired the olive green drab painted Cub.
“These were also called Grasshoppers and were used for observations or transporting supplies. And as you can tell, it’s just like the civilian Piper J three Cub,” he told Robyn while they peeked inside the cockpit.
Robyn looked happy that Jason was finally opening up about World War two items.
Then her eyes scanned the room when she saw the Bombers Room sign on the wall nearby. A curious feeling overcame Robyn when he glanced at the Bombers Room sign. “Let’s check out that Bombers Room,” she told Jason and grabbed his arm and walked him away from the L-4 plane.
Jason looked disinterested while Robyn escorted him over to the Bombers Room.
Robyn and Jason entered the Bombers Room and saw it was filled with various pieces of the insides of different bombers.
There were consoles, seats, radios, bombardier equipment, etc., salvaged from World War II bombers.
Duke Ellington’s Take The A Train song started to play over the loudspeakers.
Jason listed to that song, and it brought back some happier memories of his time in World War II. So he loved but hated that song.
Robyn and Jason walked around and saw a display of 10 Norden bombsights salvaged from some B-17, B-24, and B-25 bombers.
They read the display board that provided information on which airplane the bombsights were installed, the names of the Bombardier’s, and when the plane crashed.
He walked Robyn, and they walked over to a part of a vertical stabilizer for a B-24 bomber called Hitler’s Worst Nightmare.
They walked down the maze and saw pieces of B-25 wings, B-17 landing gears, B-25 pilot and co-pilot’s seats, the console to a B-24 and numerous machines guns.
Robyn walked to the center of the maze where part of the Sweet Bird nose section was on display.
Robyn saw the faded and scratched nose art of a sexy female blonde cartoon under the “Sweet Bird” words.
“Sweet Bird, that’s a cute name, she said while Jason was nearby looking at some machines guns from a B-17.
Jason’s ears perked up when he heard Robyn.
“What did you say?” he curiously asked while he walked over to Robyn.
“I said, Sweet Bird is a cute name for a B seventeen,” she replied.
Jason looked, and his jaw dropped in shock the second he saw the Sweet Bird display. “I don’t believe it! How can this be possible?” he said in disbelief while he hurriedly rushed around the piece of the nose section of the Sweet Bird.
Robyn looked a little puzzled with Jason’s behavior, so she ran after him.
She followed Jason then he suddenly stopped at the display board where she almost slammed into his backside.
He looked stunned while he stared at the display board.
“What’s the matter?” she asked and looked concerned with his stunned look.
She looked at the display board and saw information about the B-17 called the Sweet Bird.
Her eyes widened in shock when she saw “1st Lt. Jason “Jay Jay” Jenkins listed as the Commander of the Sweet Bird.
“It’s you!” she cried out in excitement when she reread his name.
Jason just stared at the display board then he started to look upset.
Robyn saw him staring at another section of the board, and she looked, and her eyes widened when she saw the black and white photo of Jason and Cindy under the nose section of the Sweet Bird.
Robyn’s eyes lit up with joy at the sight of that picture. “Oh, my God! It’s about you, Uncle Jason!” she cried out. Then she looked at the Sweet Bird display. “And that’s part of your B seventeen!” she added.
Jason shook his head in agreement while he glanced at the piece of the Sweet Bird.
Robyn touched his scar above his eye. “Did you get that scar from the crash?”
“That happened somewhere else,” he replied and started to get more and more upset.
While Jason stared at the nose section of the Sweet Bird, a few people nearby inched closer, hoping to hear a real-life war experience.
“I’m ready to go,” Jason said then he walked away upset.
Robyn stopped Jason by a bench close to the Sweet Bird display.
“What’s wrong?” Robyn asked with concern in her eyes.
“I only wanted to forget about that part of my life forever.”
While Robyn looked back at the old photo, more people inched closer in hopes of hearing a story.
“Damn it!” Jason said a little loud.
“Who’s the girl?” Robyn curiously asked.
Jason hesitated for a few seconds. “Someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Then, someone, I’ve blocked out of my mind.”
“You were in love? I don’t believe it!”
“I’ve seen enough! Let’s go home,” he said.
Robyn pulled on his arm and sat him down on the bench.
“I had my heart broken once, then I met Jerry. You would have found another love,” she replied.
“Not after what this woman did,” he responded and looked madder.
On the overhead speakers, the Take The A Train song finished. Then Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade song started.
That song caught Jason’s attention, and he stared back at the nose section of the Sweet Bird.
“Tell me what happened, please,” Robyn pleaded with Jason.
He looked back at the picture then back at Robyn’s pleading eyes.
Loud thunder was heard outside the museum while the storm approached the airfield.
“It’s thundering outside, so we’ll have to wait out the storm anyway,” Robyn told Jason.
Six people inched closer to Robyn and Jason hoping he would tell his story.
Jason looked back at Robyn’s pleading eyes and nodded in agreement. “I guess it all started back in October nineteen forty-two. After I graduated from college, I decided to serve my country. So I enlisted in the Army Air Corp in hopes of becoming a pilot,” Jason started to tell his story.
There were now eight people that gathered near Robyn and Jason to listen to his story.