Lanier, David A.

Dear Sir,

I was so pleased to find my dads name and connection to the Jolly Roger group. He was my hero.

Dad was a proud member of the [90th bmb] grp. He was a dedicated airman and served in the South  Pacific Theater. Our family was exceedingly proud of him. Sadly dad passed away October 2004 here at home with me, his oldest daughter, Frances Lanier-Linville, Stevenson, Alabama from the injuries received in a freak car accident. He was 87. It seems somewhat ironic dad would have died that way after enduring all he did in WWII, and being such a careful and wonderful driver for his entire life. He had also flown aircraft since a lad and was one of the youngest, if not the youngest person at age 16 to secure a pilots license in Georgia when aviation was in it's infancy. Such is fate. It was very sad for us all of course.

Concerning dad's time in the Jolly Rogers I am working on some information to send to you.

Dad was born December 28th, 1916, and died Oct. 26th, 2004. You have his address at the time he enlisted, 141 Inverness Ave. Macon, Ga. That is correct. Dad was a lifelong resident of Macon Georgia and loved his state and Macon in particular, and was "his town", as he called it. He was here with me in Stevenson Al. because I cared for him during his last days on this earth, otherwise he would have been in Macon. I fought hard but couldn't save him. That was a hard battle to lose for me and my brothers and sister.
Dad had a love affair with aircraft all of his life. He was very knowledgeable about aircraft and their workings. He retired from Warner Robins AFB as a crew Chief. He worked on the flight line as a mechanic. He was a master. He had masterful hands when it came to working on these intricate details that kept them flying. This was also what he did during the war. He was an artist in the medium according to many who worked with him and knew him. Dad was also modest and never ever tooted his own horn. He didn't like to brag at all, nor would he want us to do so either. He often said when pressed on the subject:" I did what I was trained to do and did it to the best of my ability, and it was my pleasure to have given what talents I had to the cause." Indeed he did.

I shall leave the judgment of that to those who see your informative website. They were indeed a group of amazing men.
I have two albums on dads stint in the group. One is his own personal album and has many snapshots and the other was a Jolly Roger published album. I have several blown up pictures of dad in front of some of the bombers with the nose art.

Please advise as to the address you would like for me to send this info and I shall get it to you right away. I can't wait to see my dad's most handsome sun-tanned face on that web page.

He was my dad, but he was more than that, he was my/our(4 children) Hero with a capital H!

We miss him.

Sincerely,
Frances Lanier Linville

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