[303rd-Talk] Our Talk Forum

[bill runnels]

John,
 
Thanks for telling the wonderful story. It says a lot about your father, the people of the UK and the relationship we enjoyed while there. These memories need to be shared and I appreciate your doing so. I am sure many on this forum can relate to similar experiences. Thanks again.  
.
 
Bill
Bombardier

--- On Fri, 7/24/09, jhelms2196 at aol.com <jhelms2196 at aol.com> wrote:


From: jhelms2196 at aol.com <jhelms2196 at aol.com>
Subject: Re: [303rd-Talk] Our Talk Forum
To: 303rd-talk at 303rdBG.com
Date: Friday, July 24, 2009, 2:38 PM


Mr. Runnels,

My father John R. Helms was a flyer out of Molesworth, his name is listed on your roster and I have done a great deal of research about his time there.? I thought I would relay a little story about his first Christmas in England.? 

He was not the type that got homesick, but his first Christmas out of the States as he told me ?was a bit sad for him.? He missed a lot about his home in West Point, Mississippi, but mostly his mother whom he was very close to.? He said that as he remembers it, the weather was particularly cold and he was not relishing the thought of a Christmas Dinner on the Base.? A few days before Christmas, he had met a girl, a young woman, who was the daughter of a minister there in Molesworth.?? She was a very nice woman and she invited my father to join her family for Christmas Dinner.? He said that he did that and was treated to a "wartime" traditional English Christmas Dinner.?He said though they were living a rather meager existence during the war, they?gave him a small gift for Christmas and he in turn gave them a small gift for having him as a guest for the holiday.?All in all, he was overwhelmed by the hospitality and genuine kindness of the town people
 there.? 

He relayed that story to me not long before his death in 1997.?

I know this is not a funny or probably even unusual story, but I thought I would share it with you because it touched me that the people of England were so willing to make the men feel at home in a time and a place that was not very much like home.

Thank you for letting me share.

John R. Helms, Jr. , Alderman
City of Florence, Mississippi
Florence, MS 39073
www.helmsforflorence.com
http://blog.helmsforflorence.com

-----Original Message-----
From: bill runnels <billrunnels at yahoo.com>
To: 303rd-talk at 303rdbg.com
Sent: Tue, Jul 21, 2009 9:51 pm
Subject: [303rd-Talk] Our Talk Forum



Gentlemen, our 303rdbg talk forum has been silent far to long. We need to find a 
way to give it a new breath of life.? I am not sure how to do that but there 
must be a way.? How about sharing a funny story that you recall happening while 
at Molesworth or on a trip to London or Cambridge?? Or possibly you have a 
mission related story to share.? It was a serious time?but we still found time 
to laugh etc..
?
As our numbers grow smaller, we need to communicate. After all, we were a proud 
lot and should remain united as a proud group.
?
Who will step forward and get the ball rolling?
?
Bill Runnels
Bombardier - 360thBS


      
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