Google Maps

If you haven't looked at the maps page on this site, it's worth a visit. I have links to maps of major airfields that VPB-118 spent varying lengths of time at. Google has enhanced their maps to link to photos taken on the ground. You can now get a much better idea of what some of these locations look like currently. Some of the locations, like Iwo Jima and Tinian, have preservation areas which are largely maintained as they were back in 1945. You can see the gooney birds on Midway Island and rusting guns where they were abandoned. Open each map in a new window using the link below the map and explore!

Veterans Day 2010

Thank you to the veterans of VPB-118, as well as to all of the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States of America, in both peacetime and time of war.

On The Subject Of Joint Reunions

At the last VPB-118 reunion, I was asked to explore the possibility of conducting future reunions jointly with another squadron.

It seems to me that this is not a totally far-fetched concept, or I would have said so at the time. My experience of the VPB-118 guys is that they in general have a positive, pragmatic outlook. Therefore, sharing reunion space with another squadron of like background might be a small sacrifice and might even be very rewarding.

Unfortunately, I have so far gotten no takers. My current estimation on the feasibility of doing this is that there are not many VPB squadrons that are still meeting and out of those, few or none would wish to mingle with people from other squadrons. VPB-118 members and relatives have commented that they are "like family." This is probably true of all squadron reunion groups - not unique.

Anyway, there's optimism that we can hold at least one more on our own in 2011 and take it from there.