As seen in Folk Magazine, Nov/Dec 2012 -
There was no room in the magazine for the photos
that accompanied my story - I am including them here!
In honor of WWII Veteran, Paul Gissonne
and Veteran's everywhere - Thank You!
On a dusty shelf,
in a tiny thrift store in North Georgia,
sat an old gold plated glass liquor decanter.
As I traveled along my usual route through the shop, I
spotted a decorative bottle resting among vintage glasses and candlesticks, $2.95! Of course I put it in my stash of finds
without a second glance. I was already
thinking about the next treasure to be found.
After a long day
of picking, boxes and bags of newspaper wrapped items are usually deposited
where ever space is found in my garage, until I can prepare them to be put in
my shop.
Months later, while un-wrapping a couple of boxes of
merchandise, I came across the decanter.
I studied its shape and speckled remains of gold and I thought how
pretty it would look on a book shelf or in a collection of vintage bar finds
and bottles. As I sat there studying
the bottle, I noticed a label for the first time, Kentucky Tavern –
Personally Selected for
Kenneth Gissonne; Rio Rita; 403 Bomb SQ 43 GRP.
I can’t describe the feeling that came over me! Was this a gift for a person who was part of
a bomb squadron? What or who was Rio
Rita? I immediately dropped everything I
was doing and headed straight for my lap top!
The first thing I researched was 403 Bomb Squadron. Yes!
There it was, the 403rd Bomb Squadron was an active unit of
the United States Air Force from 1940 to 1946.
Then later reactivated and then closed during 1961.
It was activated in 1940, during WWII, as a long range
reconnaissance squadron that operated over the mid Atlantic states and later
the Newfoundland Straits and the North Atlantic shipping lanes. In 1942, it was reassigned to Australia and
flew from Australia and New Guinea and participated in the Battle of Bismarck
Sea. The squadron also flew over China
and Japan performing multitudes of bombing runs.
Now I was on to something! Next was Rio Rita! Initially, all I could find was information
on a 1927 romantic comedy musical named Rio Rita, written by Florenz Ziegfield
and a 1929 movie based on the same story. The story does involve spies and
secret service so I assumed since the movie was the most popular of its day, it
must have been well known.
I finally came
across copies of old newsletters that began in 1981. Known as the 43rd Bomb Group Assn.
Inc. – these men remained connected via mailed newsletters and annual
meetings! The 43rd Bomb
Group, called KEN’S MEN, consisted of four different squadrons of bombers, the
403rd being one of them!
I read through several newsletters, announcing member’s
deaths, changes of addresses, comments and memories by different members, until,
there it was, a small paragraph in the 32nd edition from August,
1989.“Bryan A. Flatt, 403rd, a new member, says to
tell Kenneth Gissonne, 403rd Navigator, he was on the Wewak Mission,
27, August, 1943, and had
returned (to base) when Rio Rita came in for landing, shot up, no landing gear,
etc. He will be at the reunion, so see
him there to talk it over.”
Ah Ha! So the Rio
Rita was a plane and Kenneth Gissonne was its Navigator! It sounded as if they had been through an air
battle! I was excited to finally find
something!
Then in an earlier newsletter, 31st edition,
dated, May 1989 I read, “On 8/23/43, mission which turned out to be a little
rough. Plane was Rio Rita, Crew: Pilot, George Putnam; Co-Pilot, John Taylor;
Navigator, Kenneth Gissonne; Bombardier, Phil Wolf.” The newsletter goes on to list several crew
members. It then states: “Damage, One KIA, three wounded, two engines
shot out, nose wheel retracted, over 200 bullet holes.”
Thank goodness they were able to make it back to base! I could not imagine the horror of being shot
at, losing engines, possibly being on fire and injured and dying crew members! I found three different mentions of the air
battle and subsequent crash landing in the air field, but cannot confirm the
actual date.
More research and several hours later,
I finally found a
photo,
there she was, the Rio Rita,
a B24 Liberator Bomber!
After reading hours of newsletters, absorbing these
veteran’s lives, I was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. Over 750 men were killed serving in the 43rd
Group. These men who were teenagers and 20 year olds, left their homes,
traveled to Australia and then New Guinea of all places, experienced terrible
Japanese bombing runs on the island, saw native families and villages
destroyed, death and suffering not only of the locals but their brother airmen
as well. They came home filled with
memories they would never forget. They
came home sharing a bond of experience, hardship, pride and patriotism!
Each newsletter included a section called Gone But Not
Forgotten, listing the men who passed away since the previous newsletter, and
there it was, Kenneth Gissonne passed away on March 20, 2005, as reported by
his daughter. I found a mention of his
birth on an archival website, October 16, 1920.
He was 22 years old when he left for Australia and died at the age of
84. Kenneth Gissonne flew 35 missions with one pilot, Al
Putnam, and then went on to also fly missions out of the 63rd Group
as well.
I thought about my own grandfather, who fought during
World War One in France and my father who fought during the Korean War in Korea,
and wondered what hardships they encountered, what experiences and memories
traveled home with them.
And yet, even now, during modern times, all the lives
lost since 911, the sacrifices and struggles made by today’s military families,
the men and women of our United States Armed Forces continue to protect our
nation, our freedoms and our rights!
They make the same sacrifices today as those made decades ago and as
they travel around the globe, they carry the same unwavering sense of duty and
patriotism!
The gold Kentucky Tavern Bourbon bottle
will stay with
me.
I have not been able to confirm when
Mr. Gissonne received the gift. Pure
conjecture on my part, but I would think it was a special gift presented to him
as a 50th Anniversary of his veteran service from WWII, which would
mean he received it sometime in the early 1990’s.
Over the years, I have purchased many things that
included clippings or notes or dried flowers that instantly took me to another
time. These vintage and antique items
that we all love to collect have a story!
They represent someone’s life, someone’s home, their taste in clothes or
furniture or even liquor! Or they may go
one step further, and teach a lesson about history, brotherhood and duty!
Next time you see a memento from the past, pay homage to
it,
you never know what you might learn!
Past and present,
I am forever humbled and grateful for the men and
women of the
United States Armed Forces!
Thank You!
Live your Authentic Life ~ Be the REAL you!
Blessings,
Martha
