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From BACK page 5 They split the crew up into officers stationed at various locations before ar- The windshield from Sooy’s plane was
riving at Travis AFB on June 12, 1955. stored in a German barn for 70 years be-
head-on. and enlisted and Sooy was taken to a He flew the C-124 Globemaster II and fore it made its way to Travis AFB.
“If you shot any of them down, they POW camp in Frankfurt, Germany. then became the field maintenance
squadron commander until he retired “I consider lieutenant colonel Sooy a
were going to run into you,” Sooy said. “I can’t say that I was ever treated Nov. 30, 1960. personal friend,” said Master Sgt. Aaron
“The plane that shot us down went so badly,” Sooy said. “We lacked food. Wallenburg, a 60th AMW curator. “He
close to me that I think he probably tore That was the main thing. I went down to “Three months after I retired, I re- approached me a year and a half ago by
my right rudder off with his wing because about 119 pounds.” ceived a phone call asking if I would walking into my office and showing me
all of sudden the rudders went slack.” return as chief of logistics plans,” a picture of his windshield. He asked,
After 13 months as a POW, on April Sooy said. “I was part of the facility ‘Would you have any interest in this
The fighter also took out three of Sooy’s 29, 1945, Gen. George Patton’s 3rd utilization board which site planned piece?’ And that’s where it all started.”
for the C-5 docks, the pull-through
four engines, causing the team to have no Army liberated the crew. hangar and the old hospital, which is Working with an active-duty member
choice but to evacuate the aircraft. “It sounded like every Soldier who now Bldg. 381.” stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germa-
ny, and the 70th Aerial Refueling Squad-
“We were lucky,” he said. “When we was with Patton had a machine gun be- His last position at Travis was as the ron, they were able to coordinate the
bailed, all of our chutes worked.” cause all you heard was ‘brrrr, brrrr, deputy director of logistics plans for the transportation of the windshield from
brrrr,’ “ Sooy said, imitating the ma- 22nd Air Force. He retired after 40 years Muhlenbach, Germany, to Ramstein AB
All 10 of Pink Lady’s crew members of service in 1979. and then to Travis AFB.

-- six enlisted and four officers -- were chine gun sounds. “Patton’s army came Sooy was married to his late wife, “I feel lieutenant colonel Sooy to be
captured and taken as prisoners of war. through, a tank broke the gate down Evelyn, for 67 years. He has three chil- a hometown hero,” Wallenburg said.
At their first location, Sooy was interro- and came down the main corridor with dren, Mark, Yvonne, and Carol, and is a “Even though he didn’t grow up here,
resident of Vacaville, California. he has made Vacaville home for more
gated for three days. Red Cross girls riding on it. What a than 50 years. He is just as proud of his
Even at 98 years old, he tells his World contributions to Travis as his contribu-
“They put you in a little 4-by-8 cell sight that was.” War II story as if it happened yesterday. tions as a World War II pilot. His ac-
complishments are unparalleled with
and a German interrogator, who could Patton’s troops provided food and “All 10 of us bailed out, all 10 of us most other aviators, but yet he’s as
were captured and all 10 of us made it humble as can be.”
speak English as well as I could, asked rescued the POWs. home,” he said. “We were lucky. I am
the last one from the crew still alive.”
questions,” he said. “All we could give “We were taken to Camp Lucky

them was our name, rank and serial Strike in France, where we got our first

number. After three days, they gave shower, clean clothes and three square

up and put us in a barbed wire yard, meals,” Sooy said. “After returning

where I was able to talk to the rest of stateside, I went home on 60-day leave,

my crew, who had all been taken pris- visited family and I got married.”

oner as well.” Sooy became a test pilot and was

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