This Spokane postcard hints at a story
It reminds me of a conversation I had last week. The guy on the phone was someone I have known for a long time. He usually knows what he is talking about.
He had called to discuss the whole "If there had never been an air base here" thing and mentioned a few of the military facilities that predated Fairchild AFB. At some point he got going about how some World War II bombers that had seen action got patched up here. I've heard that before. In fact, years ago, I spoke with a woman who did some of that work.
But something I couldn't say that I recalled was that the famous B-17, the Memphis Belle, got spruced up in Spokane after its extensive combat. The celebrated airplane was going to be shown around the country as a recruiting prop. And apparently some tour-planning enlistment drum-beaters thought bullet holes might give people pause.
I've seen the Memphis Belle. It was at a park in the Tennessee city that shares its name.
Thinking about that now, I wish they had left the bullet holes alone. Some scars are all about character.
