As promised, I have some news that some here may find interesting.
Last week, out of the blue, I was contacted through email by a M/Sgt. Robert Yanacek, USMCR (Ret). Sgt. Yanacek saw this thread here on Zealot, and registered just so he could PM me. The Sergeant maintains the VMB-613 and PBJ Mitchell websites, the very ones you’ve seen me use and quote pretty extensively throughout this build thread. Without a doubt those websites were easily my primary references for the Marine PBJ's of Kwajalein. What’s Sgt. Yanacek’s connection to VMB-613, you might be wondering? His father was the ordinance chief for “8-Ball”, the subject of this model. Sadly, Sgt. Yanaceks father passed away a few years ago, but the sergeant informs me that the pilot and co-pilot of “8-Ball” are still with us. Besides his duties as webmaster, Sgt. Yanacek also produces a monthly newsletter for the “Marine Bombing Squadron Six-Thirteen Association”. The reason he wrote me is that he would like to feature my model in his next newsletter so that the surviving members of VMB-613 can have a look at it.
I can’t imagine a higher honor that could be bestowed on this silly paper creation of mine.
Here’s some interesting facts about “8-Ball” that one only gets from someone who “was there”. Sgt. Yanacek writes:
“Regarding "8-Ball" my Dad told me the plane was indeed an 8-Ball. He said he constantly worked on the big 75mm cannon because it always seemed to malfunction. When it did fire, the recoil sheared off rivets in the fuselage. The copilot, Bob Litzau, recently told me its canopy leaked rather badly. On Kwaj, there was a rain shower almost everyday and Litzau had to climb into the copilots seat and sit on a soaked seat cushion which made, according to him, a real wet mess of his parachute and flight suit. Bob was the one who actually came up with the name, 8-Ball, although he did not recall that information. I am certain he did though because the pilot, Jack Barton, remembered very clearly. Actually, Barton remembered incredible amounts of details including exactly how the APG-13A radar gun director was used. I think Barton may still have in his possession the plane's yoke and the nose wheel cover that was painted with the distinctive "8-Ball."”
Wish I knew some of that before I finished the model, I might have put a puddle of water in the cockpit! There's actually a lot of little tidbits that Sgt. Yanacek has shared about "8-Ball", the 613th, and Marine PBJ's in general. If there's interest, I'll share some of that here.
And if all the above wasn’t cool enough, Sgt. Yanacek has graciously offered to send me a VMB-613 ball cap, OOH-RAH:
To M/Sgt.Robert Yanacek, USMCR (Ret) and the all the members of VMB-613:
Semper Fi
Mike