Gathering of glider pilots recall WWII role

Nov. 07--During World War II, brave service members flew and traveled on glider planes that helped move key resources behind enemy lines. Now some of the heroes will gather in town for a soaring tribute.

The Tucson Soaring Club is holding a private event Saturday to recognize some of the glider pilots and pay tribute to their efforts. The event is not open to the public, and organizers are not disclosing the location because they want the event to be private.

Michael Cehand, chief coordinator for the project, said the gathering will be unique.

"It's not often that we have the opportunity to speak with living history," he said. "Combine that with the fact that we can honor people that stood up when the country really needed people to stand up. They didn't do it for glory. They did it because the nation needed the help."

The gliders were used to transport massive numbers of troops and tons of equipment quickly, but the mode of transportation had a high mortality rate because the aircraft were unarmed. Writer Jim Harper, who is penning a book tentatively called "God Is My Tow-Pilot" on glider pilots, says the glider pilots were key to the war effort.

"As far as I'm concerned, they're national treasures," Harper said. "And once they're gone, they're gone."

Here are the pilots who are among those to be honored:

--Noel Douglas Addy, Flight Officer, 76th Troop Carrier Squadron, 435th Troop Carrier Group.

--Solomon Belinky, 2nd Lt., 78th Troop Carrier Squadron, 435th Troop Carrier Group.

--Charles J. Foreman, Flight Officer, 80th Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group.

--Donald W. Manke, Flight Officer, 99th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group.

--Miles C. Wagner, 87th Troop Carrier Squadron, 438th Troop Carrier Group. (Miles is deceased but his wife, Jean, will attend.)

--Melvin N. Pliner, Flight Officer, 82nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group.

--Charles Van Pelt, Lt., 434th Troop Carrier Command.

Local glider veterans

Donald W. Manke

Manke participated in Operations Dragoon, Market Garden and Varsity. He received a Presidential Unit Citation and three Air Medals. After the war, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin and worked as a geologist.

Manke, 91, said he felt particularly vulnerable soaring in unarmed aircraft.

"Like a duck feels on opening day of hunting season," he said. "It doesn't make any difference how terrified you are. You're committed."

Manke, who has lived in Tucson since 1957, said he doesn't feel as though he deserves any accolades.

"I don't think I deserve anything after this long," he said. "Everybody served."

Noel Douglas Addy

Addy served in Operations Overlord, Dragoon, Market Garden and Varsity. He went on to serve in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts and retired from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel after 31 years. He received four Bronze Stars, a Presidential Unit Citation and recognition from France for his part in liberating the country.

Now 92, Addy lives on the east side with his wife, Pat. She says he still occasionally flies with others.

"He was brave and determined," Pat said of her husband's wartime demeanor. "He was ready to do whatever needed to be done. ... He was willing to do whatever it took to keep whoever was with him safe."

Solomon Belinky

A participant in Operations Overlord, Dragoon and Market Garden, Belinky served in the Wisconsin National Guard, retiring as a captain. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he worked in the field of public health for four decades. He earned five Bronze Stars.

Now 88, Belinky, who lives in Sun City Vistoso, is suffering from what his wife, Frances, describes as failing health due to congestive heart failure and was unavailable for comment. She says the glider event has lifted his spirits.

"We're excited about it because it was really something," Frances said. "And for all these years, there was no credit given to them."

Frances said the coming event has put her husband in a nostalgic mood.

"There are a lot of pictures," she said. "Until recently he never talked about it."

gliders used in several battles

Some U.S. Army Air Corps members participated in combat glider missions during World War II. They delivered troops, equipment, weapons and ammunition throughout European battlefronts. Congress recently passed a resolution to honor the service and sacrifice of the pilots during the war.

The gliders were notably involved in Operation Husky on July 9, 1943, in which a glider carried British troops in Sicily despite heavy casualties; Burma-based Operation Broadway (March 5, 1944), in which glider pilots worked at night to seize and prepare landing strips for transport planes; Operation Varsity (March 24, 1945), in which glider pilots crossed the Rhine River at Wesel, Germany; and Operation Market Garden (Sept. 17, 1944), in which glider pilots carried troops and heavy equipment in Holland, providing cover for a path to Berlin.

Of the fewer than 6,500 glider pilots, 211 were killed in combat, 636 were wounded and 140 died in the line of duty, including training accidents. Aircraft used were the Waco CG-4A Combat Glider and the British Horsa Combat Glider. Fewer than 100 of the glider pilots are alive today.

Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or [email protected]

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