Little Man Big Life Vance Kyle VPB-17 Rear Turret Gunner Convoy Destroyer

[manayunkman]

Kyle's Short Snorter.

[manayunkman]

Newspaper article about the attack.

[manayunkman]

I love this picture.

[manayunkman]

Close up of reversed picture.

[manayunkman]

Back in PA.

 

Is he wearing the DFC ?

[mark leonard]

Hello M

What a great grouping you have, the photos ,citation, jacket,its all great ,but the photo of him getting his DFC is truely touching!Thanks for posting....Mark

[manayunkman]

Mark,

 

I love that photo.

 

Like Ian said Vance was a big hearted guy.

 

It is sad that he spent so much time trying to deal with what he did that night.

 

But he got a second chance in life and used it well.

 

He was just a super guy to be with always so upbeat.

 

Thanks to all who have posted something and please post something for Vance if you haven't already.

 

M

[wdphll]

AMAZING GROUPING...The fact the pilot was from my back yard makes it all the more special. I love the pictures of him in the door of the bird.

 

Thanks for sharing another fantastic peice of your collection!

 

Wade

[manayunkman]

Here is the back of that ( In back door of Mighty-Ten-Der ) photo

[KASTAUFFER]

Very nice!

[History Man]

Very nice group, especially like the history that goes with it.

 

Philip

[KASTAUFFER]

seanmc,

 

Yes it was fairly common to receive the DFC for a certain amount of missions. I beleive 20 or 30 were the common numbers. Kurt (Kastauffer) would be the guy to ask the details to.

 

 

Very nice group M!! I love photo heavy groups! They really tell a story.

 

JD

 

 

At the time Mr. Kyle received his DFC for 20 missions, the Navy was awarding Air Medals for each 5 missions. If he flew at least 20 missions, he would have had an Air Medal with 2 Gold Stars + the DFC. He received a DFC for the specific action cited in the document pictured in this thread and the Gold Star for his 20th mission. After 20 missions , Air Medals would have been awarded for each additional 5 missions. He could have had more than 3 Air Medals.

I have a group to a VB-8 pilot with a DFC and 8 Air Medal awards, all for 5 mission increments.

 

Kurt

[Patriot12]

Outstanding grouping and rock solid photos and history.

[Waltz41]

Amazing grouping. Saw in his personal account he was a charter member of the Reading Air Museum and gave them something to display, I'll have to look for it next time I'm out there! Thanks for posting.

[manayunkman]

Waltz,

 

Back in the mid 90's they had some of his things in a display case.

 

We went to Reading several times together and one time we volunteered to work on the P-61 Black Widow.

 

Another friend of mine who was a P-51 pilot was instrumental in getting that P-61 to the USA.

 

Thanks to all for your comments.

[Waltz41]

Waltz,

 

Back in the mid 90's they had some of his things in a display case.

 

We went to Reading several times together and one time we volunteered to work on the P-61 Black Widow.

 

Another friend of mine who was a P-51 pilot was instrumental in getting that P-61 to the USA.

 

Thanks to all for your comments.

 

 

I reenact during WWII weekend there, so in the spring I'll probably be up there as we start getting ready for it......, I'll have to look closely and see if they still have his stuff displayed.

One of my buddies has been volunteering on the P-61, doing some wiring for them. He works on the line doing wiring for the CH-47's Boeing plant down past Philly. I sure hope at some point they get that thing flying!

[manayunkman]

They've been working on that thing for years. Last I saw it was in the 90's and it was in pieces.

 

Let me know what you find out and check on General Posey's stuff too.

[skylebogdan]

Hi manayunkman,

 

I am Vance H Kyle's daughter. Your post is very interesting and has a lot of personal information concerning my father. I am very proud of what my father has accomplished in WWII and beyond. Where did gather all the pictures and WWII memorabilia of his? I am interested in knowing how you knew my father and who you are.

Thank you for taking the time to post this.

S Kyle Bogdan

[WAHOOMAN]

Amazing Story!!! Great Grouping. Thanks for sharing.

[manayunkman]

Truly a gentleman.

[doyler]

Great read and a one of the many giants of his time

[manayunkman]

I saw a post a few days ago about fake patches and there was a VPB-17 one.

 

That reminded me of my old friend and I found this thread.

[doyler]

9 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

I saw a post a few days ago about fake patches and there was a VPB-17 one.

 

That reminded me of my old friend and I found this thread.

 

there are a lot of patch faker who follow the forum and take the images and reproduce patches. One I posted from a local guard unit here on the forum and in less than two weeks it showed up on ebay being sold out of Vietnam. The unit was never in Vietnam and the patch is really known only to the members of the unit or a few who know the unit. Until I posted it here there were no known copies.

[jerry_k]

To be clear - these patches are not listed as a FAKE but repros - 

 

 

I hope only that someone would NOT like to sell them as origin ones in the future...

 

HEAVY grouping by the way!

 

Jerry

 

[Scott C.]

I'd not seen this thread before, and appreciate manayunkman sharing it back in 2012 and the others periodically bringing it forward. What a great story and grouping.  My stepfather was a flight engineer on a Martin Mariner in WW2; unfortunately, I never had a chance to hear his stories about it.