Elmer “Mo” Longnecker flew 28 missions to Germany as a flight navigator during World War II and still has the notes from all his missions.
HOUSTON — If you spend a little time with Elmer Longnecker, you quickly realize he has a pretty incredible story.
At 97 years old, “Mo,” as his friends call him, still has a sense of humor and a sharp memory about signing up for the Army Air Corps before he graduated high school at 17.
“We were called in on the day we took our final exams in high school,” Mo said.
Born on a farm in Michigan, he doesn’t sugarcoat it. When he first came to Texas for training, it wasn’t easy.
“We were there for 30 days of hell. It was my first experience with hell,” he said.
We asked Mo if he ever thought about quitting.
“There was no quitting,” he responded.
He arrived in Houston at Ellington Field at 18 to become a flight navigator. On May 20, 1944, he graduated.
“We were fortunate, we were there at the end of the war,” Mo said.
He flew 28 missions to Germany during World War II as part of the 44th Bomb Group known as the Flying Eight Balls.
He is the last living Veteran from his 10-man crew on the B-24, a plane he still says he doesn’t have to see in the sky. Mo can recognize it just by its sound.
“Our aircraft were not insulated, there was no way we could keep the noise out,” he said.
The lessons he learned are still with him.
“I think I probably gained a great deal by being a survivor and being mature and able to grasp things at an earlier age than I would have if I hadn’t been in the service,” Mo said.
He married his wife Margaret in 1977. They had two children, four grandchildren and recently their first great-grandchild.
“His name is Graham and he is in everybody’s attention,” he said.
For their generation, he has this message:
“I think we need to work overtime at maintaining peace.”
He hopes they never have to live through war, but he says it’s important to take the time to remember.
“We are lucky we didn’t make the full sacrifice and I think we should spend our time celebrating and showing appreciation for those who gave their lives,” he said.