Lest We Forget by William S. Phillips

While visiting friends in England during the summer of 1984, Bill Phillips had the opportunity to travel to a number of now-abandoned 8th Air Force Bases. One afternoon he took a bicycle ride to an old church nearby. There he was so moved by what he saw that he felt he would have to try and make some type of statement. This painting and letter are that statement.

An open letter about this painting to a friend he never knew:
The Scene: It probably hasn't changed much. The afternoon skies are full of billowing cumulus clouds and the trees and fields are alive with the bounty of summer. The sounds of engines and men's voices gone, replaced by a gentle whisper of the wind through grain fields or the song of an occasional bird. In the distance one can hear the laughter of children.
The Planes: They were the big six of the Eighth Air Force. The B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-24 Liberator, the B-26 Marauder, the P-51 Mustang, the P-38 Lightning and the P-47 Thunderbolt. You knew them well. You worked on them during the freezing nights of winter and nursed them home, so badly damaged it seemed there was no way they could fly. You looked out through their windows at the hell of flak and fighters. There was beauty; too, high above in that sunlit splendor during those few quiet times. Yes, the planes. You gave them names and they took on their own personalities.
The Boy: He is part of a generation you probably didn't give much thought to at the time; for you see, he is your grandson. He lives in a world that would amaze you. Oh, it is still far from perfect, but because of your sacrifice and the sacrifice of thousands like you, he still has the right to choose freedom over oppression, understanding over prejudice, a choice in how he will worship and the right to life of peace rather than fear. You gift is best summed up in the Biblical verse, "Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for a friend."
The Old Churchyard: It is still there, much the same as when you were here. But there is a monument there now that you wouldn't have seen. It stands as a reminder to all who view it that you paid the ultimate price for their rights and freedoms.

Signatures

Co-signed by 7 Legendary Pilots of WW II:

1. Col. Gerald Brown: DSM, DFC w/4 clusters, Air Medal w/13 clusters, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, and French Croix de Guerre. 5 Victories in WW II
2. 
   Lt. James J. Farrell: DFC, Air Medal w/5 oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart, Presidential Unit Citation. Pilot of legendary B-26 "Flak Bait". Lt. Farrell completed 72 missions in "Flak Bait". The nose of this aircraft is on display at the Air and Space Smithsonian in Washington D.C.
3. Col. William R. Lawley Jr.: Medal of Honor, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart, the Air Medal w/2 oak leaf clusters. On Feb 20th 1944, over enemy occupied Europe 1st Lt. William R. Lawley Jr., brought home a B-17 that was so badly damaged it had no right to fly.
4. Gen. Curtis LeMay: Legendary leader and commander of the first Regensburg raid in 1943. Transferred to the Pacific in 1944, it was LeMay who commanded the 20th Bomber Command during the devastating raids on Japan in 1944 and 1945. After the war, LeMay organized operations for the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and 1 year later returned home to organize the newly created Strategic Air Command. He later became Air Force Chief of Staff until his retirement in 1965.
5. Maj. Gen. Andrew S. Low, Jr.: DFC, Legion Of Merit, DSM, Air Medal w/1 oak leaf cluster, Army Commendation Medal and Purple. Flew B-24's in combat, later shot down over Germany and made a POW. After the war held numerous positions with the USAF until his retirement in 1971.
6. Gen. Robin Olds: DFC w/4 oak leaf clusters, Air Force Cross, Air Medal w/39 oak leaf clusters. Throughout his career credited with 24 ½ victories (20 ½ air and ground victories in WW II, 4 in Vietnam). Co-founded the USAF's first acrobatic team after the war, was the first foreigner to command a RAF sqdn. Later went on to command the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
7. Col. Hubert (Hub) Zemke: DSC, Silver Star w/1 oak leaf cluster, Legion of Merit, DFC w/6 oak leaf clusters, Air Medal w/3 oak leaf clusters, Purple Heart, British DFC, French Croix de Guerre, and the Belgian Croix de Guerre. Hub Zemke flew some 155 combat missions in P-38's, P-51's and P-47's. 1st Commanding Officer of the famed 56th Fighter Group, later known as 'Zemke's Wolfpack'. Later he commanded the 479th Fighter Group flying P-51's. Crashed in Germany, spent the final 7 months of the war as a POW. Held numerous posts in the USAF including tours with the Strategic Air Command, North American Air Defense Headquarters. Retired in 1966, Hub spent his entire Air Force Career in fighters. 18 Victories in WW II.

Image Size: 35 ¾" x 24"