03 November, 2011

Profile 60 - "306" as crewed by Ken Salisbury.



11-4-11 note:  I'd planned on doing the C-47 with the aircraft letter "R" but new information came to light and now, it's "C". 

If it weren't for the "Kardashian Divorce" hogging all the headlines, you might have heard the good news that we found a photo of Ken's C-47, X5-C on CNN instead of here.

But sometimes a guy just has to have priorities and right now, getting this Bird right is mine.

Ken and I agreed that the best representation of his C-47 was circa "Operation Market Garden."   We liked the presence of the black and white Invasion Stripes and it was indeed a time where Ken was "behind enemy lines."  However I am rather fascinated with the Operation itself.

See...Market Garden was a failure.  So much so, it inspired a classic best selling book and a movie.  Want to know more?  Start with Cornelius Ryan's classic work - "A Bridge to Far."

But I'll give you a primer on Market Garden in 21st Century lingo:  A multinational corporation is expanding into new markets when a Senior VP decides it's his moment in history to create a spectacular success for the business.  The CEO disagrees.  The Sr. VP creates a scene.  The CEO relents to a modified plan...and in the matter of a few weeks, Ken Salisbury is sitting in his trembling C-47 awaiting take off.

It's September 17, 1944.

Things are going to get ugly.  Quickly.