Profile 173: "YO-YO" as flown by Lt George McGovern, 455th BG, 741st BS

 

Finished!

The above is fifteen years in the making — I complained about the foolishness of the first version I completed in 2009 on my Substack.  Suffice it to state, earlier this year was commissioned for a public display and immediately saw it as a sign from Gawd to right the wrongs I committed back then.

For here, however, I'll focus on the artwork as much has changed since the one below:

George likely flew 6+ different B-24s in combat.  Though I was able to scan his combat diary, it wasn't as detailed on specific airplanes as it was as a narrative of his life as a combat pilot.  A page from 25-26 December, 1944 is below — it's terrific to 'hear' the man's thoughts through the ancient pages but it doesn't tell me much about markings!

Regardless, I decided to re-do YO-YO on account of the reason chosen in 2009; YO-YO is fairly well documented photographically.  A kind B-24 wonk provided me a few details about B-24s known to have been flown by George:

42-50419 "Big Gas Bird" (first combat mission)

44-48754

42-51279 (first mission as Pilot in Command)

42-78166 "Rosalie Mae"

42-51917

and of course, 44-11199 "YO-YO"

Still, the photos of YO-YO available, give only general detail.

The photos above are pretty-much what I had to go on (thanks to B24bestweb.com and the  AmericanAirMuseum.com).  

The choice to draw the port side was purely due to the display of 95 mission markers. It's interesting to note that YO-YO survived the war, only for George to see a newsreel of it waiting to be turned into toasters.  I'm hoping the color picture above is from that very film!

All in all, I'm happier with the "new" YO-YO but still wishing for a Time Machine. 

 

NOTICE TO READERS & FOLLOWERS

Support for my "interviewing old guys and drawing their airplanes" has grown to the point where I'll be maintaining TWO regularly updated channels.

1.  This channel on Blogger.  This will be more useful for drawing + more detailed historical information. 

Right now, I'm drawing a new B-24, an A-4 and have a year-old MiG-21 to share... stand by.

2.  The 'other channel' on Substack.  This will be more useful for sharing the stories and impacts that result from meeting the extraordinary people who fuel my artwork.

Thank you for the success you've all afforded and looking forward to making History even MORE "nutritious."

A great human has left the earth - Clarence "Bud" Anderson

 

The world is a noisy place for superlatives - "awesome," "amazing," "OMG."

The world is also prescribed with formulas - "best life now," "ten things top leaders do," "High performance organizations."

Sometimes they're accurate.  Most of the time they're just click bait.  

But on very rare occasions, they have a name, story and a phone number...

Yesterday, 17 May 2024, Col Clarence "Bud" Anderson Flew West, leaving behind a real legacy of the kind of life most ascribe to fantasy..

Nearly 24 years ago, in a conversation about leadership in the workplace, Bud challenged me to "interview old guys."  Putting a finer point on it, to ask people who'd seen the depth and breadth of life and  consider their words.

I took his challenge and the result has been the influence of many thousands, around the world, in art, in writing, in film...

 ..with the message that Bud embraced - leadership is a choice and character is a daily practice. 

The man gave so many, so many, people living proof that not only to men of greatness exist, they're strong, kind, patient, and most importantly, alive.  

I'm sure there are others out there but today, there's one less.

A little recording I made of Bud talking at a hometown event is below - it's a tonic for the times.

Thank you, God for men like Bud.  And thank God for figuring out a way to have Bud's phone number, so many years ago.

[MP3 recording below]

In Bud Anderson's own words... (10 minutes long)

Bud and I at a Commemorative Air Force event.  I was speaking, he showed up.
"You're still doing this stuff? (i.e. interviewing old guys and drawing their airplanes."
"Yep."
"Well... that's fine.  Just fine.  Thank you."

No, Bud... THANK. YOU.

Profile 173: Consolidated B-24J as flown by George McGovern, 455th BG, 741st BS

Interviews with George are in a few of my journals/stack-of-yellow-legal-pads.
And my obligatory pencil sketch to get my brain engaged...

Tragic work has begun on my next commission, a B-24J as flown by former U.S. Senator George McGovern during his service as a WWII bomber pilot.

Tragic?  Yes.  This is a redo of a piece I originally did in 2009.  For reasons due to the profound internal conflict between my chronic impatience and impossible sense of perfection, I bashed-out the art below to meet a deadline for George to sign the prints (and use at a particular fundraiser).

It's awful.  When I presented them to George, he seemed happy enough but I really wanted the artwork to be better-rendered... and trusted that the first edition would sell out, necessitating a second printing... which it did... but I never got around to redoing the artwork.

Three years later, George 'Flew West.'  

Though everyone knows that celebrity autographs are more about the actual celebrity than the thing that bears the signature, it's still 'my art;' and that McGovern was such a decent statesman makes me sick to think that I couldn't bring my best to his.

Ugh.  Don't even look at it.  But would you believe ONE print went for $3,500 at auction?
Shows the power of personality over art...

Nevertheless, eleven years later, "The Universe" has intervened and provided another moment to absolve my artistic sins, providing a moment for George's warbird to be displayed (very) publicly, albeit without his signature. 

So, have a look below.

Starting over.  So many details to do better, too.

(cough cough).  Ok, onward.

There's a legend attached to McGovern's flying a B-24 named "The Dakota Queen." The name, of course, referring to his South Dakota home state and new bride Eleanor 'waiting back home' in the community of Mitchell. It's true... but only in the regard that EVERY B-24 he and his crew flew was deemed, "The Dakota Queen."  How do I know?  He told me.

I love artistic license but there's no way I am going to make up nose art without photographic evidence — when this piece goes on display, my "Artist's Statement" will have a description to this effect.

However, George flew a number of 741st BS B-24s!   In 2009, "Yo-Yo" was chosen because I could document at least two missions where the man experienced combat in the airplane.  Additionally, Yo-Yo survived the war, ending up a sword-beaten-into-a-plowshare (so to speak) and a worthy analog for the man's career move from warrior to champion of peace. 

I'm not so sure that I'll stick with Yo-Yo...maybe, maybe not.  About the only thing 'good' about the 2009 artwork is my drawing of the Bugs Bunny-esque nose art.   

Scholarly opinions are welcome.

Anyway, I expect a significant number of people will be following this post and so will be diligent about updating artwork and sharing some of the cool artifacts I collected in the four years I interviewed the man.  One of which is his combat diary.

So, I'm sitting at my family room table, scanning this thing thinking, "OMG.  I have George McGovern's diary in my house" with the requisite visions of spilling coffee on it, losing it, tearing it... I couldn't get it scanned and returned fast enough. 

I chose the first diary entry... I won't post them all; perhaps three or four more.  Nevertheless, appropriate as the new journey to honor an American warrior and statesman begins.

I just wish he were here to see it.