Page 49 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

WORLD WAR II
wonder how much longer she will stay in the air. Dennis separated from service in late October
This was shortest mission I’ve flown and was 1945. In May of 1946 he went to work for the
Major Mac’s flight and his last mission. Quite Coble-Whittenburg family managing their
a bit of flak and fairly accurate. Didn’t see any ranching and farming operations. He continued
fighters except a bunch of ours dive-bombing to show up for work every day at either the
and strafing. A big battle was going on between office or the ranch for 72
the ground forces. The weather was wonderful, years. He retired in 2018, but
and we hit our target. Have really been giving these days, Dennis enjoys
the krauts fits the last few days.” regularly checking on the
ranch he owns with his son
The type bomber he flew was affectionately near San Jon, NM. He still
called “The Flying Brick” or “The resides in the same Amarillo
Widowmaker.” Dennis wrote these interesting house he has lived in for over
facts about it: “A cubic foot of bricks weighs 50 years.
something like seventy pounds. Because of the
B-26’s wing width and weight, it exceeded the He married his gracious
70 pounds per square foot of recommended wing and beautiful wife, Georgia
load limitation.” Most planes glide in on final Burleson from Spearman,
approach for landing. However, because of the Texas in September of 1946.
B-26’s physical characteristics, he always flew They enjoyed 70 years
“power on” to touchdown. of marriage until her trip
to heaven in April 2016.
It was never easy. Dennis recalls a bombing run They raised two children,
early on. “The sky went black with shell bursts Dave Kern of Lubbock, and
and smoke. I remember crying out, ‘Lord, I can’t Dennis Ann Strong of Buena
take this.’ And suddenly, a voice as audible as I Vista, Colorado, who have
speak to you said, ‘It is by grace that you live, blessed Dennis with four
yea, every breath you breathe. I give you living grandchildren and five great-
grace and if you need the other, I will give you grandchildren.
that, too.’ And then we broke into the clear.”

At one point, during the Battle
of the Bulge when the outcome
was somewhat in doubt, Dennis
got word to be ready to burn the
aircraft, catch a ride out if he
could, or walk out if necessary.
Fortunately, that order never
came down. He was thankful
to God for clearing weather
and for George Patton. After
that great battle, the German
line began to retreat to the
northeast, and Dennis found
himself moving in the same
direction, as he was based
at Reims and Valenciennes,
France then Liege, Belgium and
finally Kaltenkirchen, Germany.
Sitting on a cot in Germany on
VE day he wondered, “What
now?” One of the choices was
to go home, so he did, arriving
in Amarillo in time for V-J Day.

Amarillo Senior Link 49