Ball Turret Gunner Short Story
The death of the ball turret gunner by randall jarrell.
Ball turret gunner short story. The forces of the tail section exploding knocked jack out of the top turret he landed behind the pilot lt. Charles agantovich both died at the same time the tail section was struck. He was considered a perfect fit for the b 17 s ball turret. From my mother s sleep i fell into the state the academy of american poets is the largest membership based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting american poets.
The description of the gunner in the ball turret as hunched in the belly of the bomber makes the turret into a metaphor for the womb. How does jarrell try to capture the experience in such a short poem. A ball turret was a plexiglas sphere set into the belly of a b 17 or b 24 and inhabited by two 50 caliber machine guns and one man a short small man when this gunner tracked with his machine guns a fighter attacking his bomber from below he revolved with the turret. Study questions about the death of the ball turret gunner.
Jarrell who served in the army air forces provided the following explanatory note. The space inside the turret was very small and cramped. But it s not a nice cozy nurturing safe womb like mom s. World war ii veteran hal millett describes what it was like to be a ball turret gunner in a b17 bomber in 1945.
In god i trust. Hunched upside down in his little. The turret held the gunner two heavy machine guns ammunition and sights. It was a manned turret as distinct from remote controlled turrets also in use.
Raymond buthe and co pilot lt. Anthony demarco the radio operator who at the time was acting as a waist gunner and the ball turret gunner sgt. He felt a need to enlist in the army and defend his country. Video by kate irby the bradenton herald more from the bradenton herald.
The story of wwii b 17 ball turret gunner frank perez frank perez wwii and 2010 kneeling next to the ball turret of a b 17 flying fortress. Alan magee decided to join the us army after japanese attacked the american fleet at pearl harbor. It s freezing and dangerous under attack from nightmare fighters. The death of the ball turret gunner from my mother s sleep i fell into the state.