My Father and his 1911 A1

[Leedavisone]

Dad is 89 now, and going strong. Several months ago he was reminiscing on his Army Air Corps days in the pacific. I knew he had been on the Air Force pistol team in the mid 1950's, shooting the Colt 1911, but he had never mentioned his sidearms during the war... until I mentioned that I wanted to get a new Colt auto. He started to get sentimental, and talked about the A1 that he was issued before he was shipped overseas (he was a new second lieutenant, having enlisted in Sept of 1940). He was in an AAC service squadron as an adjutant, so he virtually never had a need to carry his Colt, except when he was paying the men with a stack of cash... he was required to carry it then, in a holster. He rarely carried it otherwise, even though they were stationed on New Guinea, later the Phillipines, Okinawa, etc. He said he kept it in the original government issue box, and had plans to take it home (it had never been fired)
While flying over the Coral Sea on the way to Australia, the C47 he was riding in lost an engine. Pilots orders were to throw everything out to lighten the plane. Before he could think, someone pitched his bag (containing his boxed A1) out over the ocean. What really irked him though was the Hamilton Railroad watch his Father had given him went also.
So, I bought a matched pair of new Colt 1911's, and gave him one (the WW1 remakes). His eyes lit up... and he promised never to shoot it... unless he sees a C47.


"It is easier to gain forgiveness than to obtain permission" - My Father

 

[10-Ring]

Both of you are very lucky men!

 

[Leedavisone]

any other good pistol stories that I can pass on to my Father?

 

[Brian Williams]

My father was a Boatswain's mate on a Fleet oiler in the pacific and his ship was one of the first to be struck by a Kamakaze. My father had the pilots Nambu pistol and the scarf in his seabag. The seabag was thrown over while at sea. My father often tells of making Mail runs as the pilot of the mail boat, both him and the mail guard would draw 1911's then they would bribe the armorer for some extra mags of ammo. As they would go they would shoot at most anything that was floating in their path. I showed my dad my 1911 Sistema and he said he does not really want to shoot or have one but it brought back some memories of some good times.