Joe Denver - Veterans History Project - B-17 Pilot

B-17 "Flying Fortress"

I drove over to Ardmore, Pennsylvania to interview veteran Joe Denver. Joe was a B-17 pilot during World War II. I was met by his two sons. They were very excited to have me interview their father. The home was like a museum, with lots of great memorabilia from World War II. I also noticed they had a wall full of Civil War stuff. Since I had just visited the Gettysburg battleground, I was instantly moved to their Civil War area. The Denver family had a long tradition of serving in the US military. One of the Denvers served in the Civil War. They had his original gun, hat, and the bullet that killed him. I sat down with Joe with my HD video camera, set up a light and microphone, and then we talked. Joe was mostly blind, so I couldn't use my cue cards with my specialized 124 questions. So we just talked and I went through the questions one by one. Joe did a super job talking about the way things were during his lifetime, growing up in the Depression, serving as a B-17 pilot during WWII, and his life after the war. Joe is a super guy and a real character. He has strong values and as terrific memory for details. He has a great sense of humor, too.