from facebook----
The Eighth Air Force Historical Society (official)
Tom Dowlin
·
1h
·
Remembering Maj. John H. “Lucky” Luckadoo
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Luckadoo joined the US Army Air Forces at the age of 19. He was part of the original cadre of the 100th Bomb Group that arrived in England in 1943. Lucky flew numerous difficult combat missions, including the Bremen mission during “Black Week” on October 8, 1943. “I looked death in the face and survived,”
Luckadoo flew into the teeth of Nazi defenses as a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the U.S. Eighth Air Force’s 100th Bomb Group the legendary “Bloody Hundredth.” In those early, perilous months of America’s daylight bombing campaign, survival often came down to skill, grit, and, in his case, a nickname that felt more like a prayer than a boast.
Luckadoo’s story is a testament to courage under unimaginable pressure: freezing altitudes, relentless flak, and fighter attacks that turned the sky into a gauntlet. He led from the cockpit, shouldering responsibility not just for a machine, but for the crew whose lives depended on calm judgment when seconds mattered.
His harrowing journey is captured powerfully in Damn Lucky: One Man’s Courage During the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History by New York Times bestselling author Kevin Maurer. The book pulls no punches, honoring both the terror and the teamwork that defined those missions, and showing how “Lucky” became a symbol of resilience for an entire generation of airmen.
In 2024, the 100th Bomb Group’s story reached millions more through the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg Apple TV+ miniseries Masters of the Air where Maj. Luckadoo served as a technical consultant to help ensure the on-screen details matched the reality he lived.
As we reflect on his service, we honor all who flew, fought, and fell with the 100th Bomb Group. Their legacy isn’t just history, it’s a reminder of what ordinary people can do when duty calls and the odds look impossible.
Recommended reading: Damn Lucky by Kevin Maurer
Recommended viewing: Masters of the Air (Apple TV+)
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