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m a r k e r i c k s o n p a i n t i n g s Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson Air Corps 1942 - 1945
Click to view Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson's complete thirty five mission list and twelve B-17 Flying Fortresses flown between March 27th thru August 26th, 1944 out of Horham Airfield, England.
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My dad loved the film 12 O'Clock High. He identified with many of the characters in the film. He often said after the numerous times we watched it together, "It's the closest to what it was actually like, what happened to the B-17 crews of the Air Corps in 1943 and 1944. It's what happened to me and the rest of the airmen. The best Air Corps film I ever saw." I have watched this many times by myself and think of my dad often when I do and will view this movie many times in the coming years. Gregory Peck is superb playing Brigadier General Frank Savage, the character inspired from Colonel Frank A. Armstrong, who commanded the 306th Bomb Group on which the 918th was modeled. I have always felt Peck's performance is iconic and filled with humanity and calmness. In the end his character evolved into the true face of the horror of war. The film in black and white is perfect. The incredible Dean Jagger was spot on as Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Stovall modeled on William Howard Stovall, a World War I flying ace who returned to active duty as a Major in the Army Air Corps the week after Pearl Harbor and served as the non-flying Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel for the 8th Air Force in England for his World War I comrades, Brigadier General Frank O'Driscoll Hunter and General Carl Spaatz. The film begins in 1949, four years after the war with Jagger's character going back to the airfield. The revving sounds of the engines of the B-17 begin and the wind picking up from the wash of air from the propellers. Everything begins to slowly fade back to 1943 where the film takes off. Gary Merrill playing a nice role as Colonel Keith Davenport which was based on the first commander of the 306th Bomb Group, Colonel Charles B. Overacker. Major General Pritchard played by Millard Mitchell was performed bit stiffer than the Peck character and pulled off his role well. He has a great voice like Peck does. It resonates when you hear. The Pritchard character was based on the 8th Bomber Command's first commander, Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker. The character Major Joe Cobb played by John Kellogg worked well in the film, the tough guy role was inspired by infamous Colonel Paul Tibbets who had flown B-17s with Colonel Armstrong. Tibbetts was set as the film’s technical advisor, but was replaced by Colonel John H. DeRussy, an operations officer for the 305th Bomb Group. My dad thought the tv show seriously lightweight, discounting it practically as almost a comedic look at what he experienced in real life in 1944. As he said, "Once we were up in the morning and at briefing and then in the ship readying for a mission and then during the flight it was all pretty much business as usual and no monkeying around." 12 O'Clock High would have been a differnt film if any one of these scenarios had occurred. Clark Gable was interested in the lead role of General Frank Savage. Gable, who had served in the Air Corps during World War II, played a similar role in the 1948 film Command Decision. John Wayne was offered the leading role as well, but turned it down. Burt Lancaster, James Cagney, Dana Andrews, Van Heflin, Edmond O'Brien, Ralph Bellamy, Robert Preston, Robert Young and Robert Montgomery were also considered for the role. Eventually, the role went to Gregory Peck, who initially turned it down because the script was similar to Command Decision. The reason Peck changed his mind was because he was impressed with director Henry King, finding his empathy with the material and the cast and crew appealing. Knowing all these fine actors work, I feel Gregory Peck was ideal for the role of Brigadier General Frank Savage. Truly the only choice. Otherwize we might not even be talking about this film. In the end of the film, while waiting for the ships (B-17s) return, Peck's character becomes unresponsive, immobile, sitting, staring and unblinking. As the group returns to the airfield he slowly comes to and eventually gets up and sleepily walks over to the bed and lays down and falls asleep. The final sequence of 12 O'Clock High returns to the present time of 1949 and Jagger's character Harvey Stovall in civilian clothes approaches his bicycle and eventually pedals off down the English country road. Thanks to Frank Perez of the group 8th Air Force in World War II who inspired me to post this photo and write the text for it. |
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