"THE SWOOSE"- THE WWII FLYING FORTRESS THAT WOULDN'T DIE AMERICA 250 REMEMBERED

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

Jon Hagadorn

History, Society & Culture

4.5 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 10 May 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

🎙️ SHOW NOTES — AMERICA 250 SPECIAL PRESENTATION

THE SWOOSE: The Plane That Refused to Die

Narrated by Jon Hagadorn

1001 Heroes, Legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast

In this America 250 special presentation, host Jon Hagadorn brings listeners the extraordinary true story of The Swoose — the oldest surviving B‑17 Flying Fortress and the only B‑17D to serve from the opening days of World War II all the way to the end.

Told through the voice of an older veteran standing before the aircraft now located at the National Air Force Museum near Dayton Ohio, this immersive, five‑chapter narrative explores how a patched‑together, battle‑scarred bomber became one of the most remarkable survivors of the Pacific war. From the fiery skies over the Philippines to the desperate retreat to Australia, from makeshift repairs to high‑stakes missions, The Swoose emerges as a symbol of American ingenuity, grit, and determination.

Listeners will learn:

How The Swoose escaped destruction during the Japanese attack on the Philippines
Why she became known as the "patchwork fortress"
How her resilience earned the respect of legendary aviator Colonel Frank Kurtz
Why she is the last surviving B‑17D in the world
What her story reveals about the young men who flew and maintained these iconic aircraft

This episode honors the legacy of the B‑17 crews — many of them barely out of high school — who faced staggering losses and unimaginable danger. It also reminds younger generations just how important these aircraft were, how many were sacrificed, and why the few that remain deserve to be remembered.

A powerful tribute to courage, survival, and the spirit of a nation at war, THE SWOOSE stands as a fitting story for America's 250th anniversary — a reminder that even in the darkest moments, some legends refuse to die. Freedom never comes cheap.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back, everyone to one thousand one heroes, legends, histories, histories, podcast.
0:18.4	This is your host, John Haggadorn.
0:22.3	He was standing there at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, about six miles northeast of
0:28.1	Dayton, talking to a gathering crowd of adults and children, and standing in the shadow of an ancient
0:33.7	B-17D, which carried the legendary name of the swoose. And I heard him say,
0:40.0	In front of me is a plane that shouldn't exist anymore. A plane that, by all logic,
0:45.7	should have been shot down, scrapped, melted, or forgotten. But she's here, and so am I,
0:53.0	he said.
0:56.1	My name doesn't matter much.
1:01.8	I'm just an old man now, white hair, stiff knees, and a lifetime behind me.
1:09.6	But once, a long time ago, I was 18 years old and flying combat missions in a B-17 over Europe.
1:16.3	I was a kid in a bomber jacket, scared half the time, pretending not to be the other half.
1:21.6	And like every young man who flew those big fortresses, I learned quickly that the airplane you flew could become as familiar to you as your own heartbeat.
1:26.2	So when I tell you that this plane, the swoose is special, I want you to understand what
1:32.2	that means.
1:33.9	I'd walk past her many times over the years.
1:36.6	I always stop.
1:37.9	I always look.
1:39.2	And every time I think the same thing.
1:42.5	How in the world did this plane survive?
1:46.2	Because most of them didn't.
1:48.2	Not in Europe.
	...

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