Andy Rooney: The War Years

"Drafted into the Army in 1941, Rooney was one of a handful of journalists who flew on bombing raids with the 8th Air Force in 1943. The losses that these air groups suffered were horrendous, with the early raids seeing as few as 1/3 of the departing aircraft return undamaged or at all. In 1943 when Rooney stepped into a B-24 or B-17 destined for bombing raids over Germany with fighter protection only part of the way, he knew that the odds that he would return unharmed were not in his favor."

Jeff Nolan says Andy Rooney is a little more than just a 92-year-old guy yakking on 60 Minutes.

Photo: PBS

Andy Rooney was part of the "Writing 69th," a group of journalists (including Walter Cronkite) who flew on the early bombing raids over Germany.  

Rooney on his first mission: 

"I got in my bomber and I thought to myself, 'Why am I doing this? I'm scared to death. I mean, I don't have to risk my life' -- except that I felt so bad for all the men who did have to risk their lives all those times that it just seemed like it was the honest thing to do."

His plane got back safely and Andy Rooney wrote it up for the next day's Stars and Stripes: How It Feels to Bomb Germany.

{ Hat tip: Mr. Duffy }