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Growing up in Nashville during the Civil War centennial, I was fascinated by stories of soldiers and battles from another era. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was surrounded by another generation of heroes—men and women who had just returned from World War II.

One of them was my father. Horace Edward Skinner joined the Army Air Corps after high school and became a B-24 tail gunner with the legendary 90th Bombardment Group—the Jolly Rogers. His crew called themselves Jasper’s Jokers, named for their pilot, Lt. Jasper Skinner (no relation).

Dad rarely talked about the war. After he passed away in 1997, I discovered his squadron yearbook and began tracking down the surviving members of his crew. Those conversations opened a door to stories I wish I had heard from Dad himself. They eventually inspired my 15-song concept album, Jolly Roger Tailgunner (https://equilt.com/JRTGFlipbook/mobile/index.html#p=1). Three of those songs are featured in this episode.

“Big Blue Battlefield” tells the incredible story of a 1945 mission over Formosa—and how a split-second change in formation may have saved my father’s life… and ultimately allowed me to be here to tell his story.

“Big Chief” tells the (tribal and combat) story of Chief Leaford Bearskin, a Wyandotte tribal chief and Jolly Rogers B-24 pilot who survived combat so intense that he described the flak as being so thick he felt he could “walk on it.”

And “Willow Run” is my tribute to my mother, Ruth Sexton Skinner, who left Tennessee during the war to work in a Detroit factory. I took some creative liberties with the details, but the heart of the song is true: it is a tribute to a woman who did her part while her country was at war.

These aren't just songs. They're pieces of my family's history. They're stories of sacrifice, courage, survival—and the men and women who quietly did what had to be done.

I launched “The Greatest Generation” podcast to honor my father, his crew, the Jolly Rogers, my mother, and all those who served and sacrificed to help keep this nation free.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to listen. And if you have a parent, grandparent, or loved one who served, maybe it will bring back a story of your own.

© 2026 David Ray Skinner/Electric Quilt Music, BMI