Elkton man delivered last bomb of WWII 70 years ago today

At his side were two magazines he was perusing, one on aviation and military aircraft. Ushering a guest into his tidy home, he apologized for his lack of speed as he tapped along with a cane. He nimbly mounted a short flight of stairs to answer a ringing telephone before graciously offering ice tea or coffee and gesturing toward the dining room where he explained, “I’ve got all the stuff you might want to see, just all kinds of junk on the table in there.”

At 94, McNabb’s posture is still one of military erectness, and his gaze is sharp. Though he has slowed somewhat and may focus intently to hear conversations, his mind, wit and demeanor are as honed as a man a quarter his age. The “stuff” as he described it — the ephemera of a life well-lived — is a treasure trove of America’s greatest generation and beyond to any historian.

McNabb lives with his wife of 69 years in the home where they built a life and family in Elkton. On the walls are plank club mementos, photographs, memories and on one wall — not prominently displayed but in the corner by some framed black and white photos that look not unlike Hollywood movie stills of the 1940s — is a shadow box of ribbons and medals that trace his 20 years of active duty in the military. His service found him first serving in World War II, and later in the Dominican Republic and finally in Vietnam, as a pilot who has flown many missions.

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