Thursday Photo Caption Contest: July 12

"A clever idea, however the frivolity came to a swift end when Doolittle arrived for a surprise inspection."

It’s been hot here in Washington, DC.

So hot that a plane got stuck in “soft spot” in the asphalt of the runway at Reagan National Airport just across the river in Alexandria, Virginia.

So hot that our brains melted and we could not choose a winner from last week’s caption contest. So we turned to the freshest, youngest brain we could find in the office. Our new intern, YouTube whiz and future Pieces of History blogger Nikita Buley, agreed to pick the winner.

Congratulations to Tom! Check your email for a discount code for 15% off in our eStore.

So were these men hauling a plane off an overheated runway? Well, although it looks hot, the answer is no. Instead, it turns out that life does imitate art. These men are the actual crew of the place, and they are imitating the images of themselves on the plane!

According to the original caption: “B-29 Men bombed Tokyo. The crew of ‘Waddy’s Wagon,’ fifth B-29 to take off on the initial Tokyo mission from Saipan, and first to land after bombing the target. Crew members, posing here to duplicate their caricatures on the plane, are : Plane C. O., Capt. Walter R. ‘Waddy’ Young, Ponca City, Okla., former All-American end; Lt. Jack H. Vetters, Corpus Christi, Texas, pilot; Lt. John F. Ellis, Moberly, Mo., bombardier; Lt. Paul R. Garrison, Lancaster, Pa., navigator; Sgt. George E. Avon, Syracuse, N.Y., radio operator; Lt. Bernard S. Black, Woodhave, L.I., Flight Engineer; Sgt. Kenneth M. Mansie of Randolph, Me., Tech., and gunners – Sgts. Lawrence L. Lee, Max, N.D.; Wilbur J. Chapman, Panhandle, Texas; Corbett L. Carnegie, Grindstone Island, N.Y.: and Joseph J. Gatto, Falconer, N.Y.”

Everybody has their shirts on in today’s photo, but it looks like someone is still about to lose their cool. Put your best caption in the comments below!

Your caption here!

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