'Masters of the Air': Heartwarming true story of how iconic husky Meatball paved the way in US Air Force
LONDON, ENGLAND: Apple TV’s latest war drama series ‘Masters of the Air’ has introduced Meatball, a dog, to the viewers. Meatball is not a fun addition to the cast and actually exists in real life.
‘Masters of the Air’ stars Austin Butler as Major Gale 'Buck' Cleven, Callum Turner as Major John 'Bucky' Egan, Barry Keoghan as Lt Curtis Biddick, Anthony Boyle as Major Harry Crosby, Nate Mann as Major Robert Rosenthal, Kai Alexander as Sergeant William Quinn, and Ncuti Gatwa as second Lt Robert Daniels.
Given that ‘Masters of the Air’ is inspired by true events, nearly all of its characters are based on real individuals.
Who is Meatball?
In ‘Masters of the Air’ Episode 1, Meatball, a dog, was introduced to the viewers. The Siberian husky immediately grabbed all the attention and became a fan favorite.
Meatball first appeared in the first half of ‘Masters of the Air’ Episode 1, when Captain Bernard DeMarco got off his plane at Thorpe Abbotts.
Gale "Buck" Cleven revealed that they picked Meatball while traveling to England. Meatball was seen once again at the breakfast table while the soldiers were preparing for their first mission.
Meatball’s existence in the US Air Force
Meatball, the dog, accompanied the bomb group at their base in East Anglia throughout the war. According to Screen Rant, the dog lived with the 100th Bomb Group during the Second World War.
The 100th Bomb Group found Meatball in Labrador and brought him to Thorpe Abbotts with them. They were extremely fond of husky Meatball.
According to the 100th Bomb Group Foundation, once Meatball got into trouble for killing a chicken in the area and the farmer became angry. Major Egan ultimately paid for the chicken personally to save Meatball.
There is little information available about what happened to Meatball after the war.
‘Masters of the Air’ is now streaming on Apple TV+