august 2 0 1 0 - The Air Force Gunners Association

Transcription

SHORT BURSTS
Air Force Gunners Association
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A PIECE OF HISTORY
1913 MILITARY AVIATOR’S BADGE NO. 1
Nonprofit Org
U.S. postage Paid
Grand Forks, ND
PERMIT NO. 317
AERIAL GUNNER WINGS HISTORY
“THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL”
FRONT COVER: "1913 Military Aviator badge #1 given to Captain Charles
DeForest Chandler, Chief of the Aeronautical Division, Signal Corps from 1
August 1907 to 30 June 1910, and from 20 June 1911 to 9 September 1913.
It was manufactured by the Ordnance Department at the Rock Island Arsenal (RIA) in Illinois, then sent for approval to Brigadier General George P.
Scriven, Chief Signal Officer (CSO), in Washington, DC. After being approved, Captain Chandler was given the badge on 6 October 1913."
The Military Aviator badge was awarded to the first 24 military aviators only. After that they started awarding the WW1 era pilot wing. The official
badges were made at Rock Island Arsenal, IL but badges were also made by
Blackinton.
The front cover depicts the very first aviation badge awarded - a forerunner of our Aerial Gunner
Wings and Crewmember Wings worn today. The badge itself is owned by collector Cliff Presley
and is displayed on the web site owned by Bob Swartz who states, “This is the actual badge that
started it all. Needless to say it’s a huge honor to display this on my site.”
Bob Swartz gave permission for the AFGA to copy the photo for use with this edition of the Short
Bursts. This site is a tremendous trough of aerial badge history as the various wings evolved.
The wings depicted on his website were made by many manufacturers over the years. Many different aerial gunner’s wings were produced - all with minor variances in looks but all with the
basic design intact—a bull's-eye, a winged bullet and the wings themselves. This website provides one with a look at the many different wing variations and styles and can be viewed at http://
www.ww2wings.com/main.shtml - I highly recommend that those with a computer visit this site
to see this collection displayed by many collectors and compiled by Bob Swartz for viewing (you
will need to copy and paste the web address onto your browser).
START PLANNING
AFGA 2011 REUNION - ORLANDO, FLORIDA
SEPTEMBER, 2011
INFORMATION AND FORMS TO BE IN THE DECEMBER 2010 SHORT BURST’S ISSUE
RALPH STEARNS—FINANCE OFFICER’S REPORT
The AFGA made a contribution of $600 to the Enlisted Widows Home this
past quarter. We are pleased to be able to so this on an annual basis as it
goes to a very good cause.
Hope to see all in Orlando, Ralph
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AFGA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE - JOHN STALLINGS
Hello everybody,
I hope you are having a great summer. My tour in Iraq was completed in May and I
returned home to my family after spending over 4 months deployed. Not much to
say about the deployment except that it was uneventful which is always nice.
Planning for Orlando Reunion continues. In October, Larry and I will be making a
trip down to Orlando to work out some details with the hotel to make sure the reunion runs smoothly. Also while we are there we will continue making plans on events for the reunion
that we think people will like to do while we are there. There is a lot to do in the Orlando area so we
will have a lot to choose from. We will also be looking into seeing if we can provide some type of
transportation to and from the airport since the hotel does not provide transportation. This is a common theme in Orlando that I found out that none of the hotels that I looked at provide transportation.
In the December Short Burst we will have the phone number to contact the hotel to make reservations, a deadline to make your room reservation by and any special instructions that you need to pass
on when making your reservation with the hotel. We will also have a list of events along with a description of each one, the prices for each activity, the reservation form for the reunion, and a deadline
to register by. For those of you who view the Shortburst on-line you will have to print off the form
from the computer. The Shortburst will also have the registration price for the reunion. Every attempt will be made to keep this as low as possible given the current economy.
If you have any ideas on events that you would like us to do, please contact me and we will look into
them.
Remember the reunion is just about a year away so start making plans now to attend. If you or someone you know has never been or hasn’t been to a reunion recently you should try and come to one.
It’s a great place to meet old friends and make new ones.
Enjoy the rest of the summer.
John
VA offers newest edition of benefit handbook
WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- The 2010 edition of the Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors is available
online at www1.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp.
Produced by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the handbook’s chapters cover such topics as VA pensions, home loans,
medals and records, special veterans groups, and other federal benefits.
People can view the handbook by individual chapters and sections, or download the entire document, in English or Spanish,
in .pdf format. (Courtesy of VA )
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AFGA 2009-2011 ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
John E. Stallings
702 Doral Drive
Marengo, IL 60152-3385
(815) 568-5649
E-MAIL: [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP OFFICER
James Hoke
1906 Ridgewood Drive
Papillion, NE 68133-2478
H: (402) 991-5830
VICE PRESIDENT
Lawrence R. Lewandowski
1108 South 12th Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201-5411
(701) 775-5918
HISTORIAN
Paul M. Savko
208 Aspenwood Drive
Spartanberg, SC 29307-3059
(864) 591-2461
E-MAIL: NONE
FINANCE OFFICER
Ralph M. Stearns
P.O. Box 231
Medical Lake, WA 99022-0231
5818
(509) 299-3504
E-Mail: [email protected]
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS
Francis M. (Frank) O'Neil
19 Cocheco Ave
East Rochester, NH 03868(603)332-9271
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
Dan Danish
9550 Haviland Street
San Antonio, TX 78251-4725
H: (210) 520-1517
W: (210) 292-7108
EXCHANGE OFFICER
Neil Richards
8532 Doverbrook Drive
Palm Beach, FL 33410-6380
(561) 721-5095
CHAPLAIN
EDITOR
Ignacio Cruz
Robert G. Matherly
7341 Southridge Trail
5550 Meadow Croft Lane
Ft. Worth, TX 76133-7126
Pilot Hill, CA 95664-9225
(817) 346-8678
(530) 823-6680
E-Mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]
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EDITOR'S COMMENTS - BOB MATHERLY
Hard to imagine that one year ago, September 2009, we were in Spokane for the AFGA Reunion and now we
have one more year to go before the September 2011 Orlando AFGA Reunion is upon us. How time flies!! I
got this August 2010 issue started in early June thinking I would get this ready to go in plenty of time to meet
the deadline of 1 July to send to our printers in Fargo, ND and now it is already the 29th of June and I am still
trying to put it to bed. Know we have all been busy but the summer sure does fly by fast nowadays.
Do not have a lot of the WWII gunner stories in my files but was able to put a number of them into this edition.
The story about the B-24H flight and the subsequent loss of the aircraft is quite interesting. Hoping to get more
of our WWII gunners to share their experiences with us between now and December—always good to have a
few in the files when I first sit down to start the next issue to draw upon.
Want to thank Charlie Damp, Bill Gaddes, Frank Taylor, Pete Karjanis, Cease Walker (for the books), and Harry Tolmich who immediately come to mind for their inputs to this edition. Bill is always way ahead of me on topics he is working on and submitting.
Harry spent a lot of time researching peacetime B-52 losses and you will find this data quite an eye opener. Thanks, Harry, for the
time and effort to get this done and to me for this issue.
In May several requests came in for assistance—perhaps the largest from JT Chapin, a free lance writer who wanted to do a story on
the DaNang crash in which Al Whatley survived. He received a lot of help from Scotty Burns and others that Scotty put him on to. I
was happy to furnish him the photos I had of the crash site and offered a few technical clarifications to him while all the emails were
flying back and forth. He was limited in the number of words that the publication editor’s would allow but managed to squeeze in
most, if not all, of the important details. The article, “Bad Night at DaNang” has been submitted to a British magazine for publication. Once published, we will be able to put it into the Short Bursts. JT’s enthusiasm was contagious and both Scotty and I, along
with some others, tried to give him all of the information he felt he needed to do a good job—and that he did. I think everyone will
appreciate the effort he put into it when we get the chance to publish it in the Short Bursts.
Along with JT’s requests, we had a request to support the Museum of the Soldier in Portland, Indiana. Matthew Simmons, curator,
put together a memorial for MSgt Olen B. McLaughlin who was involved in a B-52 mid-air collision on 7 July 1967 and was never
recovered—he is still listed as MIA. Matthew was looking for wing and squadron patches from Olen’s unit that he was assigned to the 454th Bomb Wing, 736th Bomb Squadron at Columbus AFB, MS. AFGA Member Dave Heximer provided both patches and
retired Col. Bob Amos provided a photo of the patches for them—many thanks to both of them for their generosity and help in bringing this Memorial to a finish. You can visit the Memorial at: www.museumofthesoldier.com on the web.
Charlie Damp sent in a package of photos and tidbits for me to use. Charlie and I were talking on the phone and he brought up the
April 2010 issue’s photo of the memorial containing Robert Foster’s name. He and Bob’s fate were intertwined and the story is in
this issue as to how their lives were impacted. He also provided a photo of all the gunners at Kincheloe taken in 1967. These guys
were mighty young looking then.
Along the way I came across some interesting articles on the history of the A-2 flight jacket and the use of “Army Air Corps” and
“Army Air Forces” terminology when talking of WWII aviation and assignments. I was able to contact the author, Clarence C.
Elebash, of an article that was written back in March, 2002. He updated this article to June 2010 and I received his permission to use
it in this edition of the Short Bursts. I am sure this will start some “friendly” discussions amongst some of our members. There are
also several short articles on medals that were awarded many years later to a couple of our WWII veterans. I think you will find this
edition to be quite diversified and interesting. And then there was the B-29 tail gun sight several of us obtained for the Enlisted Heritage Hall Museum at Gunter. Thanks to Bill Gaddes, Pete Pettit, Art Pollard and Jim Toomer it finally was delivered to the museum
without too much trouble. All in all it has been a busy time in-between the April and August Short Bursts.
I think I mentioned in the April SB that I was going to cut down some of the more notable names that get submitted for the Final Fly
By. I have done that in this issue. We do not have the room for all of those submitted so I try to pick the ones that I believe the Association members would find worthy of being mentioned for one reason or another.
Letters to the Editor are always interesting and fun to receive. I do not post all of them but thank all who submit them to me - the
many words of encouragement really help - and those that point out ways to improve this publication are especially welcome. I have
included a series of 3 e-mails in this edition whose subject was very appropriate—the Subscription Program. It was well received
and, I hope, answered to the sender’s satisfaction even if it didn’t solve this issue directly. There will be more discussions on this
program at the Orlando AFGA Business meeting, I’m sure.
Well that is about it for this issue - I hope all of you had a great Summer and I am looking forward to hearing from you with stories
about your time in the Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, and U.S. Air Force. Thanks so much for the support and keep those cards
and letters coming in. I will try my darndest to keep track of all of them and get the stories into the SB in a timely manner. Start
planning to attend the September 2011 AFGA Reunion in Orlando. Hope to see many, many of you there.
Bob
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MEMBERSHIP CORNER - JIM HOKE
Greetings from Nebraskaland! Lot’s of things going on around here lately – some good – and some not so
good… There are the sounds of aluminum bats, great competition on the diamond, and a lot of fans here to
cheer on their favorite team in the College World Series (as of today there are two teams left, UCLA and South
Carolina). And that means summer time weather! We have had so much rain I’m seriously considering getting a boat. And then there is the whole thing about the Big 10. Times are a changing…
The status of our membership continues to remain relatively constant. Active membership continues to hover
slightly above 1170 members with the majority being Life Members (more than 745).
We continue to see issues with accurate address information. Please remember if you are planning on moving
(or have moved recently) make sure you make a note to back fill me with your new address info so we can
continue to keep up with you. You can send me an email with the update or if you don’t have e-mail or use the
Internet drop me a short note in the regular mail. Calling me directly is also an option but I do still work during the day and occasionally travel for business so be sure to leave a message on my answering machine.
The other issue to think about is your Short Bursts Subscription. Please remember that the Subscription fees are in addition to your
annual dues if you pay annually and are additional fees if you are a life member. There still seems to be a little confusion on that
point. If you have questions about the Subscription options give me a call or send me an email.
Soliciting new members continues to be important. The next time you have a conversation with someone you know was a gunner
ask them if they are a member and if not send them the Membership form from your Short Bursts or point them in my direction or
send me their phone number. I will be glad to follow-up.
For Annual members, I will continue to send renewal notices on a monthly basis. I typically send out the notices towards the last
week of the month prior to your due date. Please return the lower portion of the notice along with your check in the provided envelope. Also, please review the information on the notice for accuracy and provide any changes needed.
Additionally, in order to save on mailing expenses I only forward checks on to our Finance Chairman once or twice a month so if
you have sent a check to me recently either for annual dues or for the Short Bursts Subscription please allow for this time delay if
you see that your check has not been processed through your Bank.
Looking forward to Orlando (wife also as she loves the Mouse) and seeing old friends.
Jim
New Members
Vincent Scarano
Gary Morgan
Gerald Kohler
Hugh McGaffigan
Riverside, CA
Boyd, TX
Citrus Heights, CA
Clemmons, NC
B29, B36, B52, SB17
B52
B52
B52
4019
4020
L3121
4018
Bill Pfeifer
Milton Abrams
Cape Coral, FL
Pittsfield, NH
B17, B29
B52
4021
4022
B52
L0158
Recent Upgrades to Life Membership
Darryl Brennan
Northglenn, CO
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WWW.GUNNERS.NET
Hello from Georgia. The Shortburst Editions are mostly electronic now with paper editions still being sent to individuals who prefer the paper copy. This saves a lot of money
and hopefully keeps everyone happy. Speaking of the electronic versions, one of several
questions popping up lately is a blank screen displayed while the Shortburst Edition file
is downloading. The electronic edition is approximately 10 to 15 Megabytes and takes a
couple of minutes to download to your computer. There will be a blank screen while
this is happening. Taking a closer look at the blank screen, particularly the lower left of
the browser window and you can see the progress of the download. Here is a picture of this with the
status magnified for easier understanding.
Downloading (1.85MB of 11.85 MB) : http//www.gunners.net_fpclass/shortburst10/April%202010%20sb%-20color%pc
The
April 2010 electronic edition is 11.86 MB in size and once this downloads to your computer, it will automatically open
in Adobe Acrobat Reader. Hope this helps and answers any questions.
Other portions of the website are being constantly updated and the people searches continue with good success.
Don’t forget to check out the BX for all your purchases. Well, summertime has landed down here in Georgia with 100
degree heat and the humidity and boating season is in full swing. Enjoy your summer and let’s hope the hurricane
season is a small one.
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MISSING IN ACTION—UPDATED
AFGA MEMBERS WITH NO CURRENT ADDRESS
FIRSTNAME
Clarence
Dick
James
Sandy
George
Vernon
Lyn
Mansell (Mike)
John
Lee
Joe
Carl
Melvin
MIDDLENAME
L.
C.
A.
W.
H.
J.
O.
A.
E.
LASTNAME
Barker
Blazso
Collier
Cortesio
Edwards
Eriksen
Galvin
Gilmore
Graham
Graziotto
Guest
Hammarstrom
Hay
FIRSTNAME
Harold
Brian
Frank
Clayton
Robert
William
Ronald
Gregory
Larry
Vester
Billie
Joe
Douglas
MIDDLENAME
O.
T.
T.
N.
C.
L.
T.
G.
C.
J.
G.
L.
LASTNAME
Hedrick
Inglis
Isham
Johnson
Leach
Lentz III
Lieske
Monroe
Nelson
Randall Jr.
Skeens
Trudel Jr.
Williams
Still trying to run down these names for current address or status. Have removed a few but these still remain. Anyone
knowing any of these folks, please let us know their status—deceased, current address, etc. Thanks, Bob
WWII VETERAN’S STORIES
VETERAN RECEIVES RECOGNITION AND OVERDUE AIR MEDAL
Long Overdue Recognition: Robert Giles, a B-17 navigator who saved a crewmate's life as their shot-up B
-17 was going down over Berlin, Germany, in April 1944, received the Air Medal for his actions-at long
last-during a ceremony Tuesday at Kirtland AFB, N.M. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that
administrative errors were to blame for the 66-year oversight that prevented Giles, who turns 89 on April
16, 2010 from receiving this honor earlier. After dropping its load of bombs, Giles' B-17 was hit by cannon fire from a German fighter, severely injuring the bombardier, Lt. Quintin Brown, according to AP.
Despite his own arm wound, then-2nd Lt. Giles got Brown and himself out of the disabled bomber. They
both parachuted into German captivity. Brown died two years ago. "I'm sorry he couldn't be here today,"
said Giles of his late colleague. The Air Medal recognizes meritorious achievement in aerial flight.
Editor’s Note: Another long over due award is also recognized in this edition for Edward Ireland in later pages. Bob
THIS AND THAT
This is a darned good video showing the B-24 Liberator bomber manufacturing plant at Willow Run that Ford set up for WWII.
They were able to turn them out in under an hour! Wow. Here is a website to watch how all this was accomplished:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKlt6rNciTo
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VIETNAM VETERAN’S STORIES
“A TWIST OF FATE”
Robert Foster – B-52 Gunner/AC-47 Gunner
http://www.ac47-gunships.com/ac47_miakia.htm
Date: March 9, 1966
Assigned: 4th ACS - Danang AB
Acft: S/N 44-76290
Location: Thua Thien, South Vietnam
On 9 March 1966, Capt. Willard M. Collins, pilot; Lt. Delbert R. Peterson, co-pilot; Capt. Jerry L. Meek, navigator; SSgt. John G. Brown, flight engineer; SSgt. James Turner, Jr., aerial gunner and SSgt. Robert E. Foster,
aerial gunner; comprised the crew of a C47 gunship, call sign "Spooky 70," that departed DaNang Airfield on a
close air support mission for the A Shau Special Forces Camp, Thua Thien Province, South Vietnam. At 1300
hours, when the gunship was approximately 2 miles south of the Special Forces camp, Capt. Collins initiated a
left hand turn to position the aircraft for a firing pass. At the same time the enemy opened up with anti-aircraft
artillery (AAA) fire and hit the C47 several times in the right engine. Capt. Collins feathered the #1 engine and
notified the crew they "were going in." After they crash landed, the crew got out, surveyed the damage and collected their survival equipment and weapons. SSgt. Foster was injured in the crash and Lt. Peterson began first
aid on him. At the same time Capt. Collins began working the survival radio. Capt. Meek loaded all the M16s
and set up a perimeter defense outside the aircraft. About 10 minutes later, Capt. Meek was shot and wounded
by a Viet Cong (VC) guerrilla who was closing on the downed aircraft. The pilot of an L19 Bird Dog Forward Air
Controller (FAC) aircraft spotted the aircraft and crew through the dense jungle and called in A1 Skyraiders to
provide air cover for the downed aircrew. Capt. Meek told Lt. Peterson they needed a sentry at the rear of the
airplane because it was a blind spot. Delbert Peterson put on his survival vest and crawled around past the tail
into the undergrowth with his M16. Before the Skyraiders could make a pass, the right side of the C47 was raked
with enemy machine gun fire killing SSgt. Foster outright and mortally wounding Capt. Collins. Capt. Meek
called out to Lt. Peterson and SSgt. Brown. John Brown acknowledged he was all right, but there was no response from Delbert Peterson. At approximately 1520 hours, search and rescue helicopters arrived on site and
made a circular pass over the crash site. While one descended to a ground hover approximately 25 feet away
from the nose of the C47, the other remained overhead. Capt. Meek ordered SSgt. Brown to make a run for the
helicopter. SSgt. Turner, who had been on the inside of the aircraft, kicked the remnants of the emergency exit
door out of the right side. John Brown, James Turner and Jerry Meek all made it to the rescue helicopter at the
same time. As it lifted off the ground, the crew and passengers searched the area around the C47 for Delbert Peterson, but none saw any trace of him. About 20 minutes after the three crewmen were rescued, a Special Forces
ground team arrived at the crash site. They found the bodies of Capt. Collins and SSgt. Foster where they had
fallen near their aircraft. However, during their search, which included the area in and around where the co-pilot
was last seen, they could find no sign of Lt. Peterson. Further, they found blood spots or blood trails leading away
from the crash site. Because of the heavy enemy presence in the area, the Special Forces team was unable to bring
the bodies of Willard Collins and Robert Foster out with them. Willard Collins and Robert Foster were immediately listed Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered. Because there was a strong probability Delbert Peterson was
captured, he was listed Missing in Action. The location of loss placed the gunship 10 kilometers north of the A
Shau Valley and 2 miles south of the Special Forces Camp they were to provide air support for.
Editor’s Follow-up
Had a telephone conversation with Charlie Damp and we were talking about Robert Foster since he had seen the article in the December issue on him. Charlie and Foster were stationed at Griffiss together in 1965. Charlie volunteered to go to AC-47s when a
slot came down to his squadron for a gunner. About a week later, Bob Foster called him and wanted to take the assignment. He
offered Charlie several inducements to switch with him including all his Hunting and Fishing magazines (don’t ask). So Bob and
Charlie went to see the Squadron Commander, Lt. Col. White and switched assignments. Bob Foster was quite happy with the upcoming assignment and left soon after. Charlie is not sure of the exact time frame in 1965 when Foster departed. His AC-47 was
subsequently shot down in March, 1966 and Bob was killed by enemy fire after surviving the crash landing. Charlie has always
looked back at the incident and how fate changed two men’s lives – Charlie continues to live his life today and Bob Foster’s life
came to an end in March of 1966. Bob
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Fairchild AFB B-52 Mid-Air Collision
Remembering a Lost Friend
Fairchild mid-air collision – September, 1958
Harry Tolmich
Sept 1958...My crew briefed the mission on Sept 5th (Friday) 325th B.S. Unbeknownst to me...my friend
SSGT Aubrey Moore, 327th BS crew, also briefed their mission. Friday after work I called the Ops officer and told him I couldn't fly Monday 8 Sept because I had to re-enlist. He cussed me and said he would
get a sub gunner to go with my crew. He got another gunner to take my place. That Monday a.m. my copilot was put on DNIF, so the Ops officer also removed my Aircraft Commander from the flight., (as this
was going to be a partial pilot proficiency). But OPS officer directed my RN and my Nav to fly with sub pilot and the sub co-pilot. Funny I spent Sunday afternoon with Aubrey cooking hamburgers and he never
mentioned he was flying next day.
The plane I would of been on (325th B.S.) was on a 16 mile straight in ILS approach going west to Fairchild,
Aubrey Moore's aircraft (327th B.S.) was shooting touch and goes...on down wind the tower saw the planes
approaching...he called Aubrey's aircraft to break right...our airplane on ILS approach yelled to the tower
"tell him to turn the other way"..... The vertical stabilizer of the 327th aircraft sheared off the forward compartment of the 325th aircraft. Aubrey' aircraft plunged straight down from 700 ft. altitude.... The 325th aircraft continued straight wings level (minus the forward compartment as it had been sheared off by the other
aircraft vertical tail ,( the sub gunner who flew in my place) was alone for a few seconds....he jettisoned the
turret and bailed out, he was so low that the chute did two oscillations and he hit the ground ..No injury. The
EW from Aubrey' aircraft ejected successfully, the pilot in the IP seat of my aircraft was thrown clear on impact but survived many surgeries . The forward compartment impacted within 20 feet of Highway 2. All crew
members were still strapped in their seats, no survivors.
The accident was approximately at 1800 hours, visibility unlimited. I received a call at approx. 1820 hours
informing me of the accident. I immediately called Aubrey' home to let him know and his wife answered. She
said "Aubrey is flying", I said okay and I said "I will call him later." I felt terrible and had a sinking feeling.
Never does September the 8th pass with out me not thinking of my friend, SSGT Aubrey Moore.
AFGA NEWSREEL
Barksdale Museum Receive POW's Journal: The 8th Air Force Museum at Barksdale AFB, La., on June 9 took possession of the journal of the late Stanley Bolesta, a World War II airman who chronicled his experiences in a German POW
camp. Bolesta's widow Joy donated the journal. "This is not just a story about a World War II prison camp; it is the dayto-day memoirs of a US airman who lived through the experience of being a prisoner of war in a German Stalag," explained Maj. Harry Dyson, staff director for Barksdale's 2nd Bomb Wing. Bolesta, then a second lieutenant, was captured in November 1943 in France after evading capture for several months following the downing of his B-26 bomber.
Museum officials plan to display copies of the journal pages while the actual journal is preserved under protective glass.
(Barksdale report).
Sent in by Pete Karjanis
Hi Bob; It’s reunion time again.— 11th Bombardment Group Association (H), U.S.Army Air
Force WWII - 59th Annual Reunion, November 3-7, 2010, Orlando, Florida. CONTACT Brenda @ 1-800-777-0485 or Phil at email [email protected]. SUBMITTED BY Neal Siebenbruner
1629 Phone 507-625-3240 Email [email protected] Please put in Magazine. Many thanks
Neal
10
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Lee Chalifour
Everette Mederois
Gunnery School Graduation Program
Front cover. Anyone recognize
April 21st, 2010
In Search of Flexible Gunnery School Location
My Cousin Harry B. Ashcraft was a Gunner with the 467th BG Heavy, 789th Squadron. I am searching for which
Flexible Gunnery School he attended in 1943. It could be Las Vegas, Kingman or Yuma. I have a copy of the program for his graduation, it states he was in the class 43-37 and lists their names. The school name is not shown.
Appreciate your help! George Harper [email protected]
Editor’s note: If anyone recognizes where this cover came from or if they knew Harry Ashcraft, please contact
George Harper at his email address. Thanks, Bob
11
ORIGINAL LETTER #1 From: [email protected] (JOHN’S ORIGINAL LETTER TO JIM HOKE WHICH WAS
CC’D TO ME)
Subject: SHORT BURSTS off the internet
To: [email protected]
My name is John Shemenski, I am a life member, and I have been an AFGA member for several years. Fred Arthur (one of
AFGA's founding fathers) was my wing gunner at WPAFB. I'm writing this in response to a post-card that I received in yesterday's mail (I do not recall receiving a previous card that I was supposed to return confirming my address). Let me begin
by saying that I may be in my 70s and semi-retired but I still have a life and as much as I enjoy the SHORT BURSTS publication, reading it is not a priority to me; I still have not read the December issue nor have I completed the previous issue. I
read it when I'm relaxing or traveling so an electronic copy is not an option for me. Perhaps I am not the only member doing
this and that is why you only received 400 replies associated with a past request. As much as I enjoy the magazine, it is not
worth it to me to pay $15 a year at this time to receive it. Also, I'm not impressed by the gunners web site so going there to
read the magazine is not something I would want to do. In my estimation whoever made the decision to go this route is isolating the organizations membership, many who are old and do not have Internet access. The SHORT BURSTS publication
is the AFGA's only means of communication with its membership, if you cut that line you will lose your membership.
John
REPLY LETTER #2: From: Bob Matherly <[email protected]> (MY REPLY BACK TO JOHN’S LETTER TO JIM
HOKE)
To: [email protected]
Cc: Jim Hoke <[email protected]>
Sent: Sun, February 28, 2010 11:21:36 AM
Subject: AFGA Short Bursts Subscription program
Hi John,
Jim Hoke forwarded your e-mail below to me so thought I would try to answer it. First let me say that I am sorry that you feel
this way but certainly understand it. I think you are probably right in your last sentence below - and it was a MAJOR concern
we had at the Business Meeting we held in Spokane. The Short Bursts IS the lifeline that holds us all together. Now,having
said that, if you get some time and read the December issue you will find out why we had to go this route. We would have
been broke in 5 years at the rate we were going. The entire membership who attended the Spokane Reunion discussed this
issue in depth and finally voted for the subscription route. It was not a decision made by the AFGA Officers. The decision
and the reasons behind it are discussed in depth in the December 09 issue as I said so take a look as to why the membership voted to go this route. I believe you are perfectly correct in saying our WWII members - and many others as well - do
not have access to computers and we need to address that. I am in my 70s, retired, and spend a considerable amount of
time putting the Short Bursts together 3 times a year. I want it to go to all also.....but......we just don't have the funds to continue it at a cost of $6000 - $8000 a year without taking some type of action. I would hope to change your mind on this but I
do certainly understand, as I said above, your sentiments.
As far as the www.gunners.net website goes, considering this is all volunteer work done to maintain it, it is pretty darn
good. The gunner who maintains it works full time, has a family just like the rest of us, and still manages to spend the hours
necessary to keep it up. It does what we wanted it to do - doesn't have all the bells and whistles that other sites do but certainly keeps the web of communications open to those who have access. The Short Bursts are on line and easily read
there. I personally like the hard copy, subscribed to it myself now even though it is on my computer and I can print it out,
because I feel it is important to keep the AFGA alive and this is the only way to do that.
Thanks for taking the time to write Jim and let us know your feelings about this. One more thing, you did not get an earlier
postcard that we sent out in August because it went to those members whom we had not heard from or had contact with in
over a year. If we knew, or could confirm, the address we had on file was correct we did not send one out to that member. We sent out about 600+ postcards out first class and had quite a few returned as "undeliverable" because the addressee had moved and not informed the AFGA of his new mailing address. I have a list of those whose cards were returned in
the December Short Bursts and an updated one going into this coming April issue.
Know this does probably make any difference to you but at least I wanted you to know that it was the only courses of action
we felt we could take. It also will be discussed at the Business Meeting again in Orlando in 2011 to see if we wish to make
changes to it. Hope to see you there.
Bob Matherly
AFGA Short Bursts Editor
NOTE; THE FIRST TWO O F THREE E-MAILS ARE ON THIS PAGE—PAGE 13 HAS THE FINAL E-MAIL REPLY
12
LETTER #3 From: [email protected] (JOHN’S REPLY TO MY LETTER)
To: Bob Matherly <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 11:55AM
Subject: Re: AFGA SHORT BURSTS Subscription Program
Bob,
Thanks for your email. I also received a reply from Jim and I have answered him as well. Since sending my original email
I have read the SB page in the December publication regarding the postage issue. I still feel that postage charges of $5
per issue are excessive but I have no idea as to what the post office charges for this stuff. Personally I like the SB articles
even though you can tell that many are not written by experienced writers. They are written by those that lived the moment and told the same way. I appreciate that. And your correct, it is a lifeline to those who shared our past. Let me relate something that happened to me. A couple of years ago I was a passenger on a commercial airliner and reading the
SB when it fell off my lap onto the floor open to page of obits. As I picked it up I saw a familiar name, the notification of a
gunnery-school classmate of mine who had died from a brain-tumor. If not for SB, I would not have known of his
death. At the same time my 34-year old son was undergoing chemo for a cancerous brain tumor. He died about 15months ago.
I apologize, I kind of got off the subject. The point I was trying to make is the SB publication does far more for the membership than most can ever imagine. And regardless of whether I think the price is too high, I have mailed Jim a $15
check for the next years postage. This gives me a year to rethink my decision and decide what I want to do in the future.
One last thing. The web site. I know and understand that it is being created and maintained by volunteer labor. I applaud
this person's effort and as time passes and the site's content grows perhaps it will be more useful. I only know that when
I've gone there in the past (probably to look up something from a past SB article) I've never been able to find what I was
looking for. Because of that and the fact that I'm not comfortable reading a magazine on a computer screen (plus it's inconvenient) I don't find it to be user friendly. It's still better than no site at all.
OK, I've spouted off enough. Thank you to Jim, yourself, and all of you who trying to make something good for all of us
past gunners. We may bitch and complain but we do appreciate your efforts.
John
Editor’s Comments: I was pleased to receive these comments (from both of his e-mails) since they help to “calibrate”
our thinking when it comes to the conduct of AFGA business and our member’s concerns. I, along with the rest of the Officers, did not like the action we had to take concerning the subscription program but we, as an organization, really had no
choice if we were to remain a solvent and viable one. I, too, feel we have lost a thread to all of our 1100++ members now
and we are working hard to resolve this in other ways. Since we only received about 1/2 the membership request to receive the hard copy of the Short Bursts and, as of June 30, only about 175 “hits” on the April 2010 Short Bursts digital
copy, we have lost touch with well over 300 of our members. We will be sending out reminders of the program in the annual membership reminders to those who are annual members, postcards to life members who did not wish to receive the
hard copy reminding them of the subscription program, etc. Jim Hoke is taking a pro-active position on this thread that we
know is so important and we all are trying to bring all back into the information loop, one way or another. John was more
than gracious in his remarks and willingness to give us a chance with the program. I hope he—and the rest—find it worthwhile to continue to receive the hard copy and/or visit the website so as to stay informed of our close-knit organization's
goings-on. I think after we get through this first year we will have a very good idea as to where we will stand in regards to
the program. I hope we can improve on our communications about it and then discuss it more at the Orlando Reunion
Business Meeting next September with the membership again. I hope John did not mind—and takes no offense—in me
printing the e-mails he wrote. They were very pertinent to the subject and, as I said above, greatly appreciated as I, we,
all value the opinions of our members. We don’t ask that you agree with all that we do but do want you to understand why
we took the positions we might have taken that you disagree with and continue to be supportive of the AFGA. Think I
have expounded enough on this subject—I am sure there will be more discussions between now and the 2011 reunion
business meeting. Hope to see a lot of you there. Keep the cards and letters coming in...I enjoy them all, even when I get
corrected on errors that I have made as it does help me to be more aware of the importance of each subsequent edition of
the Short Bursts as far as editorial errors (comments and/or spelling, grammar, etc.) go. Bob
13
Hi John....Wasn't sure who to contact. So I figured why not the top guy. Anyway my Dad (Edward R. Potter
AF12039317) was a gunner. His last tour of duty, in B-52's, at Westover AFB in MA. with the 99th. Bomb Wing, SAC.
were he retired I think around 1962....My step Mom (Mary Loretta Potter) had been contacted more than several
years ago & was invited to one of the conventions (not sure what year) I think by a guy whose last name was
Finklestein (not sure of that spelling) or Herberg. I do remember those names from the past. She was told at the convention that the B-52 on display at the Air Force Academy, in CO, was my Dad's plane. Well, my Mom also passed
several years ago & I hadn't given it much thought since then. It kinda came up in a conversation with a friend. It lit a
flame in me to find out if its true & possibly get some pictures of it. My last name now is Podebradsky. Which is the
"old" family name before my Dad's Dad had it changed. I remember Pop telling me how he'd thought of changing it to
the "old" family spelling but, just never got around to it. After he passed away I thought about doing it myself & finally did when I had to go through a divorce!!!! Can you help me with this or maybe direct me to someone that can?
....You now have my e-mail address.....here is my house address;
Ronald Edward Podebradsky
31648 Rd. 144
Visalia, CA 93292
559-936-0706
Ron
"Dancer"
Editor’s Note: Does anyone remember Edward R. Potter when he was a gunner stationed at Westover AFB (or other places)
back in the early 1960s and can supply Ron with some photos, stories or other information about his dad. Contact Ron directly at
the address/phone number supplied if you can help….Bob
Hi Bob,
As you can see, I've been in contact with "Scotty" Burns to see if we could stir up some interest in forming a group of former gunners for lunch or what-ever.
Thanks so much for the up-to-date list of folks here in the valley. Fred Arthur sicked me onto you for
it. He said he was trying to get the ex-gunners around Barksdale to form a group but to no avail but
wished me well.
I guess we will stay local and hope for the best. I've composed a post card with "Scotty’s" approval that
Penny will type and set up for us inviting the gunners to a luncheon at the new cafeteria at Castle. Hopefully the response will be positive. We shall see. There are a great bunch of guys in the area.
Hope to see a lot show up.
I'm asking a popular feature writer for the Modesto Bee and Merced Sun Star to write an article concerning the "bomber type" gunners, Arclight, Linebacker II and the fact we have quite a community of ex
gunners here in the valley. Also I want him to mention we would like to form a splinter group of AFGA
members that would meet periodically for lunch etc.
Thanks for the help Bob
Parker B.
Editor’s note: Thanks for the e-mail Parker. Hope you get the gunners down in your area going. Let us know how you are doing.
For you gunners in the Merced/Atwater local area, give Parker a call if you are interested in forming a local GA. Bob
14
THIS AND THAT
Follow-up on B-26 Gunsight Display
Art Pollard sent in the current pictures of the B-26 gunsight display as it is in the Enlisted
Heritage Hall Museum at Gunter AFB. The AFGA donated this item last year and the museum refurbished it and built the display case.
Lower Periscope
Tractor Seat
Bob. Pete had this little photo that I scanned. The B-26 is upside down.
One can see the "tractor seat" for the gunner. Look close and one can see
the lower periscope. Also, the suit heater rheostat is visible on the periscopic gunsight. Cheers, Bill Gaddes
15
THIS AND THAT
B-29 Tail Gun Sight
“Press Release”
B-29 and B-52 TAIL GUNNERS DONATE GUNSIGHT TO USAF ENLISTED HERITAGE HALL;
MAXWELL-GUNTER AFB, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA
William Gaddes and Don “Pete” Pettit, B-29 tail gunners who flew combat missions during the Korean
War; and Bob Matherly, a B-52 gunner during the Vietnam War, have donated a B-29 tail gunner’s sight to
the USAF Enlisted Heritage Hall at Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. This rare gunsight ,
which controlled a remote tail turret containing three .50 caliber machine guns, was manufactured by GE in
Johnson City, NY. The sight will be featured in an annex to the Heritage Hall, called “Gunner’s Alley”. It
will join a Korean War B-26 Periscopic gunsight that Gaddes and Pettit donated to the Heritage Hall in
2009. Bob Matherly, Editor of the Air Force Gunner’s Association periodical “Short Bursts”, also assisted
in the B-26 gunsight acquisition which was acquired and donated last year in the name of the AFGA.
CMSGT Pettit (USAF-ret.) flew combat missions over Korea in both
B-26 and B-29 aircraft. He also flew combat missions over North
Vietnam. CMSGT Pettit was in charge of more than 300 B-52 tail
gunners during several phases of the Vietnam War, including the
massive December 1972 Hanoi raids where more than 15 B-52’s
were lost. CMSGT Pettit was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with clusters, SAC Combat Crew
Medal, and both Korean and Vietnam combat service medals. SSGT
Bill Gaddes was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, the USAF Commendation Medal, and the Korean Service Medal with five battle stars. Bob Matherly is also a combat-decorated
gunner who flew combat missions in a B-52 during the Vietnam
War.
Bill Gaddes stated “I am very proud to have been able to locate and
purchase these two very rare gun sights for the Air Force Enlisted
Pete Pettit - B-26 Gunner—Korea
heritage Hall. I am very pleased that Pete and I were able to take the
B-26 periscopic gunsight to Maxwell AFB. The curator, Dr. William
Chivaletti, was very gratified to incorporate these rare items into the
outstanding displays of the 75 years of defensive aerial gunner history. The Enlisted heritage Hall is one of
the finest military museums in the world. The museum is dedicated to and emphasizes the contributions of
enlisted military personnel over the history of military aviation. CMSGT Pettit epitomizes the professional
defensive aerial gunner. His career spanned 26 years as a gunner; through three generations of bomber aircraft. CMSGT Pettit, myself, and Bob Matherly are very proud to have been able to contribute these sights
in honor of the Air Force Gunners Association.”
Dr. William Chivaletti, Curator of the USAF Enlisted Heritage Hall, was gratified to acquire a gunsight
from the B-29. The defensive armament system represented a significant technical advance in aerial gunnery; incorporating a lead computing gunsight, remote control turrets, and analog computers that were sophisticated for its day. The B-29 “Superfortress” and their heroic crews played a key role in the surrender of
Japan in WW II, saving of more than a million American and Japanese lives and many millions of casualties
by avoiding a full scale invasion of Japan.
The B-29 tail gunsight will be completely refurbished and placed in a custom-designed lighted enclosure.
16
THIS AND THAT
Follow-up on B-29 Tail Gun Sight
PHOTO TAKEN AT COALDALE VETERANS AND WOMEN’S MEMORIAL
William Gaddes is shown holding a photo of
the B-29 “ENOLA GAY” ´tail gunner sight;
while Pete Pettit is holding a model of the B29 Superfortress in which they both flew as
tail gunners. The sight they have donated to
the USAF Enlisted Heritage Hall is identical
to the one shown in both photos.
Gunsight above photo provided by AFGA member Charlie
Damp of Westminster, CO.
B-29 TAIL GUNNER’S GUNSIGHT—Update
Three AFGA members, Bill Gaddes, Pete Pettit and Bob Matherly are again pursuing the acquisition of another historic item for the EHH Museum at Maxwell/Gunter. This time it is a B-29 tail gunner’s gunsight that Bill came
across. With help from Art Pollard down in Montgomery who made inquiries at the EHH Museum about their interest in displaying it in “Gunner’s Alley”, it was determined that they wished to have this item and, as of this writing,
is being shipped there. More to follow in August Short Bursts on how this transpired and the successful delivery of
it. Bob (As printed in the April 2010 Short Burst)
After this initial start, the gunsight was indeed purchased, shipped to the EHH Museum and promptly returned to
shipper as the driver stated he “couldn’t find the place”. Long story short—Bill Gaddes found this out when he
check on the delivery status a couple of weeks later and discovered it hadn’t arrived. He contacted Art Pollard and
then shipped it to Art’s home address where he and Jim Toomer personally delivered it to the museum. There is always a fly in the ointment somewhere—anyway, it is at the museum and is to be refurbished and displayed. Keeping
the history alive………. Bob
17
KOREAN WAR VETERAN’S STORIES
BILL GADDES’ 1943 FORD JEEP AT MISAWA AND YOKOTA AFB’s
In 1951, SSGT Bill Gaddes bought a 1943 Ford
Jeep from an old MSGT flight engineer for $550.00. I was
in pretty bad shape. After WW II, in Italy, the MSGT had
Italian coach makers put a wooden body on it. It had crank
windows, sliding rear windows, a double door trunk, and a
beautiful wood interior and roof.
The sergeant let the Jeep deteriorate. Gaddes began a restoration. He installed new tires, had the Japanese reupholster the seats, and paint the vehicle a metallic ‘Air
Force’ Blue with an apple green trim and hubcaps. We had
a motor pool, and a TSGT friend had them replace the
front end, muffler, tailpipe, and engine tune up (for a few
bucks).
We welded on a flag holder on the rear bumper, and
began using it on the Misawa flight line. The squadron sheet metal shop got interested and entered into a project with my roommate, SSGT William Geddes III. They installed a radio and a manifold heater controlled by
B-29 engine throttles. Cool. They covered the dash with ‘engine-turned’ aluminum. Geddes meanwhile, as
NCOIC of the Instrument Section; ordered the following from supply: Eight day clock, whiskey compass, dual
reading manifold pressure gauge, dual reading tachometer, and an altimeter. They installed, calibrated, and
Custom-marked them.
We now had a Jeep with instruments that probably cost the US Government twenty times its value. We
drove it everywhere. We left Misawa in late 1951 to return to Yokota. One day while driving on the ramp, I
noticed our Engineering Officer, Major Leon Papazian walking. I pulled over and offered him a lift. Underway, Papazian noticed the instruments and said “Gaddes, where in the hell did you get these instruments?” I
gulped, and replied “From our wrecked B-29 in Misawa Sir.” He laughed and said “Geddes is behind this, isn’t he?” I said “Yes Sir.” That was the last of it. He was a good guy.
Geddes and I drove it all over the flight line at Misawa. One Sunday, in “Class A’ uniform, I was on the
line pumping 87 Octane (old rating) from a 55 gallon drum into the Jeep. A Master SGT and a Captain (Air
Police) drove up in a Jeep. I kept pumping as the Captain stared at me. I said “Good Morning”. The Captain
told the MSGT to drive on. Whew!
I drove the Jeep for almost two years, and sold it to Geddes before I flew home on a combat rotation from Tokyo in mid-1952. Years later in Schenectady, NY I ask Geddes if he shipped it home…...he did not.
Bill Gaddes
18
AFGA NEWSREEL
Photos From Yesteryear
THOSE WERE THE DAYS, MY FRIEND, WE THOUGHT THEY’D NEVER END……as the song goes.
This compilation of photos of Kincheloe AFB, MI gunners was provided by Charlie Damp. Gunners are from the 716th Bomb
Squadron, 449 Bomb Wing and was put together in the 1967—1968 time frame. Quite the line-up—know it will bring back some
memories. He couldn’t remember who put it together though. Many Thanks, Charlie for this piece of our history. Bob
19
FLYER’S REMINISCENCES
Pete’s Friend’s Remembering When
20
Pete’s Friends (cont)
21
22
Editor’s note: Received the previous 4 pages of flyer’s musings from Pete K. who forwarded them to me—we all have our
memories of good times and great friends and this was a nice way of looking back on the times they had also. Hope you enjoyed
this trip back in time. Bob
23
AFGA NEWS REEL
Honoring the past: Barksdale Airmen restore B-17G for Eighth AF museum
by Staff Sgt. John Gordinier
2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
4/12/2010 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Airmen, volunteers and contractors at Barksdale Air Force Base are busy preserving, restoring and painting a B-17G Flying Fortress for the Eighth Air Force Museum in honor of Maj. Gen. Lewis E. Lyle, a World War II
B-17 pilot.
"General Lyle was an aviator's aviator," said Gary Miller, 8 AF museum director. "He was the most decorated in 8 AF and he later
(became) a general with Strategic Air Command. If you had to pick a hero of 8 AF, it was him...flying 72 combat missions over Germany."
The aircraft being restored will be preserved to the best extent possible and replicated as the B-17G that General Lyle flew on March
22, 1944, said Master Sgt. Keith Baron, 8 AF museum restoration and maintenance superintendent.
Twenty-eight aircraft took off that day from Molesworth, England, to bomb the Ernest Heinkel aircraft factory at Oranienburg, Germany.
The second target was the Friedrichstrasse Station in Berlin. Then-Lt. Col. Lewis E. Lyle, 303rd Bomb Group deputy commander, flew
the B-17G "Miss Liberty" and was the aircraft formation lead.
Intelligence told the team that the Heinkel plant was producing about 30 German He-177s per month. Eighth AF wanted to shut it down
if weather permitted, however, the weather didn't cooperate, and the team moved to their second target.
The aircraft dropped more than 1,000 65-pound bombs from 27,000 feet on Berlin. Colonel Lyle described the mission as "a darned
good mission":
"We really hit Berlin," he said. The fighters gave the bombers "more than good support" that day, and the bomber pilots didn't see any
German fighters, the colonel said. "We didn't see the results of our own bombing until after we left the target. We were too busy dodging
flak."
Colonel Lyle's co-pilot, Maj. Walter Shayler, said they dropped their bombs near the river and "they really hit something."
"There was one big burst of red flame that shot thousands of feet into the air, clear through the clouds at 8,000 feet," he said.
Nine hours after takeoff, all the bombers landed at Molesworth, England with mission success. Most of the bombers received flak damage, but that was considered usual over Berlin. Two crewmen suffered frostbite, but no one was severely injured.
"Our B-17G is one of approximately 30 or so B-17's left in the world, and only about five of those are in flying condition," Mr. Miller said.
"Considering how rare it is, we must preserve and restore it. It will accompany the 303rd Group monument to General Lyle located next
to the aircraft."
The Barksdale B-17G was the second to last made by Douglass Aircraft Company under contract with Boeing, and rolled off the assembly line in July 1945.
"This one was produced as bare aluminum with no paint on its skin," Sergeant Baron said. "To save manufacturing time, very few B17G's had paint. However, the "Miss Liberty" B-17G that General Lyle flew during the mission in 1944 had paint; and we are going to
replicate that down to the tail number--42-31340."
Sergeant Baron explained that WWII history is slowly being shuffled to the back burner, so the museum preserves historical aircraft to
remember the past. The number of surviving WWII veterans is declining almost daily, and historical accounts of WWII are being given
less and less space in history text books as new editions are being printed, he said.
"It is very important that we preserve the remaining artifacts from that time period so that the stories and the sacrifices made are not
forgotten altogether," Sergeant Baron said. "One of our missions here in the museum is to do just that -- preserve and protect so that
others may learn."
General Lyle continued his Air Force career and retired July 1, 1967. He passed away April 6, 2008 at the age of 92.
(Historical information courtesy of 303rd Bomb Group historian and 8 AF Museum)
MOLESWORTH, ENGLAND – Maj. Gen. Lewis E.
Lyle (center back) and his crew pose in front of a B17G “Miss Liberty” prior to their World War II mission
March 22, 1944. Barksdale Airmen along with contractors are in the process of restoring a B-17G and
painting it to resemble “Miss Liberty” shown here. The
B-17G static display honors General Lyle and the
contributions he made. The general was a lieutenant
colonel at the time this photo was taken. (Courtesy
photo)
Story from the Official Web Site of Air Force Global Strike Command: http://www.afgsc.af.mil/news/
story.asp?id=123199336
24
THIS AND THAT
HISTORY OF THE A-2 FLIGHT JACKET
The Jacket That Lives Forever
By C.V. Glines
The A-2 flight jacket, out of the inventory since the Korean War, was reincarnated for a new generation of flight crews.
Nobody who got one had any idea that the nice new leather jacket issued for flying duty during World War II would be a
status symbol widely sought and highly valued fifty years later. Sometimes owners kept theirs when they transferred because their names and unit insignias were sewn on them. The jackets were comfortable, yet snug, and never wore out,
except maybe around the knitted cuffs and waistband.
Flyers liked them, and many kept them after the war, never dreaming that two later generations would prize them and
that a number of companies would sell copies at prices many times their original cost to the government. The A-2 jacket
was reborn in 1987 for a new generation of pilots and flight crew members to commemorate the Air Force’s fortieth anniversary and to rekindle esprit de corps.
The original article, known officially as the Type A-2 Summer Flying Jacket, was made of seal-brown horsehide and lined
with light brown spun silk. When issued during World War II, it usually bore a decal of the Army Air Forces patch on the
left shoulder; some flyers replaced this with their numbered air force patch sewn on the left shoulder and added an
American flag on the right. Many pilots had their rank insignia sewn on the shoulders. Leather name tags were issued to
be sewn above the left pocket.
The backs of some jackets sported beautifully painted artwork—a copy of an aircraft’s nose art, a squadron slogan, or a
picture of some sort. Pilots of the Flying Tigers, the 14th Air Force, and crews flying the Hump in the China-Burma-India
(CBI) theater had an “escape flag” or “blood chit” sewn on the back, along with US and Chinese Nationalist flags. Markings announced in Chinese that a reward would be paid to anyone who helped a downed American airman return to Allied lines.
“Murder Incorporated”
These decorated jackets did not always help their wearers when shot down. C. G. Sweeting, a former curator at the National Air and Space Museum, writes in Combat Flying Clothing that artwork and slogans on the jackets “seemed innocent enough until November 26, 1943, when the crew of a B-17 heading for Bremen was shot down near Eggese, Germany.”
“Three of the crewmen were wearing A-2 jackets with ‘Murder Incorporated’ and the AAF insignia painted on the back,”
wrote Mr. Sweeting. “The German press carried photographs of Lt. Kenneth Williams wearing such a jacket and claimed
that the saying was an official slogan carried by all members of bomber squadrons. The Germans declared it was tantamount to a US admission that its air forces deliberately engaged in terror bombing of residential areas. The embarrassment caused the United States by the Nazi propaganda prompted AAF commanders to look for, and eliminate, any similar ill-chosen inscriptions or pictures on jackets and aircraft.”
The incident apparently had an impact on Washington. The November 1944 issue of Air Force Magazine reported the
following: “Taking note of some of the strange and wonderful designs that have been etched onto field jackets and fatigues, the War Department has directed that the practice be discontinued immediately. Drawings, designs, mottoes,
names—they’re all out. Only authorized and prescribed decorations may be worn.”
There is not much evidence that this edict reached those responsible for the creative pinup artwork on the A-2 jackets in
many bomber and fighter units.
Some CBI crew members had problems with the flags sewn to the backs of their jackets. It was reported that a few who
landed in Communist Chinese territory with the Nationalist flag emblazoned on their jackets had difficulty explaining their
allegiance to the Nationalists. Maj. Gen. Claire L. Chennault and others had their flags sewn on the inside.
The history of the A-2 began with an Air Corps specification and Drawing No. 31-1415, 94-3040 issued in 1930. The
jacket was to be “horsehide leather—spun silk lining; full leather collar and interlocking fasteners [zippers] instead of buttons; knitted wool wristlets.” The first jacket was wear-tested in September 1930, and production was officially approved
May 9, 1931.
B-32 turret
B-17 Ball turret
25
THIS AND THAT
HISTORY OF THE A-2 FLIGHT JACKET (CONT)
Horsehide was specified, probably because horses were readily available in those days, but goatskin from Iran and Afghanistan was used on some jackets during World War II. The lining was originally light brown spun silk but later was
made of rayon and cotton. Some fighter units allowed their aces to replace the lining with red silk as an emblem of their
elite status.
The two patch pockets in the jacket were not very useful, although they could hold a pack of cigarettes or a small notebook. They were favored by the designers over roomier pockets because, according to clothes designer Bill Dasheff, the
brass “didn’t want the pilots standing around with their hands stuck in them. They thought it made them look like thugs or
truck drivers.”
“ Something Better”
Thousands of the original A-2s were manufactured in the early days of the war, but Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold canceled
the order in 1942 because, as one writer says, he wanted “something better” for the thousands of pilots being trained.
However, there were so many A-2s in the inventory by then that they were still being issued to pilots during the Korean
War. Hundreds were sold later as surplus.
The “something better” that General Arnold wanted became the B-10 jacket, made of moisture-repellent, olive-drab cotton
twill, an inner layer of half alpaca and half wool pile, and a fur collar. It retained the patch pockets and knitted cuffs and
waistbands. It was warmer than the A-2, but flight crews never considered it as attractive.
Although the A-2 was not issued after the Korean War, it remained a symbol of USAAF’s war years in the minds of those
who served. It was revived in the 1980s when Project Warrior was established to remind blue-suiters about the fighting
heritage of the Air Force and as a retention incentive.
One Project Warrior initiative came from Col. James S. “Stu” Mosbey, then assigned to 9th Air Force headquarters at
Shaw AFB, S. C. A friend showed him an A-2 jacket his father had worn during World War II as a P-51 Mustang pilot. On
its back was a painting of a Mustang named Tokyo Express. To Mosbey, the jacket expressed a sense of union, common
interests and responsibilities, and the experiences of thousands of World War II pilots and crew members.
Colonel Mosbey wondered, “Why did the Air Force ever give up the A-2? It’s a beautiful jacket that we all ought to be able
to wear.”
Mosbey approached a number of his fighter pilot friends. If permission were granted, he asked, would they like to buy and
wear the A-2? The answer was a thundering “Yes!” Colonel Mosbey and others visited the Air Force Museum, chipped in
$20 each, and bought an A-2 in the gift shop. As a group, they presented the jacket to Lt. Gen. William L. Kirk, commander of 9th Air Force, and made their pitch to be allowed to purchase the jacket with their own money and wear it as a symbol of Air Force heritage and esprit de corps among fighter pilots.
General Kirk agreed to the idea and took it “upstairs” to Gen. Robert D. Russ, commander of Tactical Air Command. General Russ authorized Mosbey and a team of pilots to visit other TAC bases with 600 questionnaires for pilots, hoping to
gauge their enthusiasm. Ninety-five percent said they would wear the A-2. General Russ approved the jacket revival but
thought it should be an item of government issue.
The Obvious Choice
Col. Schumbert C. “Hoss” Jones, a former Thunderbird pilot assigned to TAC headquarters, was appointed project officer. He studied the regulations and researched the procurement sources. He found there were about a dozen kinds of
flight jackets available, including Navy types, but “it always came back to the famous A-2” as the desired choice.
“ Although it was intended originally only for TAC pilots,” according to Colonel Jones, “the jacket idea quickly blossomed
into an Air Force–wide project as other commands became involved.” Gen. John T. Chain, Jr., commander of Strategic
Air Command, “was very much in favor of his pilots also wearing the A-2,” said Colonel Jones. “Other major commanders
wanted their combat-ready pilots to be included.”
As a result, the revival of the A-2 jacket took on a special status as a visible symbol of the modern Air Force pilot. According to one internal paper, the rationale given as the idea climbed upward in command channels was that combat-ready
aircrews were “not adequately recognized and that reinstatement of the distinctive aviators’ jacket would be a significant
help.” The Air Force estimated that the initial expense to outfit the operational forces would be less than $5 million. Briefings were prepared as the idea gained momentum. A new regulation in 1987 permitting the wearing of A-2 flight jackets
would commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the Air Force. The jackets would acknowledge outwardly the “fly and
fight” mission of the Air Force and recognize “first-line” active-duty, Guard, and Reserve men and women. Jackets would
be issued on a one-time basis only to combat-ready flyers (officers and enlisted) assigned to front-line units.
26
THIS AND THAT
HISTORY OF THE A-2 FLIGHT JACKET (CONT)
The defense budget included a line item for the jackets, but some on Capitol Hill thought the idea frivolous and too expensive. Nevertheless, although a number of Air Force programs sustained deep cuts, the jackets stayed in the budget after
hard lobbying by those in and out of uniform who believed in their value.
Maj. Mitch Driggers, a navigator in charge of the clothing division in the Pentagon, was assigned to get the jackets back
into the Air Force flight clothing inventory. As quoted in Hell Bent for Leather by Derek Nelson and Dave Parsons, a book
about the A-2 and Navy G-1 jackets, Major Driggers did not find the job easy.
“ The deeper I dug, I found out that there were no patterns,” he said. “In the old days, a series of drawings [was] done,
and then they figured out the general dimensions.”
Faraway Sources
Major Driggers received from the Air Force Museum an A-2 jacket made in 1936. He found two manufacturers (Avirex and
Willis & Geiger) that were still making them because of public demand. When the contract notice was issued, ten other
manufacturers sent in bids. The contract was won by the Cooper Sportswear Manufacturing Co. of Newark, N. J., which
opted to make the jackets out of goatskin instead of horsehide. The manufacturer had to obtain goatskin from Nigeria,
Tasmania, and Pakistan because no source in the US was large enough.
The Air Force chose December 31, 1987, as the deadline for awarding a contract. Specifications were issued, and the
procurement process began. The initial contract was for 53,000 seal-brown goatskin “traditional” USAAF A-2 jackets, to
be delivered at a rate of 5,000 jackets per month. They would be worn with a leather name tag embossed with name,
rank, wings, and “USAF” in silver on brown leather and would bear a major command patch. The first jackets were delivered in May 1988.
According to the current regulation, the jackets will be issued only to officers or enlisted personnel who are in missionready, emergency-mission-ready, mission capable, or mission-support billets assigned at or below wing level who met the
criteria on or after September 18, 1987, the Air Force’s fortieth birthday. “Once a member is issued the jacket,” according
to the regulation, “he or she may continue to wear it after being reassigned from the duties [that] originally qualified him or
her for the issue.” It can be worn “with the flight suit, service uniform, or pullover sweater” but not with civilian clothes. After he or she retires, the wearer may keep the jacket.
There are many so-called “authentic” or “original” A-2 reproductions on the civilian market today, but only two or three
seem to come close to the original. They range in price from about $150 for a “bootleg” version that is far from the original
in color and style to more than $800 for one that can be custom-made. Who’s wearing the A-2s? Everyone from toddlers
(at least one manufacturer makes miniatures) and teenagers to “old gentlemen” in their sixties and seventies, according to
a Washington, D. C., shop owner.
“Authentic jackets have become increasingly valuable, and the trend shows no signs of leveling off,” wrote Nelson and
Parsons. “As a result, old A-2s are increasingly scarce. This volatile market has attracted thieves and even forgers. Chicanery is common, and caveat emptor is the rule.”
C.V. Glines is a free-lance writer in the Washington, D.C., area. His most recent article for Air Force Magazine was “The
Photo
from:
452ndbombwing.org/
Real John
Birch”
in the
February 1993 issue.
articles
Contributed by:
airforce-magazine.com > Magazine Archive > The Jacket That Lives Forever
Vol. 76, No. 9
September 1993
Periscopic gun sight
optics
Goodbye SAC Command Post: US Strategic Command is replacing the
old Strategic Air Command headquarters with its deeply buried command
post that STRATCOM has inhabited since its creation in 1992, Gen. Kevin
Chilton assured lawmakers last week. Responding to a comment by Sen.
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) that the 50-year-old structure "puts STRATCOM's mission and its personnel at some risk," STRATCOM boss Chilton noted that
the facility simply was not designed for today's missions. He said, "Heat
loads, working space conditions are intolerable in some areas." The structure, with seven levels underground, was built during the Cold War for a
"sole mission set with different technologies," but STRATCOM, with its multiple mission areas—nuclear command and control, cyberspace, and
space—has brought in a "lot of computer capability" that the structure "was
absolutely not designed to handle," explained Chilton. And, he said, "I don't
think we need the deep underground capability."
27
S/SGT EDWARD M. IRELAND
LONG OVER DUE AWARD OF DFC
Letter received from Edward M. Ireland which his military history and combat experiences as a B-17 gunner in WWII. On
December 6, 2008, Edward M. Ireland was presented the Distinguished Flying Cross at the Royal Oaks Country Club near
Whiteman AFB, by General Garrett Harencak, 509th BW Commander, Whiteman AFB, MO, for “extraordinary achievement while serving as top turret gunner on a B-17 on many bombardment missions over enemy occupied Europe”.
This award was presented 64 years after being awarded the medal. Edward Ireland’s original crew was shot down on their
third mission while Ed was grounded due to influenza as described above. On page 29 you will find several photos that he
provided. His 25 missions over enemy occupied Europe was completed by only 34% of the original 350 (119/350) crewmembers reporting to the 390th BG completed 25 or more missions. Of the 95 crewmembers assigned to the 568th Squadron, 23
were KIA, 46 became POWs, 1 was interned, 2 WIA and 4 evaded. That’s an 80% loss in the personnel originally assigned. I
feel—and I know we all feel- privileged and honored to have Edward Ireland as a member of the AFGA and to be able to include his story in this edition of the Short Bursts. As a side note, the original General Orders Number 161 awarding the Distinguished Flying Cross to Edward Ireland was signed by Major General Curtis E. LeMay. THANK YOU, ED, FOR YOUR
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE!! Bob
28
WWII VETERAN’S STORIES (Cont)
S/SGT EDWARD M. IRELAND
LONG OVER DUE AWARD OF DFC
S/SGT EDWARD M. IRELAND’S ORIGINAL CREW #13
ED IRELAND ON RIGHT, 1ST ROW
Photo on left is Ed Ireland taken in 1943. The photo on right taken just after the presentation of the DFC to Ed Ireland by BG
Garrett Harencak. Ed was also presented with the A2 flight jacket he is wearing. Photos courtesy of Ed Ireland.
29
THIS AND THAT
Was It the Air Corps or Army Air Forces in WW II?
Two Persistent Questions About WW II Army Aviation
Clarence C. Elebash
Over 60 years after the end of World War II, there is still confusion over whether the wartime Army aviation organization was the Air Corps or the Army Air Forces. There also is a lingering debate over whether or not WW II Army
aviation was autonomous.
These matters came up again in connection with planning for a World War II Memorial in Pensacola, Florida.
These two specific questions were posed:
Should WW II Army aviation be referred to as the Air Corps or the Army Air Forces?
Was Army aviation a separate service during World War II?
People interested in Air Force history often ask these questions. However, there are no crystal clear answers.
The following paragraphs summarize the background and address both questions. Hopefully, they clarify the situation
and provide satisfactory answers.
The U.S. historically had two military departments, War and Navy. There was a Secretary of War and a Secretary
of the Navy. The Army was in the War Department and the Navy and Marines were in the Navy Department. The senior
military officers held the still familiar titles of Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations and Commandant of the
Marine Corps.
U.S. Army personnel have traditionally been assigned to branches. Among the branches were Infantry, Artillery,
Air Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Corps of Engineers, etc. Branch loyalty has always been very strong. Branches were
generally responsible for training and materiel, although their roles changed from time to time. Operational commands,
such as combat divisions and corps, integrated personnel from multiple branches.
Congress made the Air Corps the branch for Army aviation in 1926. A few years later, in 1935, Congress created
General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force. GHQ Air Force was for operational units. There now were two aviation organizations. The Air Corps managed materiel and training, and GHQ Air Force had the operational units. This arrangement existed in the period leading up to WW II.
Army Air Forces came into being on June 20, 1941, six months before Pearl Harbor. As war approached, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall saw the need for a much larger role for Army
aviation. Consequently, they created the Army Air Forces with General Henry H. (Hap) Arnold as its head.
The AAF expanded rapidly. It initially had two subordinate organizations. The Air Corps was for training and materiel, and Air Force Combat Command (replacing GHQ Air Force) was for operational forces. As the wartime build-up
proceeded, more commands were added. These were Flying Training Command, Technical Training Command, Ferrying
Command, the numbered air forces and so on.
Army Air Forces attained quasi autonomy in March 1942. This was just a few months after the U.S. entered the war. Secretary Stimson approved a far-reaching War Department reorganization which created three co-equal commands. These
were Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces and Services of Supply. (Services of Supply was later re-named Army Service Forces).
A change of this significance would have required Congressional approval in peacetime. However, the War Powers Act made it possible for Secretary Stimson to elevate the status of the Army Air Forces without waiting for Congress
to act. Congress had passed the War Powers Act a few days after Pearl Harbor. It authorized the Executive Branch to
make extensive wartime changes by administrative order. Thus, Mr. Stimson did not have to get Congressional approval.
In the course of wartime expansion and reorganization, the Air Corps ceased to be an active organization. The Air Corps still legally existed as an Army branch, but it had no wartime functions. After the March 1942 reorganization, the position of Chief of the Air Corps was left vacant, and the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps was dissolved.
At the same time, Air Force Combat Command was discontinued, having been replaced by numbered air forces and
overseas commands.
In actuality, Army Air Forces became more like a co-equal of the Army and Navy. As Commanding General
of the AAF, General Arnold was a member of the WW II Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) along with General Marshall, and the
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest J. King. A fourth JCS member and Chairman was Admiral William D. Leahy,
President Roosevelt’s Chief of Staff. These four were also members of the British-American Combined Chiefs of Staff.
General Arnold was the U.S. counterpart to the Chief of the Royal Air Force. (The RAF had become a separate service in
1918.)
30
THIS AND THAT
Was It the Air Corps or Army Air Forces in WW II (cont)?
The AAF even had a de facto civilian secretary. This was in the person of Robert A. Lovett, Assistant Secretary of
War for Aviation. Mr. Lovett was a Navy pilot in the First World War. He became an investment banker after WW II and
had considerable experience with the aviation industry. Secretary Stimson made Lovett a special assistant in 1940 and
later appointed him Assistant Secretary for Aviation. The 1926 Air Corps Act authorized this position, but it had never been
filled until Lovett’s appointment.
Mr. Lovett was Army aviation’s chief civilian advocate and spokesman. He played an important role in reorganizations that strengthened Army aviation. He also was closely involved with highly successful U.S. aircraft production. (Mr.
Lovett later served as Secretary of Defense from 1951 to 1953 in the second Truman administration.)
The Army Air Forces thus replaced the Air Corps as the Army aviation arm. For practical purposes, it became an autonomous service. All World War II Army aviation training and combat units were in the AAF. About 2.4 million men and women served in the AAF. About 1.8 million were Air Corps personnel. And another 600,000 came from other Army branches such as Engineers, Ordnance and Quartermaster. Although nominally a part of the Army, the AAF was
largely independent.
Now, over sixty years later, most WW II Army aviation veterans still proudly identify themselves as members of the Air Corps. Pre-war and wartime Air Corps personnel had a strong sentimental attachment to their branch.
The Air Corps had an aura about it, which seemed to set it apart from other Army branches. However -- although the Air
Corps was their branch -- they actually served and fought in the WW II Army Air Forces!
The Army Air Forces existed until Congress established the United States Air Force after the War. This occurred after protracted and sometimes bitter debate among the services. Congressional ground, sea and air advocates were deeply involved. The resulting 1947 National Security Act confirmed Air Force autonomy. It divided the War Department into the
Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force. The new U.S. Air Force absorbed members of the Air Corps
and personnel from other Army branches who had been serving in the A
U.S. Air Force Chronology
1907 Aeronautical Division, Army Signal Corps
1914 Aviation Section, Army Signal Corps
1918 U.S. Army Air Service
1926 U.S. Army Air Corps
1935 Army Air Corps and General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force
1941 U.S. Army Air Forces
1947 U.S. Air Force
Editor’s note: From time to time I receive mail regarding the proper use of the Army
Air Forces, Army Air Corp, etc.—hopefully this will help to explain the differences.
Another good site to explore this question is : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
United_States_Army_Air_Forces . Bob
References:
The Army Air Forces in World War II, seven volume official history, edited by Wesley Frank Craven and James Lea Cate, Office of Air
Force History, Washington, D.C., New Imprint 1983.
The Birth of the United States Air Force, Air Force Historical Research Agency Web Site, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, October
12, 2001. (http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra/)
Hap Arnold and the Evolution of American Airpower, Dik Alan Daso, Smithsonian History of Aviation Series, Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington and London, 2000.
Winged Shield, Winged Sword: A History of the United States Air Force, Volume I (1907-1950), Bernard C. Nalty, General Editor, Air
Force History and Museums Program, United States Air Force, Washington, DC, 1997.
Winged Victory: The Army Air Forces in World War II, Geoffrey Perret, Random House, New York, 1993.
March 2002
(Revised June 2010)
Author: Clarence C. Elebash is a retired Air Force colonel and professor emeritus at the University of West Florida. He is a graduate of
the U.S. Military Academy (BS), University of Michigan (MBA) and Florida State University (DBA).
Editor’s note: Revised and used with permission of the author, C. C. Elebash.
31
THIS AND THAT
OUR NEXT GENERATION—AND SERVING PROUDLY
SPC (P) Brad Wruck is currently serving this great nation as a Combat
Medic currently assigned to A Troop, 6/1 Cavalry, Reconnaissance
Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA), U.S. Army, performing
duties with the “Cav Scouts” in Iraq. Brad is the son of proud parents
Dan Wruck, CW4(R), USA and a former B-52 Tail Gunner and
Michelle (former SGT, USAF), he is the grandson of WWII Veteran
and former member of the famed Flying Tigers, Clifford F. Wruck,
MSgt (R), USAF and Dorothy, and recently deceased Walter A. Lenz,
COL(R), USAF and Marion.
Brad at one of the schools in Iraq.
Editor’s Note: I was privileged to have served with Brad’s dad,
“Danny” Wruck, at Kincheloe AFB, MI in the mid-70’s when he was a
gunner and good friend. Dan went on to become a helicopter pilot in
the U.S. Army and retired as a CW4 warrant officer. I know that
Brad’s parents are mighty proud of their son - as well they should be
- and so are we!! Bob
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
NAME: _______________________________________________
RANK: ____________
ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________
CITY: ________________________________________________________ STATE: ____________
HOME PHONE: ( _____)__________________ TODAY’S DATE: ______________ DOB: ___________
WIFE’S FIRST NAME: ______________________
I WAS A GUNNER ON: B__________
B________
ARE YOU A NEW MEMBER? YES ____
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IF “NO” - CARD #:______________
ENCLOSED ARE MY DUES (CIRCLE ONE): LIFE: $100.00
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PHONE: (402) 991-5830
32
CHAPLAIN'S CORNER - IGGY CRUZ
Looking over our OBITS that are coming in and seeing more and more of us old
married folks being added to the ‘SINGLE STATUS” roster makes me wonder, at
times, ( I guess most of you do also) what it would be to like to live a single life in
this current time. The “what if” came to mind. I wonder what unknown fears and
apprehensions would surface if I were single again. Would I be able to face life
without my wife who calms my uncertainties, lifts my spirits and reflects back to
me my strengths?
I am not seeking answers to those questions for myself. But many of you have had no choice
but to face reality, and have done so with varying degrees of courage. The questions I have
about the quality of my life as a single adult will hopefully go unanswered, but while considering those questions, the following analogy came to light. It helped me discover some interesting truths about us --- you and me – that I want to share. They are the truths that, married
or single, we need to be reminded of now and then.
Let’s look at the Jewel of India, the Taj Mahal, which was completed in 1653 and has become
one of the wonders of this world. If the “TAJ” should be destroyed, the world would go on
without it, but there would be a void nothing else could fill. It’s beautiful in its own right; it
gives pleasure to all who see it and it has become a guarded treasure simply by being what it
is – an original. We are like that. We can go through life dressing, behaving and sounding
like a stereotype of our choice, or we can be originals in our time. If I were single again I
might need someone to encourage me to look for the life that’s all around me. There are
things to do, things to learn, places to go and adventures waiting to happen. I would like to
die quietly in my wife’s arms on the eve of my 100th birthday, but I cannot depend on that.
With or without my wife there are things I want to accomplish before I die. I can tolerate the
remaining years of life marking time by funerals, and waiting for my own, or I can enjoy living
every day to the fullest. No one can make that decision for me; I have to make it for myself –
like you.
When I am alone I’m in good company. That’s because God is with me, and He’s the best
company anyone can keep. He gives me the courage I need to face whatever life may bring.
Whether married or single or single-again, I want to remind you that you are an original.
You’re real, like the “Taj”, believe as I do that people who are real have a source of strength
to help them face life and with him come the courage to make it happen.
IGGY
FINAL FLY BY
Charles George Dillner, October 19, 1931-July 22, 2009. Staff Sergeant, served during the Korean
War Nov. 13, 1951 to April 18, 1956. He was CFC on a B-29, stationed in Japan, and was to fly his
first mission over Korea, July 27, 1953, the "day the war ended! In 1955-56 (training at Charleston
AFB, SC) he was in a C-119 project retrieving aerial packages, stationed in Okinawa. Separated from
the Air Force in 1956, he returned to his pre-service company, Borg Warner Corporation, Bellwood,
Illinois, where he retired in 1994 after 44 years (given credit for the service years). He and his wife
Jean twice visited "Doc", a B-29 being restored, near the Boeing plant in Wichita, KS. He was planning
to take a flight in it when the job was complete.
He was married to Jean Mally June 30, 1951. They had their 58th wedding anniversary 3 weeks before
he died (pancreatic cancer). They have 3 children, David, Laura and Wayne, 5 grandchildren and 5
great-grandchildren.
33
FINAL FLY BY
ROBERT E. STERR, OCT. 12, 1921-OCT. 26, 2007. DIED OF A HEART ATTACK AT HIS HOME IN LONG BEACH,
CA. BOB, SERVED IN THE AAF AS A B-17 GUNNER & TOGGLIER WITH THE 784th BG AT GRAFTON UNDERWOOD
IN ENGLAND. HE COMPLETED 35 MISSIONS OVER GERMANY. HE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE B-17 COMBAT
CREW MEMBERS ASSOCIATION & CONFEDERATE AIR FORCE. HE IS SURVIVED BY MILDRED WIFE OF 59 YRS.
DAUGHTERS ROBIN & RENEE & 4 GRANDSONS.
Submitted by Jim Cunningham, AFGA Member who had lost contact with his friend, Robert Sterr, who was also an AFGA member and just received this notice in March, 2010.
JACQUELINE JOHNSON, 84 of Winter Park, FL, wife of AFGA member Floyd O. Johnson, passed away Saturday, Janu-
ary 2, 2010. She was born in San Antonio, TX, and moved to central Florida in 1969. Jacqueline was a retired Dental Assistant and
a member of St Richards Episcopal Church in Winter Park. Johnny describes Jackie as a friend, helper, a family person, wonderful
wife, mother, companion and a willing volunteer. Jackie had 15,000 hours as a volunteer for Family Services during their military
years. She was a voracious reader who loved books, good television and the Dallas Cowboys. She is survived by her husband,
Floyd Johnson; son, Troy Johnson; grandchildren, Wynona, Micah and Brianna and great-granddaughter, Trisha..
MARIE L. GAUDET (1967 – 2009) of Burleson Tx, wife of AFGA member Richard R. Gaudet passed away on Friday
18, 2009. Marie was the daughter of Meredyth Rowan Lawson of Whittier, NC. She was currently employed as an underwriter
for Marquette Commercial Finance Co. of Dallas..
Maries hobbies and interest included sewing, interior decorating, gardening and Boston Red Sox Baseball.
Survivors; Husband, Richard Gaudet, sons; Arron, Ross and Jeff, brother; Charles Lawson of Whittier, NC Sister; Mary
Southerds of Ashevill, NC Grandmother; Edyth Rowan of Whittier, NC and several nieces, nephews and extended family and
friends (Especially Denise and Laura)
Patrick Bardsley (One Shot) age 56 died naturally at his home Aug. 28 th. 2009. A gunner with 2 silver stars , one in Vietnam and
one in Desert Storm. He was certainly one of our more colorful gunners.
Submitted by Ray Culver—no other information at this time.
From: Lisa Knight [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2010 12:38 PM
LUKE SHELTON — B-52 Gunner
I was surfing your web site and noticed some names of gunners Luke Shelton knew.
He passed away and left behind a wife and son.
Luke was a gunner on D and H models for the 9th Bomb Squadron at Carswell from 80 til 85. I have fond memories of listening to the Buff's take off and land. I remember not being able to fall asleep at night until I heard them
coming in over Ridgmar mall. MITO take offs were something to see.
I would appreciate it, if you would post something about him passing away. You can include my email address.
Any stories that his friends and crew members could share would be appreciated by our son.
Thank you,
Lisa A. Knight
Mr Kenneth Weisl, a resident of 1509 Foster Ave, Schenectady NY died 12-22-2008. His member nr was L2851. No other
information available.
Earl Churchill, SMSgt, retired, a resident of Swansboro, NC, had his final fly on 4-17, 2009. Gunner in B-52 and B-66 airJack Burke, Sunnyvale, CA, passed away on April 3, 2010. Mr. Burke was a B-17 ball turret gunner and member of the AFGA.
34
FINAL FLY BY
U.S. Air Force Veteran
Edward Leo Pettit, 78, died peacefully on March 31, 2010.
He was born on January 18, 1932, in Mountain Top, to Donald and Mary Pettit.
Upon graduating Meyers High School in 1949, Edward joined the Air Force and served as a RB- 29
gunner flying combat missions from Yokota AFB Japan during the Korean war.
In Japan, he met and married his wife, Kazuko, and then returned to the US. He then served as a B-52
tail-gunner flying combat missions during the Vietnam War with over 5000 hours of flight time. A
patriot all his life, Edward was especially proud of his service to his country and was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
After retirement, Edward worked in the tax department for the State of Connecticut and retired in
1991. He and his wife moved to Las Vegas, NV to enjoy their lives.
Edward is survived by his children Rhonda Ann Anderson, Edward Leo Pettit, Jr., Kathy Marie
Hicks, Patrie Naomi Larsen and 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; and by his brothers Donald (Pete) Pettit, Ivan Pettit, and Thomas Pettit.
Note from Bill Gaddes: Last Saturday, May 8, 2010, Pete and his family laid to rest the ashes of his
younger brother and his wife adjacent to a small Episcopal Church near Mountain Top, PA. There
were 35 members of the family in attendance, including a large group from California.
Pete’s wife is also buried in the small cemetery adjacent to the church. Pete has been reminiscing a
lot about Yokota and his brother; when they were gunners on the same RB-29 crew; for about a year.
(91st Recon.). Thought you would like to know.
Robert D. Lung - Received a note from Robert D. Lung's (AFGA Member #0757) wife. Robert, of Goshen, IN, passed away on 07/19/2009. He was a B-17 gunner in WWII. No further information was received.
These men, among other WWII Veterans, lived in my area …. Would have liked to have met them and told them THANKS for their Service.. Bob
Moran, Vincent R.— September 16, 1925 - March 8, 2010. Sacramento, CA. WWII B-17 tail gunner with the 449th BG in Italy
McKenzie, Dee W.— October 23, 1920 - May 3, 2010. Sacramento, CA. WWII B-24 pilot with the 491st BG, 8th AF.
FINAL FLY BY
NOTABLE PEOPLE OF INTEREST
Van R Parker, a retired colonel who led the first B-52 raids on Vietnam as commander of the 320th Bombardment Wing
at Mather Air Force Base, died April 25, 2010 of complications related to age. He was 94.
A command pilot, Col. Parker retired at Mather in 1966 as one of America's most experienced warriors. He flew more
than 1,000 combat hours on 85 bombing missions during three wars. He piloted B-29 planes in firebombing attacks that
devastated Japanese cities during World War II. He led his squadron in a massive show of force by U.S. warplanes over
Tokyo Bay as Japan surrendered aboard the USS Missouri on Sept 2, 1945 . ''It was a joyful day," he said in a 2003 video interview recorded for the Veterans History Project and archived at the Library of Congress. "I headed back to Guam
knowing I had survived World War II. I felt like I'd done something. That was the proudest moment of my life."
Col. Parker also flew B-29s and planned raids during the Korean War. He held operations and command duties for the
36th Air Division, the 15th Air Force and Strategic Air Command headquarters. He was vice commander of the 28th
Bombardment Wing before being named in 1963 to lead the 320th at Mather. He helped configure B-52 planes to carry
conventional weapons and flew in 1965 on the first strike missions in Vietnam. He personally led 40 attacks during the 10
months the 320th spent fighting in the giant jet bombers. Partial obituary from the Sacramento Bee
35
FINAL FLY BY
NOTABLE PEOPLE OF INTEREST
Historian, Author Dies: Herman S. Wolk, a long-time contributor to Air Force Magazine, died May 6, 2010 after a battle with lung
cancer. Wolk served for nearly 50 years as an Air Force historian.
Enola Gay Crewman Dies: Former Lt. Morris R. Jeppson, who served as assistant weaponeer on the B-29 Enola Gay when it
dropped the atom bomb on Japan on Aug. 6, 1945, died March 30. He was 87. According to an Associated Press report, the mission
that helped end World War II was Jeppson's only combat mission
Retired Maj. Gen. Robert M. White, an aviation and aeronautical pioneer, died March 17 at age 85 . On July 17, 1962, then-
Major White flew the X-15 to an altitude of 314,750 feet, or 59 miles, becoming the first "winged astronaut," according
to NASA.
Tuskegee Airman Dies: Retired Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, one of the World War II famed Tuskegee Airmen died Jan. 27 at a New
York medical center, reports Associated Press (via the New York Times). He was 90. Fellow Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown Jr.
told AP that it's "generally conceded that Lee Archer was the first and only black ace pilot." He went on to fly 169 combat missions,
receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross
Former Academy Superintendent Dies: Retired Lt. Gen. Robert H. Warren, superintendent of the US Air Force Academy from
July 1962 to July 1965, died Jan. 9 in his home in Charleston, S.C., reported the Charleston Daily Mail. He was 92. Born in Yankton, S.D., in 1917, Warren graduated from West Point in 1940 and received his flying wings the following year. During World War
II, he led several bomber units, including the 376th Bombardment Group, and flew 38 combat missions in the B-24 bomber.
Tuskegee Airman Dies: Retired Lt. Col. William H. Holloman, a member of the famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen and the Air
Force's first black helicopter pilot, died June 11 in Kent, Wash. He was 85. A native of St. Louis, Holloman volunteered during
World War II for the all-black aviation training program at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Ala. During 1944-45, he flew the
P-51 Mustang with the 99th Fighter Squadron out of Italy, escorting bombers and attacking enemy targets in Germany, Austria, and
Eastern Europe. He was called back to active duty during the Korean War and later served with the Army during the Vietnam War.
Two-War Ace Dies: Retired Col. Walker M. Mahurin, who achieved 24.5 aerial kills over two wars, died May 11 at age 91. He
served first in Europe, but after being shot down and working with the French underground for several months, he was sent to the
Pacific, where he got his last victory of World War II in January 1945. In Korea, where he shot down 3.5 MiG-15s, Mahurin conceived and developed use of the F-86 as a dive-bomber and for air-to-air combat and strafing. On a strafing run himself on May 13,
1952, he was hit, crash-landed, and captured by the North Koreans. He was held for 16 months, mostly in solitary confinement and
often tortured-both psychologically and physically.
TAPS
Day is done ... Gone the sun ... From the lakes From the hills ...
From the sky ... All is well .. Safely rest . God is nigh ...
Fading light ... Dims the sight .. And a star Gems the sky...
Gleaming bright ... From afar ... Drawing nigh Falls the night ..
Thanks and praise ... For our days ... Neath the sun . Neath the
stars... Neath the sky ... As we go ... This we know ... God is nigh ..
36
A FINAL TRIBUTE TO AN UNSUNG HERO
By Peter Eisner
Washington Post
Shotdown, B-17 pilot evaded Nazi capture
CoL Robert Grimes, an Army Air Forces pilot who evaded capture in World War II when his B-17 bomber was shot
down over Nazi territory, has died, He was 87. Col. Grimes died of complications from prostate cancer on April 21 at
his home in Fort Belvoir, VA.
Only in recent years did Col. Grimes speak extensively of his wartime experiences, in part, he said,
because the military had ordered airmen to treat their experiences as secret. On Oct. 20, 1943, 20year- old Lt. Grimes and his nine-member crew were flying in a B-17 on a bombing mission against a
bomb manufacturing plant near Aachen, Germany. Nazi fighter planes zoomed in when Lt. Grimes
experienced engine trouble over central Belgium. He was forced to linger beneath the clouds and
separated from the rest of his squadron. Within minutes, cannon fire destroyed the plane's tail, and
Lt. Grimes struggled for control. As he sounded the alarm, not realizing he had been wounded in the
leg by machine-gun fire, the pilot held a slow circle and fought for crucial seconds so the crew could
A wounded Lt
jump free of the plane. He was the last to bail out before the B-17 crashed into a field close to a
Robert Grimes
Luftwaffe base, 35 miles southwest of Brussels. Lt. Grimes later learned that four of his crewmen
kept his crippled
were killed in action, but five had survived the crash. ''You never stop thinking about it," he said in a
bomber airborne
so his crew could
2004 in- interview. "In my mind, I'm back in the cockpit, left seat, looking at the controls, and I'm
bailout.
dodging and diving around the Nazi fighters, trying to make it to a cloud bank. And I look for every
option, but I never come up with anything to save us."
On the ground in Belgium, he heard Nazi patrols and barking dogs but hid in the brush until dark, when farmers
saved him, knowing the penalty for harboring airmen was execution. He was handed over, to .members of the Comet
Line, a civilian escape organization that saved an estimated 700 airmen during the war. A young member of the organization, Micheline Dumont, arranged for a doctor to remove a bullet from Lt. Grimes' leg and nursed him back to
health.
In mid-December, Comet operatives provided forged Belgian and French identity papers and led him on foot, by bicycle and train to a village near the French-Spanish border. Basque guides took Lt. Grimes and several other airmen on
an overnight hike in the freezing rain through the Pyrenees. He and his companions waded to safety across: the Bidassoa River into Spain before dawn Dec. 23, pursued, by Nazi patrols and facing fire from border guards.
He returned to the United States, trained other bomber pilots in 1944 and was preparing for an impending invasion of
Japan when the war ended in 1945.
Editor’s note: Came across this story in the Sacramento Bee and thought it appropriate to share with our members.
There are many, many stories out there like this that never get told. Sad that other generations won’t get to know
them, appreciate them, and, most importantly, remember them unless their stories are told. Bob
From Charlie Damp’s many “antique of interest” items. Guess they didn’t
have a sense of humor around there or the truth hurt, (one could say SAC
did rule the world once—no one in the world messed with us then. Bob
37
THIS AND THAT
NOT FORGOTTEN - Airmen Coming Home At Last
Release No. 06-07-10
June 18, 2010
Fallen Airmen laid to rest after 38 years
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFRNS) -- Unidentified remains of 14 fallen Air Force AC-130 gunship crewmembers were laid to rest at
Arlington National Cemetery here June 17, nearly 40 years after their aircraft was shot down over southern Laos.
Lt. Col. Henry P. Brauner, Lt. Col. Richard Castillo, Lt. Col. Irving B. Ramsower II, Lt. Col. Howard D. Stephenson, Maj. Curtis
D. Miller, Maj. Barclay B. Young, Capt. Richard C. Halpin, Capt. Charles J. Wanzel III, Chief Master Sgt. Edwin J. Pearce, Senior
Master Sgt. James K. Caniford, Senior Master Sgt. Robert E. Simmons, Senior Master Sgt. Edward D. Smith Jr., Master Sgt. Merlyn L. Paulson and Master Sgt. William A. Todd were honored in a group burial with full military honors in the cemetery's Section
60.
The crew was killed in action March 29, 1972, in the midst of the Vietnam War.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark D. Shackelford presented an American flag to the families. Air Force Chaplain (Capt.) Anthony Wade
and Rev. Martin McGill presided over the service.
Full military honors included a flag-draped casket and carrying team, a firing party, a band and bugler, a horse-drawn caisson and
escorts from the Air Force Honor Guard. All 14 names will be included on the headstone.
Representatives from the families of 13 of the Airmen attended the ceremony. Several members of Rolling Thunder, an advocacy
group for the return of all prisoners of war and those missing in action, also attended the service.
Remains for Captains Halpin and Wanzel, Chief Pearce, and Sergeants Caniford, Simmons, Smith and Todd were positively identified and returned to their families. Major Young and Sergeant Caniford were buried here individually in 2008, said Kaitlin Horst, a
spokeswoman for the cemetery.
The remaining seven airmen could not be identified, but are accounted for, Larry Greer, a spokesman for the Pentagon's Joint Prisoners of War and Missing in Action Accounting Command, said in an interview with American Forces Press Service.
Forensic anthropologists and scientists from the Defense Department are confident all 14 Airmen were involved in the crash, Mr.
Greer said. The scientists used identification tools, circumstantial evidence and DNA tests to match the crewmembers' remains
with their families, Mr. Greer said. Scientists also used dental comparisons to identify remains.
"All of these men have been accounted for, and the families have accepted the identification," Mr. Greer said. "These final, fullhonor services are to recognize the sacrifices that these men made and their families made, and all of us involved in this mission
feel it an honor to bring closure to these families."
The crew's plane was shot down by a surface-to-air missile during an armed reconnaissance mission. Search and rescue efforts
were hindered because of heavy enemy activity in the area and were stopped after only a few days, Mr. Greer said.
The first remains were recovered in 1986 by a joint U.S.-Laos team, Mr. Greer said. Recovered items included two identification
tags, life support equipment and aircraft wreckage, he added.
Between 1986 and 1998, nine members of the aircrew were positively identified. Follow-on surveys and excavations in 2005 and
2006 found more remains, personal effects and other equipment, he said.
June 3, 2010
The remains of Col. Elton L. Perrine, an airman missing in action since his F-4C Phantom fighter went down over North Vietnam on
May 22, 1967, have been recovered and returned to his family, the Defense Department announced Wednesday. Last week, Perrine was
buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. A native of Pittsford, N.Y., Perrine and his crewmate Capt. Kenneth F.
Backus had completed a nighttime strike against the Cao Nung Railroad Yard near the town of Kep when their aircraft was lost. Heavy
anti-aircraft fire in the area prevented search and rescue attempts. Between 1999 and 2008, joint US-Vietnam teams excavated four sites,
leading to the recovery of aircraft wreckage, human remains, and personal effects. Helping in the identification of Perrine's remains was
mitochondrial DNA recovered that matched that of Perrine's mother. No remains connected to Backus were recovered.
38
THIS AND THAT
NOT FORGOTTEN - Airmen Coming Home At Last
April 28, 2010
WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- The remains of a U.S. Airman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and returned
to his family for burial with full military honors, according to Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials.
Tech. Sgt. Walter A. McClellan of the U.S. Army Air Forces will be buried today in his hometown of Pensacola, Fla.
On April 17, 1945, Sergeant McClellan's B-17 Flying Fortress was struck by enemy fighters while on a bombing run against a rail depot in Dresden, Germany. Following the war, U.S. teams attempted to locate the remains of the crew but because the area was under
Soviet control, no further searches could be conducted. The U.S. Army was forced to declare the remains of the "Towering Titan's"
crew to be non-recoverable.
Two reports from German citizens in 1956 and 2007 indicated that the remains of a 19-year-old were buried as an "unknown" in a local church cemetery in Burkhardswalde. Church records revealed that the grave held the remains of a young American flier who had
parachuted from his aircraft over the town of Biensdorf, was captured and killed by German SS forces near Burkhardswalde. He was
first buried in the town's sports field, but exhumed by the townspeople after the war and reburied in the church cemetery.
In September 2008, a recovery team of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command exhumed the grave in Burkhardswalde and recovered human remains and other artifacts, including a silver Army Air Forces identification bracelet bearing the emblem of a qualified
aerial gunner. The biological profile of the remains and Sergeant McClellan's dental records enabled JPAC scientists to establish the
identification.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call
703-699-1169.
Provided by Pete Karjanis
Officials identify Airmen listed as MIA
April 30, 2010
WASHINGTON (AFRNS) -- The remains of eight U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted-for and
returned to their families for burial with full military honors, announced Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office officials.
The group remains of Lt. Jack S. M. Arnett, Charleston, W.V.; Flight Officer William B. Simpson, Winston-Salem, N.C.; Tech. Sgt.
Charles T. Goulding, Marlboro, N.Y.; Tech. Sgt. Robert J. Stinson, San Bernardino, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Jimmie Doyle, Lamesa, Texas;
Staff Sgt. Leland D. Price, Oakwood, Ohio; and Staff Sgt. Earl E. Yoh, Scott, Ohio, and the individual remains of Lt. Frank J. Arhar,
Lloydell, Pa., were buried April 30 in Arlington National Cemetery. The individual remains of Lieutenant Arnett and Sergeants Yoh,
Doyle and Stinson were buried earlier by their families.
On Sept. 1, 1944, their B-24J Liberator bomber was shot down while on a bombing mission of enemy targets near Koror, Republic of
Palau. Crewmen on other aircraft reported seeing Lieutenant Arnett's aircraft come apart in the air and crash into the sea between
Babelthuap and Koror islands. Two parachutes were spotted, but none of the 11-man crew ever returned to friendly territory. An aerial
search was unsuccessful, and more thorough recovery operations could not be conducted because of Japanese control of the area.
Post-war Japanese documents established that three other members of the crew survived the crash but died while prisoners of the Japanese. In 1949, the American Graves Registration Service declared the remains of all 11 crew members to be non-recoverable.
In October 2000, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command mounted several investigations on Babelthaup Island to attempt
to locate several reported mass burial sites. A team returned in November 2001, but their excavation did not recover any material or biological evidence indicating a mass burial. They returned again January 2004, and shortly before the team completed their excavation, they
were contacted by a private wreckage hunting group called the "Bent Prop Project" which had discovered the wreckage of a B-24 on the
ocean floor four miles northeast of where a diagram from U.S. records indicated a crash site. The JPAC team examined the wreckage and
recovered remains.
Provided by Pete Karjanis
39
B-24H SABOTAGE
Dear Bill,
Thanks for sending me a copy of Len Winograd's letter. His description of our last mission as
"bizarre" is most appropriate. Had we gotten back horne safely it would have been my 42nd mission
credit.
Much to our surprise on the afternoon of Jan 30, 1944 I found that my crew was scheduled to fly
the next day's mission. Under the normal rotation we should not have been scheduled for at
least two more days. Further, we were to fly the number 7 (slot) position which was usually reserved for newer, less experienced crews. Adding to the confusion was the fact that we not going
to fly our usual aircraft but were to take the brand new B-24H that the squadron had received a few
days earlier.
All my efforts to find out what was going on were non productive. Sqd Ops finally told me that they
had been directed by Group Operations to schedule me by name to fly that aircraft in the
slot on tomorrows mission and I would probably find out why at the morning briefing. Very strange!
At the morning briefing I learned that the 376th would be the last group in the the bomber stream,
the target was Moosbierbaum and the flak would be intense. It quickly became apparent that
since the 512th box was tail-end Charlie in the group formation, I would be the last ship over the
target. It wasn't until we arrived at the hardstand where our aircraft was parked that I finally found
out what was going on.
Both the Gp Ops officer and the Gp Intell officer were waiting for me and introduced me to my newest crew member: an aerial photographer. I was then briefed that my mission was to bomb
the target with the 512th and when they rallied off after they dropped their ordinance I was to make
a 180 degree turn and return to the IP and make another run over the target. It seems
they suspected the oil refinery had long since been destroyed and was being camouflaged to appear operational. Our second run over the target would hopefully provide bomb damage
photography taken before they had an opportunity to reemploy their camouflage. I was then advised
that we had been selected to fly this mission because we were experienced and had one
of the most competent navigators in the Group, Len Winograd.
The aircraft we were to fly was basically an "H" model that had been modified at the factory during
its manufacture. The nose turret was eliminated and a huge, 7-lens mosaic camera which incorporated the bomb sight was installed in its place. The photographer had received over 150 hours of
experimental training on a similar camera that had been installed in a modified B-24D back in the
states. Although I was introduced to him at the hardstand, I am unable to remember his name.
He and Flight Officer Durham, the bombardier who was receiving his mandatory checkout flight
brought the number of crew members on this flight to twelve.
The flight to the target was normal; the aircraft performed beautifully and fuel consumption was
less than normal. There was absolutely no indication of the problem we were later to
encounter. During this portion of the flight I briefed the crew on intercom about our additional
mission. When I finished, there was a moment of silence and then a voice on the intercom said,
"hey, I ain't gonna go unless I get extra mission credit." This brought on lots of laughter.
As I recall, the bomb run was flown at 23,000 feet and although the flak was very heavy, we received
only minimum damage. After the bomb drop, the flight made a descending right turn to clear the area
as rapidly as possible. I maintained 23,000 feet and flew a racetrack pattern back to the IP. Once we
were established on the track back to the target I turned control of the aircraft over to the photographer
who was using the bombsight as a view finder for the camera. While the flak continued to be heavy on
this run, we received minimal battle damage. After completing the photo run I made a right descending
turn and picked up the heading for return to base. Almost immediately the right outboard engine started
to fail. Fuel pressure fluctuated wildly and although the manifold pressure gauge
indicated we were not getting any power, I was unable to control the engine RPMs. This left me no
choice but to shut down the engine and feather the prop.
40
B-24H SABOTAGE
A check of the fuel sight gauges indicated plenty of fuel for the return to base. Despite this, all
engine instruments clearly showed the loss of the engine was due to fuel starvation. Just as I
made the decision to unfeather the engine, the same problem began with the right inboard engine. Using the feathering button to keep the RPMs from exceeding the max allowable we tried
everything we could think of to overcome the power loss. Cross feeding the fuel tanks, swapping
the electronic control boxes for the turbo superchargers all failed to correct the problem.
With two engines on the same side feathered, the flying characteristics of a combat configured
B-24 left much to be desired. Forced to begin a descent in order to maintain minimum flying
speed, I directed the crew to jettison everything in the aircraft not required to maintain flight.
While I still held out hope that we would have sufficient altitude to make it over the Alps, the left
inboard engine failed inexactly the same manner.
With three engines feathered, the B-24's flight characteristics approximate that of a large, round
ball of lead dropped from a great height. It was very depressing to know that we had all
that fuel on board and not be able to access it.
By this time we were down in a box canyon of the generic Alps in northern Yugoslavia and descending through 9,000 feet. Since there was no alternative, I directed the crew to bailout. This
was in the vicinity of Bijac, Yugoslavia. I was immediately captured and remained a POW for the
duration of the war.
Liberation and return to allied military control came on April 29, 1945. In the latter part of May,
1945 while undergoing processing and rehabilitation at Camp Lucky Strike, LeHavre,
France, I was interviewed and debriefed by US Army Intelligence agents. It seems that an identical camera-equipped B-24H had been delivered to the 98th Bomb Group at Lecce and it went
down on its first mission under the same circumstances that we had experienced. This raised suspicions of sabotage and an investigation was conducted. It revealed that during manufacture
someone had installed pressure-sensitive check valves in the main fuel lines to each engine. The
valves remained inoperable until someone removed a small easily accessible pin to activate
them. They were designed to remain open while climbing and maintaining constant altitude and
close, shutting off the fuel supply, when encountering increasing barometric pressure ie. a descending aircraft. The saboteur was apprehended and the valves were removed from the remaining four camera-equipped B-24s.
There you have it Bill. Now to answer your specific questions, I do not have any record of the aircraft serial number or mission number. It is reasonable to assume that the serial number should
reflect its late 1944 manufacture. It was certainly NOT the aircraft named Angie the Ox. Incidentally, they misspelled my last name ••• should be Robert E Andrus, not Andrews.
Looking at your Mission Summary sheet, I believe it is safe to presume that we were flying mission number 399. Note that it indicates 2 aircraft missing due to mechanical failure and
there were 22 casualties. Since I had 12 (including me) on board that day and if the other missing
aircraft had the normal crew complement of 10 ••• it adds up.
BOB ANDRUS
376TH BOMB GROUP
Editor’s Note: Believe I received this letter written by Bob Andrus, B-24 pilot, from Raymond L. Ruetsch. I
can’t find the original envelope but I did put his name on it as to where it came from. I don’t recall reading too
much anywhere about sabotage being conducted during our aircraft manufacturing. This was a pretty insidious
little device that was installed which prevented it from being detected until the aircraft was actually flown on a
combat mission. It’s a wonder they were able to discover what the problem was after only 2 losses and arrest
the saboteur so quickly. A very interesting story and we thank Raymond and Bob Andrus for sharing it. Bob
41
VIETNAM VETERAN’S MEMORIAL DISPLAY
Museum of the Soldier, Inc, Portland, Indiana
Master Sergeant Olen B. McLaughlin of Jay County, Indiana
Missing in Action over the South China Sea, 7 July 1967
Olen Burke McLaughlin was born on Christmas Eve 1927 to Ray Burke McLaughlin and Hattie Honora
Hannon in Jay County. He had four brothers; Keith, Ed,
Richard, and Glen. Keith, Dick and Olen all joined the
navy, Olen joining in 1945 right near the end of WW2.
Olen served two years as a signalman in the navy, got
out, and went into the Air Force which was a new branch
of the military that had just separated from the army.
Olen was married first for a brief period, and later married Marjorie who had two daughters (Cynthia and Brenda) that Olen treated as his own.
Olen’s family in Portland didn’t see him much after he enlisted. He would return home on leave every few
years for family gatherings, but he was stationed all over
the country including Maine and Mississippi. During his
air force career, he spent time in radio maintenance, and
working on missiles before becoming a tail gunner on a
B52 bomber.
Olen was stationed with the 454th Bombardment
Wing, Columbus AFB, Mississippi. On orders from President Johnson, B-52s had begun striking targets in North
Vietnam on 11 Apr 1966, and the initial attack against the
Mu Gia Pass marked the largest single bomber raid since
World War II. Olen told his family that he could be deployed to Vietnam at a moments notice. Unknown to his
family, this was about to happen as Olen and his crew
were reassigned to the 4133rd Bomber Wing, Anderson
AFB, Guam, in June 1967.
On 7 July 1967, B52D (SN # 56-0595) radio call
sign Red 2, along with other aircraft from the 4133rd Bomb Wing were sent on a mission to bomb North Vietnam. The crew of Red 2 was Pilot CPT George W. Westbrook; Copilot CPT Harold Dean Thompson; Navigator 1LT George Emerson Jones; Radar Navigator CPT Charles H. Blankenship; Electronic Warfare Officer CPT
Toki R. Endo; Rear Gunner MSGT Olen McLaughlin. The flight was approaching the initial point for the turn
toward the target when the lead aircraft, Red 1 (B52D SN # 56-0627), experienced an equipment malfunction.
While changing formation lead, Red 1 had a mid-air collision with Red 2 over the South China Sea, approximately 20 miles offshore at the point of Vinh Binh Province. When the collision occurred, Red 2 was passing
under Red 1 to take the lead. The left wing of Red 1 dipped suddenly and severed the tail section of Red 2
causing it to spin wildly into the ocean below. Olen never had a chance to escape.
Seven crew members from both aircraft were rescued, but six were not. On Red 2, CPT Blankenship,
1LT Jones, and MSGT McLaughlin were killed. The remains of CPT Blankenship and 1LT Jones were discovered by a Vietnamese fisherman in 1993, were identified through DNA testing, and returned to the United
States. Major General William J. Crumm, commander of the 3rd Air Division, was aboard Red 1 and became
the highest ranked casualty of the Vietnam War. Because Olen’s body has never been recovered, he
is still officially listed as Missing In Action. He has a memorial headstone at Arlington National Cemetery.
Biography and photo provided by Matthew Simmons, Museum of the Soldier, Inc. Portland, IN
www.museumofthesoldier.com . The 454th Bomb Wing Patch and the 736th Sq Patch used in this display
were gratiously provided by AFGA Member Dave Heximer.
42
AFGA EXCHANGE OFFICER - NEIL RICHARDS
Sales of BX items have slowed as expected during the summer months. We still have the Navy Blue AFGA lightweight windbreakers with snap front on clearance for $12.00. Thus is a very good deal as they were priced at
$30.00 previously. Also as a reminder, we have restocked our supply of Navy Blue AFGA baseball caps, but their
cost has risen to $15.00. The white AFGA cap, as well as the white caps with the camouflaged B-52, gunner's
bulldog crest and the blue B-52 Gunner patch remain at $13.00 each until supply is exhausted.
I would also like to remind gunners that the BX has a good supply of the AFGA and bulldog brass belt buckles at
$12.00 each and a large supply of the AFGA, AFGA/B-52 and bulldog crest lapel/hat pins. Picture of these items
are on the gunner's web site at http://www.gunners.net/_fpclass/baseexchange/bxexchangemain2.htm.
I am searching for a new supplier of memorabilia (pins, patches, etc) for the bomber aircraft that preceded the B-52 as our stock of
these items is running low or have been sold out. As always, I need to be able to order in smaller quantities and sometimes the prices
offered at these quantities don't make sense for the BX to purchase. I will offer information on the source of items we can’t carry but
may be of interest to gunners.
One item you may be interested in is a cherry finished wooden keepsake box with engraved US Air Force crest at $29.95. Two lines of
gold personalized lettering is only $3.50 extra. This is located at http://www.personalcreations.com/service_keepsake_boxes-products5290X-2-314-31402.html This compares with $69.95 for the next cheapest memento box at other websites.
Another item you may be interested in is a license plate with gunners wings for $11.95 at http://www.priorservice.com/arfogulipl.html
Neil
Gunner’s license plate mentioned
above NON-BX ITEM
AFGA BELT BUCKLE—#2 on BX
order form
#8 on BX order form
B-52 wood block shirts
Cherry finished keepsake box as
mentioned above. NON-BX ITEM
#27 pm BX Order form—specify
design. Delphi Cups
BX ITEMS—SEE BX FORM FOR ORDERING
43
#9 on BX order form
Tee Shirt (same art on
front as on coffee mugs.
AFGA EXCHANGE
44
AFGA EXCHANGE
45
AFGA EXCHANGE
46
Peace Time B-52 Gunner Losses - A Final Fly-By Remembrance
Researched by Harry Tolmich
The AFGA web site Memorial lists deceased B-52 tail gunners, but I noted that those lost in peace time aircraft accidents were not listed. I have compiled a list of those gunners, this list was provided to me by the Norton AFB, safety office. I have tried to be as accurate as I could, and also have kept the narrative as close as to the actual event. I
was careful not to be graphic in describing the accidents. As each accident occurred the USAF and the Boeing
Company improved the B-52, for those Gunners who came later into the Buff operation they should be aware of
how hazardous it was in the 1950s and 1960s. However, as crew members, we were all subjected to the hazards of
flight—peace time or combat. For that we are grateful to have survived because of those improvements.
Raymond B. Riggs, TSGT, 9-17-1956 B-52B, s/n 53-0393, Castle AFB, CA During descent aircraft was at 6200 ft. alt.,
crew smelled smoke then reported fire, pilot ordered bail out...Pilot and Co-pilot ejected...all other crew members were fatalities.
Gerald E. Riley, TSGT, 11-30-1956 B-52B, s/n 52-8716, Castle AFB, CA...aircraft take off and climb out appeared normal,
2 minutes & 44 seconds after take off , 8 miles from base aircraft contacted the ground , aircraft destroyed , all crew members fatally injured.
Ray A. Miller, TSGT, 1-10-1957 B-52D, s/n 55-0082, Loring AFB, ME ..aircraft at 31,000 ft... IP had co-pilot close his eyes
while he put aircraft in unusual position...CP had impression aircraft instruments indicated in steep turn to the left and climbing...CP took corrective action for recovery. Last memory by CP was aircraft at 9000 feet at which time the aircraft broke up,
CP ejected, the other 8 occupants were fatally injured.
Gene Grey, MSGT, 12-15-1957 B-52D, s/n 56-0597, Fairchild AFB, WA....Aircraft had normal takeoff, witnesses reported
aircraft started steep climb. Aircraft had reverse stabilizer trim (up was down and vice versa) due to stab motor wired backwards...aircraft stalled and crashed 1 mile from runway. Tail section remained intact, Gene Grey survived, all forward compartment crew members were fatal. Gene died of natural causes at his home Loon Lake, Washington many years later.
Oran C. Riley, MSGT, 7-29-1958 B-52D, s/n 55-0093, Loring AFB, ME, aircraft made jet penetration from 43,000 ft overcast to 36,000 feet, visibility on approach was 4 miles, 400 ft broken, 800 ft overcast, aircraft descended to 300 ft, declared
missed approach, aircraft climbed to 800 ft, radio contact was lost, impact was 4 miles south of Loring . All crew was fatally
injured.
Leon R. Lew, TSGT, 8-16-1958 B-52D, s/n 55-0065, Loring AFB, ME aircraft made RBS bomb run at 36,000 ft, aircraft
made a break away, RBS operator 100 seconds later measured aircraft altitude at 8000 ft. Aircraft impacted ground 45 miles
from St. Paul, Minn. 4 crew members ejected...the co-pilot was the only survivor. others ejecting were fatally injured. The
EWO, Gunner and RN were in the aircraft when it crashed and were fatally injured.
Aubrey Moore, SSGT, 9-8-1958, B-52D, s/n 56-0661, B-52D, s/n 56-0681, Fairchild AFB, WA. The 327th BS aircraft, s/n
56-0661 call sign Outcome 55, completed Air Refueling, returned to Fairchild and commenced to fly low approaches, after
the 4th low approach, aircraft was on down wind for a full stop landing. The 325th aircraft, s/n 56-0681, call sign Outcome
54, completed high altitude training and was on a GCA approach for a full stop landing. Tower transmission to Outcome 54,
" On glide path, 222 degrees is your heading, tower advises pull up and break out to the right", Outcome 54 reply, "roger
breaking right"., Tower transmission " 55, tower advises B-52 breaking right", Outcome 55 transmits, "tower tell him to turn
the other way”. Approximately 12 seconds later the two aircraft collided 2.5 miles from Runway 23 at an altitude of 700 feet.
There were three survivors, ECM from Outcome 55, the IP and Gunner from Outcome 54. There were a total of thirteen fatalities. Weather at the time was clear, visibility unlimited
Thomas Lowry, A1/C, Norman L. Kolmeyer, TSGT, Harold J. Funnel, SSGT, 12-19-1958, B-52E, s/n 56-0633, from Altus AFB, OK. .... Lowry was the crewmember gunner, the other two gunners were instructor gunner and passenger.....aircraft made a GCA approach, requested climb to altitude for another jet penetration...tower observed at 2346 CST
time an explosion 4 miles north of the base, aircraft commander ejected, he was the sole survivor.
Howard L. Nelms, TSGT, 10-15-1959, B-52F, s/n 57-0036, Columbus AFB, MS. In the vicinity of Litchfield , Ky. the B-52
closed rapidly on KC135, the pilot banked the aircraft to the right, collision occurred , pilot attempted to recover the aircraft,
there was no response from the controls. The pilot called for bailout, the Emergency Alarm lights did not illuminate, The pilots ejected, EW ejected, the RN and N did not eject. The tail gunner did not jettison the turret and he was found in the vicinity of the tail section which separated in flight. All tanker crew members failed to exit their aircraft. Both aircraft partially disintegrated prior impact with the ground, wreckage was scattered over an area of nine by three miles. Impact was at 1847 CST.
47
Peace Time B-52 Gunner Losses - A Final Fly-By Remembrance (Cont)
William R. Hill, MSGT, 2-1-1960, B-52G, s/n 58-0180, Ramey AFB, P.R., Aircraft returned from training mission, three
touch and go landings were accomplished , request for two more touch and go landings was made. On the second T&G,
the aircraft lifted off after touch down, the rotated nose high to 800 ft altitude, aircraft turned right and at an estimated bank
angle of 70 degrees, the aircraft impacted the ground...all crew members received fatal injuries.
Pierre Maheux, SSGT,12-9-1960, B-52D, s/n 55-0114, aircraft from Westover AFB, MA. At approx. 50 nm from Plattsburg, NY, aircraft descended into Oil Burner "Hangover" route. Entry was at 28,000 feet at 2214 EST, at 15,000 feet. At
2221 EST aircraft rolled into a 100 degree bank, the navigator noted altitude was 8500 feet, ejected at that time. Pilot returned aircraft to wings level, pilot thought the ejection of Nav seat was aircraft structural failure and ordered the crew to
bail out. All personnel in fwd cabin ejected or bailed out. (the accident report for the tail gunner was sanitized and I could
not ascertain if he bailed out or went down with the aircraft, the gunner did not survive). As crew members were floating
down in chutes they observed the aircraft was circling wings level, after several circles with altitude decreasing the aircraft
struck the ground 70 miles N.E. of the bailout point.
David A. Forsyth, TSGT,1-19-1961, B-52B, s/n 53-0390, aircraft from Biggs AFB, TX. Aircraft at 36,000 feet when autopilot disengaged due to heavy turbulence, climb started to 40,000 feet, aircraft experienced violent bump and was followed
by nose low right roll and then spinning maneuver. Co-pilot ejected at this time, as aircraft descended the aircraft broke
into several major pieces. All remaining crew members did not bailout or eject...all fatal injuries. Structural failure due to
turbulence.
Francis R. Barnish, TSGT, 1-24-1961, B-52G, s/n 58-0187, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. Aircraft started massive fuel
leak near #3 engine, aircraft descended to 10,000 feet, explosion was heard , aircraft rolled past 90 degrees. Pilot ordered bail out., pilot thought all seats fired and he ejected. The third pilot bailed out pilot' escape hatch when the aircraft
was inverted. Five crew members ejected, with RN sustaining fatal head injury after ejection, the EW and Gunner did not
eject and became fatalities at impact.
Robert Gaskey, A1/C, 3-30-1961, B-52G, s/n 59-2576, Dow AFB, ME. James H. Fults, SSGT, Instructor Gunner B-52
call sign Judy 24 was attempting air refueling, Judy 24 was closing rapidly, boom operator reported that Judy 24 had under run the tanker. The B-52 pilot attempted to slow the aircraft, the co-pilot said "Mac I think you have it in a stall", negative G forces were experienced, EWO heard the pilot say "bail out, bail out, bail out”. At this time the navigator and EWO
ejected, the rest of the crew were fatally injured. Impact 22 nm south west of High Point, N.C. Total flight time 3 hours and
10 minutes.
Helmut Christ, SSGT, 10-15-1961, B-52G, s/n 58-0196, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC, aircraft call sign Pogo 22 was part
of six B-52s participating in low level large scale air defense exercise . All aircraft descended to 1000 ft altitude, Pogo 13
was flying parallel track with Pogo 22 and had visual contact. WX 1500 ft scattered to broken, mild turbulence, and the sea
very rough. The aircraft heading 270 degrees, targets were in the Pittsburg, Philadelphia area...Pogo 22 was last seen at
the 1:30 position at about 3 miles and still appeared to be flying briefed course, at this time Pogo 13 turned westerly. All
contact was lost with Pogo 22. Official report ...aircraft lost at sea, no survivors.
Michael Okeefe, TSGT, 1-24-1963, B-52C, s/n 53-0406, aircraft from Westover AFB. MA. The crew a highly qualified
standboard crew S-06, aircrew chose the northern low level route POKER DECK, at 1930Z low level route was started, all
systems normal, speed 280 knots, altitude 500 feet, 20 minutes at low level turbulence increased, pilot started climb to get
out of turbulence. At this time the pilot heard a loud bang, aircraft went into 40 degree right bank, nose low descent of
2000 ft per minute. The aircraft would not respond to any control actions by the pilot, at this time the bail out order was
given. My personal friend Michael Okeefe did not exit the aircraft. Impact was on Elephant Mountain at 1952Z.
Burl D. Dean, MSGT, 1-30-1963, B-52E, s/n 57-0018, Walker AFB, NM. Aircraft was at 42,000 feet, pilot requested
change of altitude due to turbulence, descent to 38,000 ft, turbulence continued, aircraft descended to 34,000 , violent updrafts and at this time the crew heard a "loud bang", aircraft rolled left with another loud bang sound, controls had no effect
and the pilot describes as two more rolls,. The pilot ordered bail out, aircraft crashed 32 miles north of Las Vegas, N.M.
The EWO and Gunner failed to exit the aircraft and were fatally injured. The rest of the crew ejected successfully.
.
48
Lacy Potter, MSGT, 12-23-1963, B-52F, s/n 57-0043, Columbus AFB, MS. Aircraft took off 0707:18 CST, flight path was
normal until approx. 3 1/2 miles from the runway. Aircraft rolled right continuing through 150 degrees of bank and crashing
at 0709:24 CST. Aircraft impacted in an inverted position. All crew members were fatally injured, no ejections were attempted
Melvin D. Wooten, TSGT, 1-13-1964, B-52D, s/n 55-0060, aircraft assigned to Turner AFB, GA. Aircraft took off from
Westover for return flight to Turner, flight leveled at 31,000 feet, moderate turbulence encountered and descent to 29,000
feet at this time turbulence became severe. Because this crew did not have an EWO on board, Sgt Wooten was in the
EWO position. As the aircraft commander struggled to keep the aircraft level, the vertical stabilizer broke away at bulkhead
1655 and sheared the left horizontal stabilizer, the aircraft rolled on its back, all crew members ejected except the RN. Sgt
Wooten was injured during bailout, and did not survive. The Nav ejected successfully but due to severe winter conditions
did not survive. The co-pilot was not injured; the pilot suffered major injuries but survived.
Fonzy E. Arrington, TSGT, 11-10-1964, B-52D, s/n 55-0108, aircraft departed Larson AFB, WA. on a combat crew training mission. Descent to the Flint Rock Oil Burner route, entry at Miles City, Montana., all crew members were qualified in
low level flight procedures. The aircraft impacted the ground 51 miles S.E. of Glasgow AFB, Montana. All crew members
were fatally injured.
Larry Thornton, MSGT...12-24-1965...Larry was a B-52 gunner when he was ordered to Vietnam as a ammo loader on AC
-47 Dragon Gun Ships. Aircraft was shot down. Witnesses reported Thornton evading Charlie on the ground. Larry
Thornton was never recovered.
Ronald P. Snyder, TSGT, 1-17-1966, B-52G, s/n 58-0256, Seymour Johnson AFB, NC. Mission was scheduled indoctrination flight (Chrome Dome)....attempting air refueling at the Saddle Rock Refueling area Spain, vicinity of Palomares, Spain.
WX was clear, no turbulence, approach normal to 1/2 mile (witnessed by 2nd B-52)...The B-52 continued to close and impacted the KC-135. B-52 pitched down and left, followed by explosion, KC-135 pitched over into steep descent and exploded ....Five B-52 crewmembers ejected, four survived, three did not eject and received fatal injuries. No attempt to bail out
from the KC-135. All members were fatal injuries.
Gerald D.Turney, A1/C, 11-18-1966, B-52G, s/n 58-0228, Barksdale AFB, LA. Aircraft crashed 72 miles south of Duluth,
Minn. Aircraft called descending from 23,000 feet to low level route of 2900 feet. This was last radio contact with the aircraft. One minute and ten seconds into low-level route the aircraft crashed into wooded area at an elevation of 1570 feet.
All crew members received fatal injuries.
John N. Snyder, SSGT, 11-2-1967, B-52H, s/n 61-0030, Griffiss AFB, NY...aircraft on training mission experienced number 6 engine fire, engine was shut down, also generator number 5 overheat warning light came on. Command post advised
to cancel the mission and return to base. Aircraft was on final GCA approach but was 200 feet above the glide path, a go around was attempted. After passing the end of runway 15, the aircraft climbed to 2000 feet, wings level, then rolled right
which continued past 90 degrees of bank. Bail our order was given, the pilot , navigator and gunner ejected, the pilot and
navigator survived. The gunner's seat became entangled with his parachute, he sustained fatal injuries. The IP and navigator, two maintenance men were fatally injured in the crash.
Kermit C. Casey, MSGT, 2-28-1968, B-52F, s/n 57-0173, Carswell AFB, Texas. ..Call sign Meal 88 entered the Matagorda
RBS low level route, aircraft was cleared at the IP 40 miles in bound, the first tone break came loud and clear, second tone
break was clear, co-pilot called "bombs away", Meal 88 asked to be cleared from heading and RBS cleared them. AT approx 2304 CST a radio check was made and Meal 88 answered loud and clear. This was the last radio contact with Meal
88. Official accident report is listed as aircraft and aircrew "Missing".
Ronald E. Blazina, TSGT, 10-04-1968, B-52H, s/n 60-0027, Minot AFB, ND....Call sign Fog 32 completed air refueling,
then to gunnery range. Gunner reported 600 rounds fired before gun jammed. , The crew aborted the gunnery range and
proceeded to Minot RAPCON for clearance to start penetration. Aircraft acknowledged heading changes requested by
RAPCON. Radar returns indicated the approach was normal, the aircraft disappeared from the RAPCON scope and
crashed 14 ESE from Minot at 0407 hours. No emergency calls were made, aircraft impacted ground wings level. Entire
crew suffered fatal injuries.
49
Lee A. Gunn, SSGT, 1-21-1969, B-52H, s/n 61-0037, Minot AFB, ND. ..Call sign Milan 34....At 1135 aircraft cleared for
take off, take off run was normal. Immediately after lift off the aircraft rotated to a nose high attitude of 20 to 30 degrees and
climbed to 300 feet. The aircraft then pitched down , pitched up again, then 20 to 30 degrees of left bank, at this time ejections were initiated. Aircraft impacted the ground. Ejections were not successful, all crew members suffered fatal injuries.
Harry Deel, MSGT, 5-10-1969, B-52D, s/n 56-0593..Crew E-22 from Fairchild AFB, WA... call sign Green 3...Original
Green 3 became Green 2 due to original Green 2 having maintenance problems. E-22 spare aircraft was then moved into
position as Green 3. Take off appeared normal thru gear retraction, at 2005:31 co-pilot reported ”Departure, Green 3 is airborne". Aircraft attained an altitude of approx. 800 MSL (200' AGL), the aircraft began a slow right turn which steepened to
an estimated 45 degree bank prior to impact. Impact time was 2006:12. No evidence indicates crew egress was initiated.
Water depth at the crash site is 1200 feet There were no survivors.
Clinton E. Tibbetts, TSGT, 7-28-1969, B-52D, s/n 56-0630, call sign Blue 1 was scheduled for an Arclight mission take off
was at 0711..take off was normal and lift off was normal at the 9000' marker. Aircraft was airborne for approx. 15 seconds
at an estimated alt. of 200 ft. when a burst of flames and right wing separation occurred. Flight time from lift off to impact
was 23 seconds. There were no survivors.
Earl J. Barnes, MSGT, 10-04-1969, B-52G, s/n 58-0215, Loring AFB, ME. Crew S-01 was scheduled for a no-notice ORI.
At engine start it was noted the Constant Speed Drive (CSD) on engine #7 had an oil leak. Engines were shut down, and
CSD changed in 46 minutes, at engine start the new CSD started to leak so a 2nd CSD was installed. Inspection of aircraft
by supervisor of flying was ok, aircraft cleared for take off. Lift-off 2137 EDT at 10,500 foot marker. Climb appeared normal, aircraft leveled off at 300 ft while in a slight right turn, aircraft entered a shallow descent and crashed 12,800 feet from
the departure end of the runway at 2138 EDT, entire crew suffered fatal injuries.
Jerry M. Achey, TSGT, 10-7-1971, B-52C, s/n 54-2666, This aircraft departed Westover AFB for RBS low level mission at
Bayshore, Michigan. The weather was 2500 feet overcast, visibility 2 miles. The first bomb run was made at 700 ft alt. on
target Echo and target Foxtrot at 800 ft. alt at 2305Z. Aircraft then made a right turn and proceeded on a parallel track to
the re-entry point for the same type of run on targets Delta and Charlie. Release on target Delta was preceded by a normal
20 second tone ending at 2332Z. and followed by verbal "bombs away" call from the aircrew. The aircraft turned 6 degrees
left towards target Charlie, the bombing tone was interrupted after 4 seconds duration. Attempts to contact the aircraft were
unsuccessful. There were nine fatalities.
Allen H. Murray, MSGT, 3-31-1972, B-52D, s/n 56-0625, McCoy AFB, Fla. ..call sign Sir 21 was at 7000 ft reported emergency, one engine out and number 7 engine torching. Aircraft was on final approach at 5 miles out he was told he
was above glide path , at 4 miles he was still well above the glide path. At 3 miles Sir 21 was advised he was "was well
above the glide path and too far left for a safe approach, climb to 3000 feet , maintain runway heading." Sir 21 acknowledged and stated " we'll make a go around". At 1120 Sir 21 crashed 3200 feet short of the runway with all 7 crew members
receiving fatal injuries.
James M. Troutman, TSGT, 2-8-1974, B-52G, s/n 58-0174, Beale AFB, Ca. aircraft call sign Force 30 complete air refueling two high altitude bomb runs and returned direct to Beale AFB. The aircraft completed a full stop taxi back landing. Aircraft taxied back for 2nd take off. At the 70 knot call at approximately 2500 feet from start roll the aircraft veered
abruptly to the right and traveled approx. 2050 feet trailing fire. It came to rest , exploded . There were 8 fatalities.
Robert W. Nemeth, TSGT, 12-12-1974, B-52D, s/n 55-0058, Anderson AFB, Aircraft call sign Bando 71 took off on a
training mission, air refueling, night celestial, scheduled mission duration 6 hours, 45 minutes. Prior to take off alternator
start was difficult, copilot attempted restart which was successful. A/R and navigation celestial were completed and Anderson Center cleared Bando to descend to a full stop landing. At 28000 feet an alternator was lost, copilot noted the pilot'
ADI was spinning about the lateral axis, aircraft was in steep left bank nose low attitude, at 24000 feet pilot stated "Ive lost
control , abandon the aircraft", egress was calculated to be 18000 feet. The co-pilot and navigator egressed successfully,
the rest of the crew did not survive.
50
Ricky K. Griffith, SGT, 9-3-1975, B-52G, s/n 57-6493, Seymour-Johnson, NC, call sign Exalt 15 experienced fuel
leak from right outboard wing tank. Due to this malfunction a/r and low level bombing was eliminated from the mission.
Wing flutter was experienced and aircraft was restricted to 250 KIAS, airspeed was reduced to 242 KIAS. Emerg. fuel
tank emptying procedures were accomplished by level off, 3 degrees of right wing down lateral trim was required, rudder trim was zero. At 1215 EDT both pilots airspeed was 248 knots, aircraft true airspeed 394. At 1219:59 EDT Exalt
15 requested clearance from Jacksonville Center for communications check, clearance was granted, Center told Exalt
to report back on frequency, at 1220:08 Exalt responded "one five wilco." This was the last transmission from Exalt 15.
The IP, RN, and Gunner did not survive. Accident report AF Form 711 had no further information.
John W. Moore, MSGT, 3-31-1977, B-52H, s/n60-039, KI Sawyer AFB, Mich. Aircraft with 8 crew members completed
A/R, LL bombing. Crew requested enroute descent and was cleared for a touch and go. At 30 miles aircraft cleared to
2700 feet, at 8 miles final transferred to the Final Controller, then aircraft cleared to minimum 1600 feet at 5
miles....clearance then given to start descent for landing. At 3.0 miles from touchdown, radar contact was lost, missed
approach instructions were transmitted to the aircraft . No response was received, aircraft was destroyed on ground
impact. All crew members were fatalities.
Timothy E. McFarland, SRA,,10-30-1981, B-52D, s/n 55-078, March AFB, aircraft call sign Text 10 was cleared for
training mission. Aircraft descended into the IR-177 for LL terrain avoidance, minimum night altitude was 400 feet. Entry
into IR-177 was at 1021Z, weather was clear with light winds. Impact time was 1145 Z, all eight crew members suffered fatal injuries. B-52 crew of six and 2 maintenance personnel. No futher information available on USAF Mishap
Report , AF Form 711.
Major Carter, SSGT, 4-11-1983, B-52G s/n 58-0161, Robins AFB, GA., Lure 75 and Lure 76 cleared into LL route IR
176 , wx was minimum ceiling 4600 ft, visibility 7 miles. Lure 75 entered LL at 1800Z, Lure76 entered 3 minutes later.
(Prior to entry Lure 75 reported problems with mapping radar, no indication from Lure 75 that the problem was corrected). Lure 76 reported variable weather conditions thru the LL route, requiring repeated transitions between terrain
avoidance altitudes in VFR conditions and IFR altitudes over cloud obscured mountains and peaks. Lure 75 impacted
7050 Square Top Mountain at the 6800 foot level. There were no survivors.
David W. Felix, SGT, 10-16-1984, B-52G, s/n 57-6479, Fairchild AFB, WA. Aircraft call sign Swoon 52 scheduled
for air refueling, LL at IR 276, followed by high altitude navigation leg. Swoon 52 entered low level at 0244Z, shortly
past point E, the aircraft struck Hunts Mesa at an elevation of 6130 feet..( location 13 miles NE of Kayenta, Arizona). Their were 2 deaths and 5 survivors, the Gunner and Co-pilot were fatally injured. No further information available.
Bob this completes the fatalities for Gunners involved in aircraft accidents. This does not include Gunners
killed during Linebacker, as I do not have that information. Funny story ..I don't think you may have space for
this in the SB but John Olsen (deceased, natural causes) relayed this to me personally one on one. His aircraft
was destroyed trying to abort take off at U-tapao. Prior to aircraft exploding, he exited the aircraft using the
escape rope, he started to run away and tripped, he got up and ran again and tripped again. Looking down at
his feet he saw that his Mae West had slipped off his shoulders, slid down his torso to his feet causing the tripping....
Bob, now that I look back ..wow.. I guess I never thought or realized how hazardous our missions were. I am
glad that I was able to put this report together and recognize the Gunners who died. Their aircraft accidents
actually were all not in vain, as each accident improved the structure of the aircraft, checklist changes, operational changes in all facets of flight. This no doubt increased the survivability of the crews that followed. I am
glad you accepted this report and I appreciate your support. Harry / June 15/ 0922. This completes the report.
Hope to see as many as we can muster at Tucson (ARCLIGHT/YOUNG TIGER ) reunion 29 August....or AFGA at
Orlando 2011. Harry Tolmich aka Apache Jack/ Arclight 1966/1967/1968.
Back page photo of an unusual shot of a B-52D Turret and .50 caliber guns provided by Frank Taylor. This unusual
shot provides a close up and personal look at the rear of the aircraft and it’s armament system. This early photo shows
the aircraft before the ECM APN-69(?) antennas that eventually were installed back there.
51
52

august 2 0 1 0 - The Air Force Gunners Association

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