In This Issue of
Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time
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Welcome to the August 2021 Newsletter.
Who has 3 Silver Stars and 3 Legion of Merits? What about a Son Tay Raider. Learn about the garrison-overseas cap. Air Corps pilots, the Louisiana Maneuvers and read excerpts from the diary of a KIA.
It's all in this issue, enjoy.
Thank you for your support!
Artifacts help tell the stories, money makes the engine run, please
We tell history! Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.
Remember those that made the #ultimatesacrifice #mia #pow #kia #sonsofliberty. #patriots #army #navy #marines #aircorps #airforce #coastguard #merchantmarine; all those that have worn the cloth.
Join us on this journey.
In Their Memory,
Robert Coalter, Jason Weigler
Executive Directors
"Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time".SM
"Saving History One Soldier At A Time"SM
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Missing in Action & Buried Unknowns |
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There are still thousands classified as Missing in Action or as Buried Unknowns. In our partnership with the MIA Recovery Network we have established data on our websites regarding MIAs. We are in the process of cataloging research materials instrumental to the researcher and families in this search. The quest to account for those of our nation's Missing in Action is one of the most noble of endeavors. There are also a large number of recovered remains that are buried in ABMC cemeteries where the identity is unknown.
The recovery of MIAs pose a number of challenges. For example, Navy or Merchant Marine ships that were sunk in are unrecoverable and thus ship manifests are the primary and often only source of names for those that have perished but are still accounted for as Missing In Action.
Each conflict has had its own challenges. At the end of World War II the military had established more than 360 temporary cemeteries, but the dead were being found continually, in farm fields, forests, small church cemeteries, and isolated graves and the shores of combat zones. These dead were collected and the remains consolidated into the fourteen permanent European, Mediterranean, and North African Cemeteries maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission, and two permanent cemeteries in the Philippines and Hawaii.
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T/Sgt Fred Brann
US Army Air Forces
335th Bomber Squadron
95th Bomber Group
20 December 1943
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The case of Fred Brann is at once frustrating and compelling. Of all the cases I have read and reviewed, the case of Sergeant Fred Brann seems to be one that should have never been a mystery. In fact, Fred Brann should not be missing. But he is.
On Monday, 20 December 1943, the 95th Bomb Group and its squadrons undertook a mission across the channel to Bremen. They were part of a larger force of 407 B-17’s attacking the port facilities, along with 127 B-24’s and several fighter escorts. They were over the target beginning at 1142 and by 1214 those surviving bombers were out of the area and headed again toward England. This was the first time the Eighth Air Force had employed the use of aluminum chaff to clutter the enemy radar. 21 of the B-17’s were lost, and with the airplanes, a total of 270 men went down, missing or killed in action. Fred Brann and his crewmembers went down in the Bremen area, not far from the target. Three of the crew managed to escape the plane and parachute safely. One of these men died in a German hospital of injuries suffered in the attack. Two were taken prisoner. Seven went down in the airplane. All the seven were buried very systematically and recorded by the German command. Their graves were specifically numbered and noted as a crew lost on 20 December 1943. Their graves were numbered 2,4,8, 12, 16, 18, and 113. Of the seven, only two were identified by the Germans through dog tags. The remaining five were not positively identified but records clearly indicated that they were from the 20 December crash over Bremen. German “Kampf Flugzeuge” # KU 543 and American Missing Aircrew Report #1557 supply the basic information for this case.
At war’s end, American Graves Registration teams began a systematic canvassing of the areas known to contain burial sites of American and other allied military men. As they searched the Bremen area, they discovered the German military cemetery, with its meticulous records and dozens of US and other allied burials. From graves 2,4,8,12,16 and 18 they retrieved six of the missing crew from the 20 December crash. Grave 113 was not disturbed and no remains were retrieved from that site. It is believed that the remains in grave 113 were thought to be British. The six graves were disinterred, and the remains brought to an American military cemetery for identification and burial. Sometime in 1946, a team from the British Graves Registration Command arrived to recover the remains in grave 113. These remains were removed to the British Military Cemetery in Soltau, Germany.
In February 1947 it became apparent to the American Graves Registration Command that they had failed to repatriate the remains in grave 113, and an investigation was begun to attempt to find those remains. In fact, the AGRC concluded that grave 113 had contained the remains of an American airman with a date of death of 20 December 1943, and the remains were now in the possession of the British. The 466th Quartermaster Battalion issued a correspondence dated 17 September 1947 that states:
“A disinterment team was dispatched to Soltau Cemetery Plot XXIV, Row Grave #14 from this headquarters. From August 1947 it is established that grave #14 is grave of subject deceased. All evidence recovered is being evacuated (Evac. #1F3257) to C.I.P for final decision.”
On 10 May 1949 the British Graves Registration Command responded to the 466th Quartermaster Battalion’s correspondence:
“This is the only casualty which, according to the Exhumation Report, a copy of which is attached, does not appear to be that of a British airman.”
Working steadily through the remainder of the graves repatriated from the Bremen cemetery, the AGRC successfully identified all the remains found there, with one exception; Grave #113. German records are clear that this grave contained an American airman from a B-17G crash on 20 December 1943 along with his fellow crewmembers. At this point the Army made a determination of “body not recoverable”. The missing records in this case are the transfer of remains receipt from the British at Soltau, and the Exhumation Report. Neither has surfaced in the investigation of this case.
Fred Brann’s relative, who brought us this case, believes that Fred Brann was buried in an American military cemetery as an unknown. The “X-Files” as they are called, are files of the forensic examinations of unknowns buried in American military cemeteries. Requests for information to American Battle Monument Commission cemetery superintendents have not produced information which would resolve the issue. We believe that a rigorous review of the files will indicate that TSGT Brann is buried there as an unknown.
Specifically, we believe that a review of interments of unknowns between 1 November 1946 and 30 August 1947 will reveal the resting place of TSGT Fred Brann. Fred Brann should have been easy to identify in forensic examination. He was 36 years old, 5’ 4” in height and had unique dental prosthetic work.
Cambridge X-00046
The remains of Cambridge X-00046 were found on a beach near the Hastings pier in Sussex, England. Among his personal effects were a small leather case containing a silver dollar with the inscription, ”Good luck to you R.L.Hart” The contents of the X-file contains the statement that the remains were brought to a military hospital for examination. The location of the pier is specific and easily estimated. The Missing Aircrew Report is extensive. The target was Munich, and the date was 11 July 1944. According to the report, the aircraft sent a distress signal on or before dropping out of formation and into the undercast at 5,000 feet. Prior to that time, they had been in formation and on time and place as scheduled in the mission. The landing was a power-off since no fuel remained. On ditching the tail section and wings broke off. Six men were known to be alive and wearing flotation gear after the ditching. The bombardier spoke with each of them. Approximately 30 minutes after ditching, a rescue plane first dropped a dinghy, and then returned to attempt to rescue survivors. None were able to climb into the dinghy except the bombardier, who was the single survivor. No mention of Hart was in the report.
The question then becomes; who is Cambridge X-00046? What is the significance of the inscribed leather case? The police report of recovering the remains does not give a specific date. It does indicate that the remains were in very bad condition, the head and lower legs were missing, and part of the arms was lost. The report concludes that the remains showed evidence of having been in the water a long time. The report of the position at the time of ditching was 52.45 N/02.22 E. This places the aircraft about 18 miles from shore and may indicate the reason the rescue plane was there so quickly. Seas were said to be not especially rough.
The remains, if in fact they were those of Corporal Hart, would have to have traveled about 120 miles south from the point of ditching to the 20-mile narrow stretch of channel between Dover in England and Calais in France, and once threading that needle, then travel another 110 miles or so to be found at the Hastings Pier. It may not be impossible, but it does seem unlikely.
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Excerpted from:
"Known But to God; America’s 20th Century Wars and the Search to Recover the Missing" by Kenneth Breaux.
Due out in mid-2021.
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In November 2020 we launched our own virtual cinema. Another way to describe it is it's our own Netflix.
We have started out with 130 combat films represented by 209 clips and 1436 minutes of footage.
We will continue to add to the cinema as we have a lot of material and we will be generating much more for you to see.
This is a subscription service of $14.95/month.
Take a few minutes and go see what's "Now Showing" and decide if you want to signup and start watching. Go now !
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Sons of Liberty Museum
The Sons of Liberty has hundreds of uniforms and thousands of other artifacts in our collection from the U.S. Civil War to Present day. Our web presence now numbers in excess of 325,000 pages. We continue to accept new material for education and research programs; a number of these items will make their way on to the website. Our collection includes memorabilia from the front line soldier to the rear echelon clerk. Drivers, infantrymen, pilots, tankers, seaman, medical, artillery, armorers, engineers, quartermasters and much more. Those that were drafted or volunteered; those that did a single tour or made it a career. Those that returned with all types of injuries and those that gave their full measure being killed in action (KIA). All MOS are welcome from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines. We are Saving Military History One Soldier At A Time. We are honoring the service of the Citizen Soldier.
#sonsofliberty
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Major George W. Petrie, Jr., US Army |
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Son Tay Raider, George Petrie. His 2nd Silver Star Citation reads:
"For gallantry in action on 21 November 1970 as a member of an all-volunteer joint US Army and Air Force raiding force in the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed heliborne assault mission to rescue United States military personnel held as prisoners of war at Son Tay prison in North Vietnam. After crash-landing in the assault helicopter inside the prison compound, Lieutenant Petrie led his element in a search-and-clear action across the open and exposed portion of the compound courtyard to the main gate and gate tower to engage entrenched enemy personnel. Lieutenant Petrie, in the face of automatic weapons fire, personally charged the gate tower, clearing it with rifle fire and grenades. Then, with complete disregard for his life, he maneuvered to an exposed position in order to deliver covering fire for the remainder of the assault group. At this time Lieutenant Petrie was confronted with a counterattack, and, from this critical position, he placed accurate fire on the advancing enemy, repulsed the attack, and caused the enemy to flee. The enemy counterattacked a second time, and in a calm and efficient manner Lieutenant Petrie directed his element against the enemy and quickly eliminated this recurring threat. Lieutenant Petrie withdrew to the extraction point under fire, only after the compound search was completed and the order to withdraw was given. Lieutenant Petrie's conscious disregard for his personal safety, extraordinary heroism against an armed hostile force, and extreme devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him and the United States Army."
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Major General John Milton Finn, US Army
John Finn graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Class of 1938. He retired as a U.S. Army Major General. His 3 Silver Stars were awarded in World War II while with the 7th Infantry Division.
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Volunteers
We need volunteers to transcribe award and roster documents. You will place the material into a spreadsheet where it will be added to our database and website. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to work from home and help us with this project!
Interesting Links & Resources
Donations
We welcome donations of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries and more. Please Contact Us
Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations accepted. From small to large multi-item donations, they all tell a story.
We need you ! We need your help to further our mission of preserving and bringing this history to you and your families. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.
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Army Air Corps Museum
The Air Corps Museum online presence encompasses over 225,000 web pages with thousands of photos and other materials. Our artifact collection contains hundreds of uniforms, albums, logs, medals and more from the Army Air Service, Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force.
World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Cold War, Gulf War and current conflict donations welcome!
Volunteers
We need volunteers to transcribe documents, placing the material into a spreadsheet. We welcome new dedicated volunteers to help us with this project! Work from home.
Interesting Links & Resources
Donations
We welcome donations of papers, books, photos, gear, uniforms, jackets, medals, ribbons, weapons, equipment, scrapbooks, biographies, diaries, letters and more. Please Contact Us
You can make monetary donations. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit your qualifying donations are tax deductible.
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Captain W.E. Conley, 13th Air Force |
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Lt. James Zweizig
1st Lt. James A. Zweizig was assigned to the 371st Fighter group of the 9th Air Force during World War II. He flew 100 combat missions in a P-47 Thunderbolt.
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Items have a story, what tale do yours tell?
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Garrison - Overseas Caps
One of the ways to establish the section of the Army branch of service is by looking at the colors that they wear. Yes, the colors on the uniform and that includes the piping on the overseas cap. The Navy and Marines do not distinguish these caps. The Air force uses silver for general officers, silver/blue for officers and blue for all other ranks. Currently the Army uses gold piping for general officers and green for all other ranks. However in WW2 and Korea the US Army had many colors on the overseas cap. Distinguishing insignia, collar brass backings and shoulder cords all carried branch colors but these are topics for a future issue.
Some of the colors are tough to distinguish as they are very similar and you may have some fading on the hats in your possession. A little trick is to pull back and look at the backside of the piping, it has not been subjected to light/sunlight and the elements.
We have all types and vintages of garrison caps in the collection and we will highlight a few here but first here are the backgrounds on those caps with colored piping.
NOTE: some caps will have a weave of the colors others lines of colors. These are the same, manufacturers created different versions, but were consistent with color.
Color Schemas
US Army Branch, Primary- Secondary Color (Established)
Enlisted Men & NCOs
Armored, Green-Whits (1942)
Cavalry, Yellow (1855)
Chemical, Cobalt Blue, Golden Yellow (1918)
Coastal Artillery, Scarlet (1902)
Detached Enlisted-Staff Specialist, Green
Engineers, Scarlet-White (1902)
Field Artillery, Scarlet (1851)
Finance, Silver Gray-Golden Yellow (1921)
Infantry, Light Blue (1851)
Inspector General, Dark Blue-Light Blue (1936)
Judge Advocate General, Dark Blue-White (1936)
Medical, Maroon-White (1916)
Military Intelligence, Golden Yellow-Purple (1936)
Military Police, Yellow-Green (1922)
National Guard, Dark Blue (1921)
Ordnance, Crimson-Yellow (1921)
Quartermaster, Buff (1902) [An off-white]
Signal Corps, Orange-White (1902)
Tank Destroyer, Golden Orange-Black (1943)
Transportation Corps, Brick Red-Golden Yellow (1942)
Women's Army Corps, Old Gold-Moss Green (1942)
Warrant Officers, Silver-Black
Officers, Gold-Black (1942)
General Officers, Gold
Chaplain, Black (1942)
Originally Officers Wore Black but following introduction of Black/Gold, the Chaplain's Corps decided to keep the Black.
USAF
- Enlisted & NCO, Blue
- Officers, Silver-Blue(Black)
- General Officers, Solid Silver
US Navy
- No Piping
US Marine Corps
- No Piping
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Army & Army Air Corps Officer with Captain Rank |
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Army Air Corps Enlisted.
Despite the Lt. rank, we can only surmise that he went overseas as a Sgt.,
maybe a 'flying Sgt.' then had promotions and just kept his original cap.
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Army Infantry with Airborne Patch |
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US Air Force with Rank of Major General |
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Summer of ‘41
By Thomas Laemlein
Eighty years ago, America was enjoying its last summer of peace before a second world war consumed its people, resources, and attention.
Even though much of Europe had been fighting in earnest since September 1939, the USA remained neutral. Germany had split Poland with the Soviet Union, and then conquered Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, and France. England had survived the air attacks of the Battle of Britain but was struggling to free itself from the death grip of German U-boats. Hitler had turned East during June 1941, and the biggest land battle the world has ever known raged as Nazi and Communist ideologies began their duel to the death.
President Roosevelt announced the "Lend-Lease Act" on March 11, 1941, and as American warships escorted Allied convoys in the Western Atlantic and US troops occupied Iceland, America looked less and less like a neutral nation. Even so, more than 70% of Americans favored staying out of the war. Isolationism was the watchword of the era, and for most folks it was yet another "European problem" that they wanted no part of.
Charles Lindbergh, one of America's greatest heroes of that time, described isolationism in this way: “An independent American destiny means, on the one hand, that our soldiers will not have to fight everybody in the world who prefers some other system of life to ours. On the other hand, it means that we will fight anybody and everybody who attempts to interfere with our hemisphere."
That was the backdrop for America's extensive war games, conducted in Louisiana during August and September of 1941. On June 17, 1941, the US Army was expanded to 280,000 men. Just nine days later it was expanded to 375,000 men. Despite these additions, America’s ground and air forces were quite small compared to European armies. Meanwhile, very few in the USA were giving any credence to the growing threat from Imperial Japan. Fortunately, the US Navy was one of the finest in the world.
With an eye to the massive combined-arms battles going on in Russia and in North Africa, the "Louisiana Maneuvers" were a series of major US Army field exercises and were the largest ever held by US forces to that date. They would grow to involve nearly 400,000 troops operating in central and northern Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne, and Camp Livingston.
Two fictitious countries, represented by the Red and Blue armies (comprising a total of 19 divisions), were created for these war games:
The Red Army: Kotmik (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, and Kentucky)
The Blue Army: Almat (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee)
There were two phases of the operation, the second phase concluding with the Blue Team (led by General Patton's 2nd Armored Division) taking Shreveport. There were 26 men truly killed in these war games, most of these deaths coming from drowning or vehicle accidents. Cooperation and relationships with the confused residents of Louisiana varied throughout the maneuvers but ultimately the locals, along with their farms and crops, survived.
Some important lessons were learned, mainly about the operations of armored and mechanized forces. Much of the basis of what would become American armored division structure in WWII was learned in Louisiana during the summer of 1941. Unfortunately, US planners were satisfied with a substandard group of armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons. The M1 Combat Car and the M2 Light Tank were both obsolete by European standards. The M3 "Lee" just began production during August 1941, so it was not available for the war games. Meanwhile, US anti-tank weapons, from the new 37mm M3 AT gun (introduced in 1940) and the well-aged 75mm M1897A4 gun were good enough for the moment but were on the verge of being obsolete as well.
The basics of the new US tank destroyer doctrine (towed AT guns at this point) were tested during the Louisiana War Games and without a truly modern armored force to defend against, all seemed well. While the tank destroyer doctrine and its specialized vehicles was not a failure per se during World War II, it was never proven effective either and it was quietly dropped by the autumn of 1945. With America's entry into WWII just a few months away, many lessons were yet to be learned. America would soon learn what it was made of and discover the incredible bravery and ingenuity of its people.
For the moment though, there was still one last summer of peace for America during 1941.
Photo captions:
1) Gunfire in the streets of Lake Charles, Louisiana during early September 1941. An M3 37mm anti-tank gun blocks the road along with a 75mm M1897A4 gun.
2) Yankee invasion: Men of the 27th Division from New York on the attack outside of Lake Charles. The cannon is a 75mm M1897A4 field gun (also used as an anti-tank gun). The man at the far left has one of the recently issued M1 Garand rifles.
3) Men of the 3rd Army setting up in the streets of Lake Charles.
4) A M3 37mm AT gun set up during the Louisiana war games. The crew has gained an extra man—a local resident. The M3 gun had only been introduced within the past year.
5) Defending against a night attack on Lake Charles: 37mm AT gun covering a road.
6) As A-20 attack bombers roar over the streets of Lake Charles, the crew of a Browning .30 caliber M1917 machine gun set up for AA duty.
7) During August 1941 the US 4th Army conducted war games around Fort Lewis, Washington.
8) A 75mm M1897A4 set up as an AT gun during the August 1941 maneuvers at Fort Lewis, Washington.
9) The venerable French M1897 field gun, a hero of WWI, compared to its later American-made M1897A4 variant. The US “A4” was updated with pneumatic tires and ultimately was fitted with a split trail carriage.
10) To make the 75mm gun more mobile, the 75mm Gun Motor Carriage was conceived to provide America’s first purpose-built tank destroyer. Initially called the “T12”, 36 of the vehicles were built for testing, and a further 50 were sent directly to the Philippines in the late fall of 1941. These are seen during the Carolina Maneuvers in November 1941.
11) The T12 was redesignated the M3 Gun Motor Carriage. The fifty examples sent to the Philippines performed well against the Japanese invaders. The M3 GMC was used by US Army troops in North Africa and Italy, by the USMC through the battle of Iwo Jima, and was also supplied via lend-lease to the British and the Free French Army.
12) medal to participants of the Louisiana Maneuvers.
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We have rescued this website. It was available for many years. The creator passed in 2016 and the website disappeared. Fortunately, we had a copy of the site and have recreated it in his and all the other 32nd Squadron members memory. re-launched November 2020.
Read one story below and others on the website.
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From the Diary of James Boston
May 17, 1943-Departed from Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida at 02:00 with clearance to Waller Field, Trinidad. Passed by Nassau on course, possible to do pilotage occasionally on small islands. Were ordered to be on lookout for the crew of a B-25 down in water. Passed 30 miles right of position reported. No survivors were seen. Landed at Boringuen Field, Puerto Rico 10:30, because of strong headwinds, very stormy and turbulent weather, No. 1 engine throwing oil, interphone out, and no radio contact. Boringuen is one of the nicest fields I have ever seen.
Many entries would follow and the following are the final month's entries:
September 2, 1943-Went on mission to Bolzano, Italy (Brenner Pass) 08:45. Carried 4000 lbs. demos. (demolition bombs). Flew as low as 10 ft. off the water until the climb was begun. Saw 3 enemy Aircraft carriers near Leghorn. Before reaching target attacked by about 10 antique Italian fighters. They had two wings and non-retractable landing gear. One started to come in but my tracer bullets changed his mind. Flak moderate but accurate. Fired at German transport flying about 3000 feet below us but no visible sign of hits. Attacked again by about 10 German fighters near Leghorn. I fired about 300 rounds and really has a good time. Ball turret gunner Sgt. Walker and waist gunner Sgt. Teaster each shot down a fighter. Empty shells from the ship in front again came through our glass nose barely missing my head. Had several holes in plane including bullet holes.
September 4, 1943-32nd Squadron lost plane on mission to Capua, Italy. I did not fly. Officers shot down were Lt. Kimber (B), Lt. Crouch (P), Lt. Fleishauer (N) and Lt. Kenny (CP). Their B-17 was shot down by the captured P-38 and 5 ME-109s.
September 5, 1943-Went on mission to Biterbo, Italy 06:20. Carried 2880 lbs. frags. (fragmentation bombs). Only enemy plane seen was a transport far below us. Flak light and inaccurate.
September 6, 1943-Went on mission to Capodischino Airdrome, Naples, Italy 05:30. Carried 6000 lbs demos. (demolition bombs). Flak rather heavy. No enemy fighters encountered.
September 8, 1943-Went on mission to Frescatia, Italy 05:30. Carried 6000 lbs demos. (demolition bombs). Bombed the Villas where the German staff has it’s Italian headquarters leaving much room for promotions in the Germany Army. Flak was very intense and accurate. I was lead Navigator for the 32nd Squadron. Our plane was not hit but one pilot in the 32nd had the wheel shot out of his hands. The 97th Group lost a plane that received a direct hit over the target. Our Squadron attacked by a Regione 2001 fighter which mad several passes at our plane including two directly toward our nose. The most helpless feeling in my life was when he opened up directly at us and my gun would not come to bear on him. Somehow, he missed us and some of the gunners got him. Saw 7 fighters attack the Group ahead. 18:00—ITALY SURRENDERS UNCONDITIONALLY. Everybody warned not to fire on Italian planes which are supposed to fly over and land in Africa.
September 9-1943-Started on mission to Naples, Italy 04:00 where the Americans, British and Canadians are invading with the aid of the Italians. Had to turn back before reaching target with one engine out. We were leading the Squadron again.
September 12, 1943-Went on mission to Mignona, Italy 06:30. Carried 6000 lbs. demos. (demolition bombs). Little flak although rather accurate and no fighters seen.
September 13, 1943-Went on mission to Consilina, Italy (06:45). Carried 3600 lbs. demos. (demolition bombs) and bombed German troop concentrations in support of our own invasion forces. Ran into bad weather near target but finally found and bombed it. Very little flak which was very accurate. No fighters seen.
September 14, 1943-Went on mission to bomb troop concentrations near Salerno, Italy 06:20. Carried 3600 lbs. demos. (demolition bombs). All the invasion barges, convoys and warships shelling the coast were clearly visible below. No flak or fighters were seen. I flew the plane part way back but formation flying is not too good!
September 25, 1943-Went on another mission to Bolzano, Italy 08:15. Our ship led the Squadron. The flak over Bolzano was some of the most accurate I have ever seen. Because of bad weather and visibility the Group lead ship did not drop it’s bombs and we had to make a run with it over the secondary target of Verona. There the flak was much worse and for the first time I could hear the explosions of the flak shells under the plane and feel the concussion, they were so close. I could hear the flak fragments raining into the ship and was expecting the nose of the ship to catch some any moment when Sgt. Walker called over the interphone that he was hit. He came out and Taylor went back to apply first aid, but it was so cold he couldn’t use his hands. We broke away from the formation and headed for the coast indicating 210 MPH so we could lose our altitude over the water. Our Squadron followed but had to scatter when we ran into a bad cloud front. I thought the nose was about air tight but it was raining, sleeting and snowing so hard that snow was covering everything inside. We hit the coast just as we came out of the cloud at the point where we went in, so as to miss flak and let down. The rest of our Squadron found us along with several other planes that had scattered all over the sky. Sgt. Walker was found to have glass fragments in his face about the eyes. Reports are that he will not lose his eyesight and will be OK. Our plane had 20 to 30 holes in it making the wings, tail and bomb bay look like a sieve.
Final Entry:
September 28, 1943-Went on another mission to Bolzano Italy 09:00 to destroy a bridge over which vital supplies are going to German army. Carried five 1000 pounders. Extremely bad weather on entire trip. Had to turn back near target because of inability to see any part of Italy through clouds below. Ran into cloud front immediately after, which was even worse that that on September 25th. Heavy Ice and snow forming on wings made it necessary to salvo bombs. All planes in Group had to scatter because of inability to see each other, which was still dangerous because the planes were flying at different directions in the clouds. Hit the deck south of Spezia and headed home. Shot at by enemy boats near Corsicane Elba. Landed at base 01:00 hour late after an unsuccessful mission. However, we did better than some other planes which had close calls due to poor navigation by letting down over inland Italy.
Killed in Action
25137, "LEAD FOOT/CAROL JEAN IV" MIA Turin October 30, 1943 on its 86th mission. Charles Clowe crew, Wright, Boston, Robinson, Haberberger, Padgett, Service, Headding, Dill. All KIA. (MACR 1060).
And read more stories
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Preserve This History, Honor the Service, Provide Education For Future Generations |
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Thank You For Your Support ! |
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Thank You For Your Support ! |
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---- What is Liberty ? ----
"definition. the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views."
Merriam-Webster defines it as " the power to do as one pleases, the freedom from physical restraint and freedom from arbitrary or despotic control.
---- So what is a Son of Liberty? ----
In our context and beginning these were the men and women in America who wanted the freedom from the King of England. They desired a right of self-determination for their lives. They fought for this liberty and codified it in the Constitution of a new country. To keep this liberty they created a military to ward off the any would-be belligerent. For 244 years the men and women who have worn the cloth of our nation's military are the Sons of Liberty. They have fought enemies in other nations, they have fought each other and they have stood as sentinels of the watch.
We celebrate the service of these individuals, we tell the historical story of these selfless patriots.
---- The Sons of Liberty Museum ----
Over a decade ago we chose a name for this organization and our sister the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. We believe these names accurately describe these men and women who serve. We will not change any name to satisfy a radical viewpoint or computer algorithm, we don't allow for any revisionist history, we tell the factual stories.
We are Saving Military History One Soldier at a Time.
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Need a Good Book?
Check out these titles.
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I was a navigator in the 459 Bomb Group 758 Bomb Squadron flying B-24's from Torre Giulia Field, tower named 'Coffee Tower', a gravel airfield near Cerignola, on the Foggia Plains of Southeastern Italy during the period August 4, 1944 to May 16, 1945. I flew 50 combat missions over targets in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Northern Italy.
Project Option: 6×9 in, 15×23 cm
# of Pages: 386
IsbnSoftcover: 9781714032860
Publish Date: Dec 12, 2019
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Most aircraft of World War II had pictures of sexy girls, tributes to sweethearts, songs and home. The planes were fondly referred to in a feminine manor. That was not the case with this B-17 tail number 42-25233. He was Rigor Mortis.
This is the story of Rigor Mortis and his men who flew over 120 missions from North Africa and Italy in 1943 and 1944.
Project Option: 8×10 in, 20×25 cm
# of Pages: 382
IsbnSoftcover: 9781714727803
Publish Date: Apr 20, 2020
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A Novel of MACVSOG in Vietnam. By Gene Pugh a Special Forces Recon Team Member.
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Surrender Not an Option
Survivors guilt is not the only thing that is bothering Allen Purvis. He has to relive in his mind the battles in a denied area when he was assigned to MACVSOG the ultimate secret organization during the Viet Nam war. He is put to the test when he commands his friends to sacrifice themselves to save the others of the unit. Wendy Salas, nurse at the 95th Evacuation Hospital sees the horrors of the war everyday. Her pain is personal. A chance meeting on R&R in Hong Kong brings these two people together as soul mates in a hope that one of them can save the other. Purvis like the others wondered why they were saved and the answer was there all the time.
- Paperback : 312 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1539108333
- ISBN-13 : 978-1539108337
- Dimensions : 6 x 0.71 x 9 inches
Gene is a member of our advisory board.
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By Tom Laemlein
Tom is a member of our advisory board.
Many of the photos and illustrations in this book, some of them in color, are strong enough to be displayed in full page format. The images deliver the gritty details of USAAF armaments’ use down to their nuts and rivets, and the high-velocity rounds they fired. This is a unique photo-study, with many of the photos never-before published.
U.S.A.A.F. Aircraft Weapons of WWII
This book focuses on the war-winning weaponry of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. With 144 pages containing more than 250 photos it offers stunning visual details of the machine guns, cannons, bombs, and rockets carried into battle by USAAF bombers, fighters, and attack aircraft.Many of the photos and illustrations in this book, some of them in color, are strong enough to be displayed in full page format. The images deliver the gritty details of USAAF armaments’ use down to their nuts and rivets, and the high-velocity rounds they fired. This is the first photo-history of its kind, with many of the photos never-before published.
Combat conditions dictated that many aircraft were adapted into roles for which they were not designed. As necessity is the mother of invention, aircraft were modified in both their roles and their armament. B-25s became ground attackers, A-20s became night fighters, and every wartime USAAF fighter was adapted to carry bombs.
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301st Bombardment Group DVD
Enjoy this history of the 301st Bombardment Group in World War II with this discovered archival film footage. The first footage is in North Africa where the 301st moved after a short beginning in England. From Maison Blanche to Biskra, Algeria in 1942-1943 then Lucera, Italy in 1944 and many missions in between. Watch the men on the ground and in the air with both black and white and color footage. There are also some scenes with sound. Listen to the commanders recap the North African Campaign and a crew interview.
Watch the mission to bring back repatriated POWs. View the destruction of war on the enemy at the various targets of the 12th and 15th AF heavy bomber units.
View some great color footage of General Spaatz and General Eaker in the desert of North Africa. Listen to Generals Eisenhower, Spaatz and Doolittle talk about the Tunisian Campaign. Watch the bombs drop on missions including the oil fields and production facilities at Ploesti, Romania. View destruction on the ground. Watch as liberated POWs of the 15th AF are brought back to Italy.
This DVD contains a mixture of black and white and color film footage.
There are a number of minutes that contain sound. Runtime: 218 Minutes (3 hours, 38 minutes). Price: $39.99
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MIAs - Missing in Action
We have information on over 90,000 MIAs. This includes most all the World War II MIAs and some from World War I, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War.
With our strategic partners, the MIA Recovery Network, we want to tell the last chapter in the life of these Citizen Soldiers.
We would also like your help in telling the first chapters of the lives of those still Missing in Action. Do you have service photos of a family member that is or was MIA? News articles? Service related material?
Material on Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines MIAs:
Air Corps:
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X-Files - Buried Unknowns
There are many citizen soldiers whose body was recovered, but they are unidentified. There are thousands of these unknowns buried in American Battle Monument Cemeteries around the world. They are also known as X-Files.
Material on Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines X-Files can be found:
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Awards, Rosters
Unit Documents
We need you ! A continued big thanks to our fantastic army of volunteers. We have much more so if you can type and have a couple hours each week we can use you !
Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force
We have received material on many units and are hoping to compile much more.
Unit Citations, Awards, Transfers, Rosters
Many groups received unit citations during their particular conflict. The paperwork, in triplicate, would include a roster of all assigned and attached personnel. We are seeking and requesting copies of those roster documents. Please search your papers, talk to your association and help us out with this information and get them to us pronto!
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Attention Website Owners &
Veteran Associations
Many WWII veterans organizations have shut. Many these organizations had developed some type of website, some with enormous amounts of data and history. Sadly, many had/have not made provisions for their website to be continued and thus when the bill stops being paid, the website disappears and all the work and information is lost. We want to help and we need you to help us. If you know of a disbanding group, please have them get in contact with us; we would like to bring their website and information under our wing. If they want to continue to maintain it we can give them access to continue that as well. One of our top goals for this and every year is to preserve this history not lose it!
Not a WW2 unit? That's ok. We are also interested in your history and want to help preserve it. Korea, Vietnam and all other conflicts.
If your organization has physical materials such as uniforms, patches, photos and other memorabilia do you have plans for them when you cease operations? We would be honored to be the custodian of your group's history.
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Contact
Sons of Liberty Museum
Army Air Corps Library and Museum
Directors' Line: 214.957.1393
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