Squadron: 403rd
Position: MOS l024 Involved with B24's-C46-C47-L5. Mostly fun.
Served: From March l943 to Aug. l946
Originally from: Virginia
Training: Virginia, Fla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Georgia, Mass.to name a few.
Citations/Medals: None
Planes: Don't know.
Number of Missions: One.
Description of Missions:
From Ieshima to Oke, to Japan and points in between.
Most poignant, sad or touching memory of the war:
Can't remember any.
Funniest or most fun memory of the war:
Running the 5th Air Force laundry while attached to 5th Air Force Headquaders
Sq.
Any odd or strange memories from the war:
My one and only mission while flying B-24's was to take the aircraft from
Ieshima to Oke. we had to drop our bomb load in the ocean enroute. After
landing at Oke. we had towait on the ground with a number of other B-24's
to go to Japan to pick up US Militaryprisoners of war. After waiting
approximately three hours, we flew back to Ieshima.Mission was cancelled.
My one and only landing from the left seat was a real cruncher.
Most heroic thing I saw or did:
Can't remember, except talking a pilot who went off the deep end with his
45 while I wasstationed in Korea with the 3l7th troop carrier sq.
Where I was and how I celebrated when I learned the warwas over:
Sitting around and doing nothing while in Ieshima (well, almost nothing).
How having gone to war has affected me, what comes to mindwhen I think
of the war:
Led the life of a single man from Aug. l946 until Feb. l949 doing a retail
hardware businessuntil l952 at which time I took a job flying for Piedmont
Airlines until age 60 (l984).Hobbies - building boats, furniture, electric
organs, model railroads and anything elsethat my crippled hands will allow
me to do (I have Parkinson's disease) and a bad back.I am just getting into
computers.Have the original wife, Honey, four children and seven
grandchildren.
To future generations:
Use your vote wisely - it's the most precious thing you have except for good
health