Jack Preston Rencher

Military
media-15946.jpeg UPL 15946 WERNER G. GOERING CREW - 358th BS
B-17G #43-37838 Fearless Fosdick (358BS) VK-A
(crew assigned 358BS: 07 Aug 1944 - photo: 10 Aug 1944)

(Back L-R) 1Lt William D. Sachau (B), 1Lt Jack P. Rencher (CP),
2Lt Rex H. Markt (N), Capt Werner G. Goering (P)
(Front L-R) S/Sgt Paul A. Bishop (WG), T/Sgt Chester "Chad" Brodzinski (R)(*),
T/Sgt William J. LaPerch, (R), T/Sgt Orall R. "Gus" Gustafson (E)(*),
S/Sgt Clarence W. Houseman (BT)(*), S/Sgt Weldon T. "Tex" Mahan (TG)(*)

(Ranks and Grades at time of last combat mission)

Object Number - UPL 15946 - WERNER G. GOERING CREW - 358th BS B-17G #43-37838 Fearless Fosdick (358BS) VK-A (crew assigned 358BS: 07 Aug 1944 - photo: 10 Aug 1944) (Back...

Jack P. Rencher started flying in Phoenix Arizona in 1937. He was operating a D8 bulldozer, graveyard shift, in an open pit copper mine when Pearl Harbor happened. He had to pass a test to enlist in the Army Cadet Program as he got kicked out of high school his 2nd year. He went through Santa Ana California, Tulare, CA, (PT-17s, for Primary), Bakersfield, CA, (BT-13s for Basic) and graduated from Williams AFB for Advanced, P-38s. 
His first assignment was to Yuma Arizona gunnery school where they put him in B-17s to fly gunnery students 8 hours per day, 6 days per week. There he built up a lot of B-17 time fast and learned to love them. On Sundays he usually slow timed new engines, test flew repaired airplanes, studied and slept. He did go to Yuma City once maybe. 

He was next sent to Salt Lake City where he was asked to and did volunteer to be assigned co-pilot and was assigned on a B-17 crew. After crew training the crew was sent to England on the Aquatainia, a large English ship. They were lucky and assigned to the 358th Squadron in the 303rd Bomb Group. After completing 35 largely uneventful missions, the last one, number 35, was Christmas Eve December 24, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, he then returned to the states and was assigned to the 5th Ferry Group in the Air Transport Command in Dallas Texas. There for the next 2 or 3 years he delivered airplanes from PT-17s to B-29s all over the world. 

He then became a civilian, acquired an A & E. Mechanics license and over the next half century wore out a Cessna 140, a 170, 4 Bonanzas and 2 Barons. He received an award from the Idaho Dept. of Aeronautics for flying over one half century over 22,000 hours with out an accident or a violation. He confesses to probably having a violation or two but just never got caught. He married a beautiful lady, Louise, before he left the Service and they raised three fine sons. 

Jack passed away August 20, 2010 in Boise, Idaho.

Connections

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Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19073786 / O-761810
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fearless Fosdick
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

25 March 1921 Son of Guy Benjamin and Irene Ramona [Eigholz] Rencher.

Enlisted

Phoenix, Arizona, USA 16 May 1942

Died

Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA 20 August 2010

Buried

Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA 25 August 2010 Dry Creek Cemetery  

Based

Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Updated event locations per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 57748698

SOURCE:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57748698/jack-preston-rencher

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C type in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorHotelie1970
Changes
Sources

GENERAL ORDER # 633, 17 December 1944, from Headquarters 1 Bomb Division by Brigadier General Turner.

Date
ContributorHotelie1970
Changes
Sources

GENERAL ORDER # 555, dated 23 November 1944: From Headquarters 1st Bombardment Division, Office of the Commanding Brigadier General Turner.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum Membership List, July 2000

Jack Preston Rencher: Gallery (1 items)