Monroe David
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed ner Parchim in B-17 'Green Weenie' #43-38644 on 5 Dec 44
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Military
F/O James (Jim) N. Hentges (USAAF) WWII Veteran and POW.
My grandfather enlisted on 11 DEC 1942, at age 18 years, 2 days and was assigned to the Army Air Corp.
He completed his preliminary training at the Santa Ana Army Air Base - in his hometown of Santa Ana, Orange County, CA.
He was assigned to the 8th Air Force 02 Oct 1944. He was stationed at #138 Snetterton Heath Airfield. (BX-A), 96th BG (H), 339th BS, 3rd div, 45th CBW. European Theatre.
He did 7 missions, I have documented 5 so far.
1) (10?) NOV 1944
Possibly Weisbaden, Ger.
2) (15?) NOV 1944
Possibly Merseberg, Ger.
3) Mission 720 (21/11/44)
Onsabrock, Germany
#43-37647
4) Mission 723 (25/11/44)
Merseberg, Germany
#42-97971
5) Mission 725 (26/11/44)
Hamm, Germany
#42-97939
6) Mission 736 (04/12/44)
Mainz, Germany
#42-97939
7) Mission 738 (05/12/44)
Berlin, Germany
#43-38644
“Green Weenie”
(MACR 11343)
Aircraft was hit by flak and enemy fire from 3 ME 109’s and went down near Berlin, SE of Parchim, Germany. All 10 Crew bailed out, escaped serious injury and were captured by Germans. POW’s - StagLuft I - North 3 Camp. Liberated by the Russians (30/04/45)
Jim came back to the states, married my grandmother, Helen Louise (Mitchell) St. Clair, a single mother. He raised her son Michael (my father) as his own and lived a quiet life. They had no children together.
My father said he only spoke to him once about his time as a POW and my cousin said he would get upset if asked about it.
I was only 8 years old when he died, too young to ask about his military service.
I am piecing together what I can now, and have found myself emotionally attached to this part of our world’s history.
The lives lost, too many. All for our Freedom.
The stories read, aren’t just stories, they were Real Life to someone.
That part is very hard for me to wrap my head around.
Before you do anything, any thing in this life, think about those who fought and didn’t come home. And to those who were lucky enough to make it home, thank them.
Thank every veteran you come in contact with for their service, for they are the reasons we are able to live our lives, make our own choices, and live it FREELY!
NEVER forget that.
I personally want to thank each and every service member living and past for your service, for my freedom and my family’s freedom.
Sent with Love, Respect, Prayers and a Big Hug!
God Bless You, Thank You.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed ner Parchim in B-17 'Green Weenie' #43-38644 on 5 Dec 44
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near Parchim in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644 on 5 Dec 44
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #43-38644, Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed on 5 Dec 44 near Parchim in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
POW crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
...
Division
The 3rd Bomb Division was Constituted in August 1943. In December 1944, the Division was redesginated the 3rd Air Division.
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 10/4/44; Cheyenne 1/5/44; Kearney 26/5/44; Dow Fd 6/6/44; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-B] Snetterton 7/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 9/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 11/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 19/4/44; Hunter 30/5/44; Grenier 18/6/44; Assigned (H2X) 482BG Alconbury 19/6/44; transferred 339BS/96BG [QJ-X] Snetterton 20/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 2/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/5/44; Hunter 21/5/44; Dow Fd 9/6/44; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-F] Snetterton 12/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 29/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 2/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 30/8/44; Hunter 15/9/44; Grenier 22/9/44; Assigned 338BS/96BG [BX-A] Snetterton 23/9/44; Missing in Action Berlin 5/12/44 with Munroe David, Co-pilot: Gene Mench, Navigator: Ira Halverson, Bombardier: Jim Hantges, Flight engineer/top...
Military site : non-airfield
Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Event | Location | Date |
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Born | 9 December 1923 | |
Born in LeMars, Iowa, USA |
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Prisoner of War (POW) | Stag Luft I (POW) North 3 Camp - Germany | 5 December 1944 – April 1945 |
POW crashed near Parchim on 5 Dec 44 in B-17 'Green Weenie' #4338644, MIA 05/12/1944, MACR #11343 |
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Died | 15 June 1980 | |
At Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Orange County, California, USA of complications from Lung Cancer. |
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Buried | 18 June 1980 | |
Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, Orange County, California, USA |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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08 August 2019 22:52:48 | Mwatson72 | Changes to biography and events |
Sources | ||
MACR 11343 -Mission 738 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 August 2019 22:33:26 | Mwatson72 | Changes to biography, events and person associations |
Sources | ||
MACR 11343 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 August 2019 22:09:12 | Mwatson72 | Changes to unit associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Loading Lists for Missions: |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
08 August 2019 21:29:07 | Mwatson72 | Changes to middlename |
Sources | ||
I am his granddaughter. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 July 2019 08:12:49 | Mwatson72 | Changes to service number |
Sources | ||
MACR: # 11343 |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
23 June 2019 17:50:10 | Mwatson72 | Changes to surname, middlename, nickname, biography, awards, events and unit associations |
Sources | ||
Eighth Air Force Operations History Website. MACR #11343. American Air Museum Website. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:14:46 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11343 / MACR 11343, Snetterton Falcons, pg 218 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |