Lewis Melvin Schulstad Jr

Military
media-31536.jpeg UPL 31536 Captain Shulstad and lead crew on bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany, pose in front of a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, England. 30 January 1944.

Rear L-R: 1Lt John De Sousa Jr, 1Lt James P Zwayer, 2Lt John M Chapman, Capt William C Heller, Capt Louis M Schulstad.
Front L-R: Sgt Paul E. Buckley, T/Sgt Felix Spoerri, S/Sgt Anthony Laurinitis, S/Sgt Leo Lanier Jr, S/Sgt George S Payne, T/Sgt William J Huston, S/Sgt Melvin E. Schultz.

Object Number - UPL 31536 - Captain Shulstad and lead crew on bombing mission to Brunswick, Germany, pose in front of a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd...

Enlisted in the Army May 23, 1939. Retired December 1965 as an Air Force Colonel.



He enlisted at Rantoul, Illinois-Chanute Air Force Base May 23, 1939-received Cadet training in Tucson Air Base, graduating in August, 1941-reported to Allan Hancock College of Aeronautics in Santa Maria, California for first appointment as flying cadet. Graduated from West Coast Flying Center at Stockton Field, California in March, 1942 and commissioned a Second Lieutenant.



10-Jul-42 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico with rank of 1st Lieutenant. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me". Stationed with 303rd Bomb group of the 8th Air Force for 33 months-promoted to Major in 1944. Led formations over Germany and other parts of Europe completing 44 missions-received Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, and Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters while in England. Retired December 1965.



Completed 44 missions; went to Schweinfurt three times. Real first name is Lewis but AAF misspelled name as Louis. He reported to the 306th stateside on 19 March 1942, but flew overseas with with 303rd on 06 Jul 1942.



Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.

2 DFC; AM w/ Silver OLC;

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

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
Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11116755
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Photographic
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-678165
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-676573
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer

Aircraft

Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Beats Me
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yardbird II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Shak Hak
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yardbird II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Duluth, MN, USA 9 March 1918
Reynolds, ND 58275, USA 1 August 1919 - 22 May 1939

Enlisted

Rantoul, IL 61866, USA 23 May 1939

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico with rank of 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Pilot aboard B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS.

Other

Mission #1, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/360BS

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie.

Other

Mission #4, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie.

Other

Mission #6, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 42-5260, 303BG/360BS

Hamm, Germany 14 February 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-5260 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but severe weather forced Wing Cmmand to recall the entire formation. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8, 1LT Louis M. Schulstad, w/B-17F 42-5260, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 16 February 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-5260 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaaire, France. RTB OK.

Died

Everett, WA, USA 6 January 2012

Buried

Tahoma National Cemetery, Kent, Washington

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 24-Feb-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 24-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 14-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG wensite, Gary Moncur, Historian. Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG wensite, Gary Moncur, Historian. Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment with 303 and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections of AIrcraft (through 23-Jan-43) and Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG wensite, Gary Moncur, Historian. Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Jan-2015. Deleted Aircraft connection - confusing to loss details.

Date
Contributoressla
Changes
Sources

Eric Schulstad

Date
Contributoressla
Changes
Sources

Eric Schulstad

Date
Contributoressla
Changes
Sources

Eric Schulstad

Date
Contributoressla
Changes
Sources

Eric Schulstad

Date
Contributoressla
Changes
Sources

Eric Schulstad

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition, First Over Germany pg. 324;son;

http://www.303rdbg.com/360schulstad.html; National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Lewis Melvin Schulstad: Gallery (5 items)