- The B-24D - Kickapoo, with it's regular crew, and pilot, Lt. John S. Young on the far right, before the mission to bomb Ploesti. Lt. John Young and his regular crew member's lives were spared when Group Leader Col. John R. Kane reassigned them to fly with him in his plane, Hail Columbia, on Operation Tidal Wave over Ploesti. Kickapoo crashed and burned on takeoff for the Ploesti mission, killing the two replacement pilots and all but two of it's replacement crew, Lt Russel Polivka, navigator, and SSgt Eugene Garner, gunner. - Aircraft Destroyed - Lete, Libya - 1 Aug 1943 Kickapoo's reassigned crew for the Ploesti bombing mission : --- 1st Lt. Robert J. Nespor - Pilot - (KIA) - 98th BG - Died two weeks later from his burns 2nd Lt. John C. Riley - Co Pilot (KIA) Detached Service from 93rd BG - Died from his burns 2nd Lt. Russell W. Polivka - Navigator (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Severely Burned - Recovered after long rehabilitation T/Sgt. Vaun D. Wenrich -Engineer/Top Turret (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Died of his injuries T/Sgt. Armand R. Massart - Radio Op (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Died of his injuries S/Sgt. George W. Lawlor - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Died of his injuries S/Sgt. Edwin G. Sliwa - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Died of his injuries S/Sgt. Eugene R. Garner - Gunner (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG - Badly burned - Survived and recovered after long rehabilitation. S/Sgt. John P. D'Armour - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG