American Air Museum in Britain

Capt. John S. Young - from Dallas, Texas - In the 9th Air Force - the 98th Bomb Group - and the 344th Bomb Squadron. Lt. Young was assigned to fly with Col. John R. "Killer" Kane, as Kane's copilot in Kane's B-24D, Hail Columbia, for the Ploesti mission, Operation Tidal Wave. John Kane and John Young, flew, Hail Columbia, to their target, found and successfully bombed it, and led the planes in their own 98th Bomb Group, and the 44th Bomb Group, following them to it's Initial Point. All three of their element's groups found and bombed their targets, which had been heavily compromised by having been bombed beforehand by remnants of the 93rd and the 376th Bomb Groups. In spite of being hit by flak and heavily damaged by over 150 flak hits approaching their target at Ploesti, neither Col. Kane, Lt. Young, nor any of, Hail Columbia's, crew members were seriously wounded. They all survived the mission and returned successfully to Cyprus Island, where they survived crash landing, Hail Columbia, on the British airbase at Nicosia, Cyprus. Aug 1, 1943

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