A NINTH AIK FORCE BOMBER BASE. FRANCE—Two Texans of the “White Tailed” B-26 Marauder group, commanded by another Texan, Col. Wilson R Wood of Chico, Texas, are helping to deliver smashing aerial blows to the enemy as combat members of “The Punching Bag,” a veteran twin-engined B-36 medium bomber. Relaxing near the nose of the plane after returning from a mission against a railroad at Trier, Germany, they aie: Second Lieutenant James W. Bankston, Atlanta, Ga., co-pilot (left), and Sergeant James E. Bivin, 22, of Percilla, Texas, engineer-gunr.er, (center) and Second Lieutenant “Nick” Parrish, 23, pilot of Emhouse, Texas, (right). All three have earned the Air Medal for participating on more than five combat missions. (source : Corsicana Semi Weekly Light of February 9, 1945 )