Entered service 3 February 1942 at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, GA. Graduated 20 weeks Airplane & Engine Mechanics Chanute Field,IllGraduated 04 weeks B-24 Specialist training Ford Bomber Plant at Ypsilanti, Mich. 1942. On site training at Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, AZ, Biggs Field, El Paso, TX. and Alamogordo AAF Base Alamogordo, New Mexico Aug, 28, 1942 thru July 25, 1943. Went overseas on Queen Mary. Arrived Wendling Norfolk England Station 118 on August 01,1943. Oct. . 08,1943 my first B-24 #42-7488 --'HELLZADROPPIN' was lost in action with Capt. John G. Buschman as pilot. The radio operator and two gunners were Killed in Action (KIA) with the rest of the crew Prisoner of War (POW)s. Nov. 18,1943 my second B-24 #42-7502 'BAKADORI' was interned in Sweden as it was unable to return to our base. 2nd Lieutenant. David M. Fogarty was pilot. All of the crew was interned to later be returned to our base and sadly 1st Lieutenant. J. W. Ott, 2nd Lieutenant. J. K. Parrish, T/Sergeant. S. Louizedes and T/Sergeant. A. R. Slama were killed Mar 25,1945 in a mid-air collision on 2nd Lieutenant. Phillip Kaiser's crew along with the rest of the crew. Mar. 05,1944 Lt. Guy Carnine's Crew finished their 25th mission today and became the first Air Crew in the 392nd Bomb Group to finish their missions on my B-24 #42-7518 'HARD TO GET'Mar. 18,1944 my third B-24 #42-7518 'HARD TO GET' was lost in action with 1st Lt. Walter C. Raschke's crew aboard, all were Killed in Action (KIA) except two enlisted gunners and one of them was Killed in Action (KIA) later. June 09,1944 1 received the bronze Star Medal for having 32 combat missions on B-24 #42-7518 'HARD TO GET' without a mechanical abort. I was honored by having General Leon Johnson pin my medal on. Sept. 09,1944 my fourth B-24 #42-52548 'JAW-JA BOY' was lost in action on it's 45th mission. All the air crew were Killed in Action (KIA) except 1st Lieutenant. Louis M. Stephens the pilot and 2nd Lieutenant. William I. Riddleberger the co-pilot who were badly burned and became Prisoner of War (POW)S. Sept. 11,1944 just two days after losing 'JAW-JA BOY' my fifth B-24 #42-50358 'PLEASURE BENT' was lost in action with 2nd Lieutenant. Harold E. Jones's crew aboard. Five were Killed in Action (KIA) and four were made Prisoner of War (POW)S. At this time of the war my AMs (Airplane Mechanic) and I were taking care of two B-24's and at times they would go on the same missions together. My last two B-24's were #42-51240 'WINDY CITY BELLE' and #42-50571 'DIRTY GERTIE' were able to make their mission on to VE DAY and carry some of our members home to the USA in MAY of 1945 My ground crew, who were Sergeant. Clayton C. Whisman and PFC Theron Harding and I finished up with 143 missions without one abortion. May 13,1945 I was given an air tour of Europe to see some of the damage that was done by our 8th AIR FORCE. We also landed in Belgium and crossed the Rhine river into Duisburg, Germany by way of a pontoon bridge. We were in town from 11:45 AM until 04:00PM then we returned to our base in England at 08:00 PM. That was quite a birthday present for me as I became 24 years of age that day. May 15,1945 my orders came through to leave the next day for the good ole USA. on B-24 #42-51459 'LADY DIANA III' with Capt. Walter M. Bell, Jr. command pilot and lst Lieutenant. James A. Hoover's air crew plus four of us ground crewmen. We were taking the southern route through the Azores and on to Bradley Field, Conn. We arrived there on June 06,1945 after being weathered in at every stop. June 11,1945 I arrived home in Atlanta, GA. for a 32 day delay in route furlough and then reported to Sioux Falls, S. D. for an assignment to the Pacific Theater of War as I had a critical MOS at that time. I was there when they dropped the A bomb. This ended my trip to the Pacific and I was sent to Charleston Army Air Base in Charleston, SC until I was scheduled for discharge at Fort McPherson, in Atlanta, GA I received my honorable discharge Sept. 17, 1945.



BS/ EAME w/ 2 battle stars/ DUC/ GC/ WW II VM; 578th Crew Chief. On 9 June 44, Gen Leon Johnson pinned the Bronze Star Medal for 32 missions flown by his planes without a mechanical abort. Ships were Jaw-Ja-Boy