FP-RU1956-2000

Preface

This book does not include Korea and on, that task is for those who follow. Photos range from poor to excellent quality, depending scanner and original quality. Six months of work & many photos were lost, after the original was mailed back. This history task was started way too late, 60 years after Clark Field was bombed. The initial equipment was not up to the task, but is now; lets be thankful for what we have.

These are the logo’s of the 19^th Refueling Wing – hopefully they will append their history to this.

19XX 19^th BG B17; This looks more like a European B-17 with chin turret but it was provided as 19^th BG.

1950 28^th Sqd 19^th BG Korea

1950 93^rd Sqd 19^th BG Korea

1956 AGOM (American Guerillas Of Mindanao) About 1/3 of AGOM were ex 19^th BG personnel. Furtig 2^nd row 4^th right. 93^rd Sqd Bill Williams 3^rd row 4^th right; 14^th Sqd Loyd Waters 3^rd row far right, photo from 30^th Sqd Mitsos 1^st row far right

Furtig Williams 1942 Williams 1994

Wendel Furtig mining engineer was sent via PBY to Mindanao from Corregidor two days before surrender per MacArthur to set up AGOM. Wheless B-17 crew took off from Clark, bombed shipping, were shot up and made it to Mindanao and crash land. wo of crew were killed, Bill Williams Flt Eng was badly wounded & left in hospital on Mindanao. Bill joined AGOM, till taken out by Sub to hospital in Australia Wheless was sent to states to sell war bonds and make movies, became 2^nd in Command 314^th Wing over 19^th BG North Field Guam. Colin Kelley was shot down the day before; the nation needed heros.

1960 AGOM officers: Bill Johnson PT boat radio man top left; 14^th Sqd Ben Farens front center

1966 First known 19^th BG reunion photo Denver Leonard Merchant front left E. Eubank front 7^th right

1980 19^th Reunion photo from Leonard Merchant 5^th right

1981 AGOM: Sam Wilson was Manila business man, who provided money and assistance, his camera was used to take photos on Mindanao. Samples and Merchant were from 19^th BG

1981 AGOM: McGuire a Medic lived at “MacMichaols camp” supplied food for “Dishers Camp”, Tuggles, Johnson & Mitos were at Dishers camp; Elliott escaped POW camp on Palewan, a year later made it to Mindanao, by sail boat. Mitos, Merchant, Waters & Samples were from 19^th BG. Tuggles & Johnson were from PT boat crews that brought MacArthur from Corregidor. 14^th Sqd Waters was at lumber camp putting crated P-40 together when others surrendered. Three AGOM are known to have married Filipinos.

Ben & Juanita Farrens Esparanza & John Tuggles, Rose & William McGuire

Each a successful marriage, raising & sending kids through college in US; Rose father was US WWI vet.

1991 Video clip: Vern Chandler Chairman Mrs & Mr Van Parker

1991 Col Chandler Chairman introducing Gen John Daugherty and Gen Eugene Eubank

1991 video clip: Mrs John Daugherty Mrs Van Parker

Jan 1942 Daugherty piloted an LB-30, British released version of B-24 without superchargers, via Pacific to Java, the day after arrival they flew a mission and did not return. Shot up they landed on Borneo, though rescued they flew a crew back to salvage engines – unsuccessfully as the Japanese were advancing on the field. As historian I wondered why take the chance; then realized the LB-30 used R-1830 engines and there were no spares, those good ones were worth salvaging if possible.

1981 March Field: Pete Shook & Durwood Fesmire John Turner

1981 March Field: 180 attended the 19^th reunion organized by Leonard Merchant

B-17 Clark Field pilot William H. Montgomery, at left. was assigned to Bataan, MacArthur expected Aid in the form of new planes to land on Bataan.

“The ravages of war have stayed with Montgomery, a stately, sandy-haired man of 75. Though his voice is strong and his memory clear, Montgomery is partially deaf and blind and partly paralyzed from the malnutrition he suffered during 34 months of captivity in Japanese prison camps. Sitting in the museum, holding court with his old comrades and several young airmen who gathered to listen, Montgomery recalled his capture at Bataan April 9, 1942. He also talked of the ensuing Bataan Death March, a forced walk of 70,000 Americans and Filipinos along 63 miles to the camps where many would die. Between 7,000 and 12,000 soldiers died from starvation and mistreatment on the march. A young, healthy man could have taken the grueling treatment, Montgomery said. "But we had been fighting an awful tough war for four months on (a daily diet of) six ounces of rice, one-tenth of a can of milk and one-tenth of a can of salmon," he recalled. He was shifted from one prison camp to another in rapid succession. Montgomery remembers them clearly and spells their names as he talks about them. First there was Camp O'Donnell - "the worst," where 50 Americans a day died from starvation and mistreatment. Then Camp Cabanatuan, Mindanao, Davao Penal Colony and Bilibid Prison, from which he was liberated in February 1945.”

1992 50^th Anniversary of B-29 sponsored by Boeing Seattle; Darrell Landau & Floyd Maupin AC M-11, this conversation started this 19^th BG History. The Sec. of Def. Cheney gave the speech that evening; Photo was scanned with first 1994 $700 plus scanner – it’s best quality was poor

1994 AGOM reunion San Diego (personnel are identified in AGOM file) 13 of these were in 19^th BG

1995 Dayton Ohio: Darrell Landau & Wendell Crabtree 28^th , John Cox, Katy & Vern Chandler’s with National Guard B-52 AC between them

1994 Lousy Scanner 1997 with new $1000 color scanner; Monty Montgomery Al & Maxine Young

Monty Montgomery was with 5^th Air Base unit of 7^th BG to build Del Monte Field Mindanao, spent the war as POW. When he died I received a call from his daughter, needing proof he was a veteran. I called Al Young 28^th Sqd Bombardier ex POW who made phone calls that cleared and set up arrangements.

1995 Vern Chandler speaks at Dayton dedication of 19^th Marker

1995 Air Force Band at Dayton Ohio

1995 28^th Sqd

1995 19^th Assoc board: J. Hall, R. Wolletz, B. Ley, H. Johnson, G. Savage

V. Chandler, R. Fagan, T. McQuilkin, D. Landau, E. Beck

1997 Ft Worth: Two days before we left for the 19^th BG Reunion in Ft Worth TX, I saw an HP CD-Writer on sale for $789 at Fry’s Electronics! This was down from about $1000 a month before & $2000 a year before that – I didn’t buy it. That night it kept going through my mind, it had been a goal to put the 19^th BG History on a CD. I’d made a stack of booklets about 18” high – which cost $250 just to make copies at Kinko’s of a full set – a single CD-ROM would be an ideal means of distribution. The next morning I made the purchase.

I had not planned ahead, the scanner required SCSI-I & the CD writer SCSI-II connections. The left computer had been set up to accommodate the HP Scanner’s SCSI-I interface so I installed CD Writer SCSI-II card in the right computer; I assembled my own machines to save money. The CD unit writes at 2X speed and reads at 4X speed. Invariably there are problems – I couldn’t get the software to recognize the drive. I was able to install the new software driver but the Plug-N-Play would not recognize the hardware. I tried entering the data manually in the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files but it would only give a “not installed” message? I finally determined this was because the “Windows-95 Registry” still “registered” the prior SCSI-I interface card for the Scanner, though it had been removed for several months! I had to remove the SCSI-I from the registry before it would accept the new SCSI-II definition in the registry. Tenacity is an essential ingredient, equipment problems consumed much time as well as money. The information to be recorded was in the left machine so I connected a Lap Link cable between the two machines; but even at 17700 baud, it was a slow way to move some 300 meg of data.

I moved the ZIP drive from the left machine to the right machine and started installing history files in the right machine from 100 meg “backup” ZIP disks. The data loaded reasonably fast this way. I then used Lap Link to compare files in the two computers and began the process of transferring missing or later dated files until I had all of the desired files in the right machine. The right machine only had a 1.2 gig hard drive compared with the left machines 1.6 gig plus 540 meg drives -- it was necessary to move files to various partitions to make room. Both machines were equipped with 133 meg-hertz Pentiums and Windows-95 software operating in 32 bit mode with all data on hard drives, I felt certain the machines could keep up with each other and the CD writer. It required 25 minutes to “write” 438 megs worth of files to the CD. I removed the disk and looked at it. It had a gold hue and was warm. A laser beam makes very tiny blisters as the means of storing bits. It would require a powerful microscope to see the blisters. I replaced the disk and called up it’s content on the screen with File Manager – my face lit up as it revealed the full set of directories and their sub-directories with files. Fantastic! The content of a stack of books 18” high, all on one disk! A miracle! Yet I was aware the process was already obsolete, being superseded by even better!! That night I slept well.

The Downtown Ramada Hotel had been taken over by new management after the negotiations had been made by George Savage for reduced room rates and services. Rooms normally over $100 per night were made available at $59. George was also making arrangements for a B-36 organization reunion and used the two to bargain reduced rates. George and Jim Hall did a magnificent job of preplanning and conducting the reunion arrangements.

The first night we were invited, along with Jim Hall’s and Bob Ley’s, to George Savages for a barbecue. Betty Savage prepared an excellent meal and we all enjoyed looking over George’s “memorabilia room” and his “pecan tree ranch”. It was a very pleasant evening.

Wednesday Sept 18^th , with the help of Jim Halls moving cart, we carried two large boxes of books and the computer equipment to the reunion conference room. George had arranged for a table on which to set up the computer, which was soon in operation. I took along a pair of speakers and the ZIP drive to demonstrate how music could play while working and how 100 meg ZIP disks were an option for storing data. The computer also contained a “back-up tape” drive but I didn’t demonstrate it. I installed the CD-ROM I’d made the prior Friday and called up it’s files for demonstration. The first files selected were those done with my original scanner and the photos did not display well. I shifted to a file done with the new Scanner and the picture displayed beautifully! It was impressive to see 19^th BG personnel in WW-I type helmets making their way from Luzon to Mindanao Philippine Islands at the start of WW-II. Sgt Bone had taken the photo’s and carried the exposed film with him in his tobacco container while he was a POW. The film was developed when he was released. When moving equipment back to my car I watched in awe as Ausman grabbed my heavy monitor, keeping his balance going down the escalator elevator, I thought for a moment he was going to fall.

Ausman G. & Helen S. Perry, Walter Gordon Shore, Janie & Elton D. Brown Leon Long

Ausman Perry was radio operator on B-17E piloted by Capt. A. E. Key, arriving in Java 01-30-42.

Walter Stone was navigator on B-17E, also arrived Java end of Jan 1942 via S. Atlantic route.

Elton Brown also navigator on B-17E arriving in Java 02-17-42.

Leon Long was flight engineer on B-17D piloted by Lt. (later L/Gen) John W. Carpenter III on a reconnaissance mission from Clark Field, the Philippines, on the 8th of Dec 1941, after Pearl Harbor, and a bombing mission on the 9th, returning while Clark was under attack. On the 10th, Leon flew with Lt. (Capt.) Harl D. Pease on a bombing mission. Capt Pease' aircraft was lost later in the SWPA campaign, for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honor, posthumously. Leon was evacuated to arrive in Java on 31 January 1942.

At this meeting V Poncik showed me a copy of the 7^th BG history he was preparing, it’s an excellent book. The 7^th BG history merged with the 19^th on Java, then the 7^th was set up in India and 19^th in Australia. I told Victor I had no info on the 19^th in Australia. Vick drove to his home in TX and returned with March 1942 rosters of the newly organized 19^th BG when they fell back from Java to Australia. This data was very helpful in reconstructing what went on. Vick had arrived on Java via Africa route as copilot on a B-17E.

1997 Ft Worth: Betty & Jim Parks 28^th Crew Chief M-15 Connie & Erwin Voss 28^th Crew Chief M-10

Eileen Kiracofe (husband Jim was ex President 19^th BG), Bob & Norma Wolletz ex membership chairman

1997 Museum Ft Worth

1998 Tuscon: first CD’s of 19^th BG history Fred & Dorothy Bigelow Noni & Van Parker

1999 Drawbridge Inn KY meeting site

Meeting Place in KY North to Cincinnati to go on Riverboat Ride

1999 Ohio River site of Botanical Gardens All members had boat photo taken

Downtown Cincinnati Large Down town celebration going on while there

I can’t find the photos taken of the Old Train Station Museum, a fantastic place.

Audell Hicks Bombardier Guam Bob Ley Nav Korea Helen & Ausman Perry B-17 Radio Java Aus

Audell & Ausman passed away not long after these were taken

Fay & Charlie Benton Eldon & Janie Brown B-17 Nav Java Aus

Eliot & Marilyn Tobin AC & Ralph Hemmig Nav. same crew Roy McNamee Flt Engr

George & Betty Savage AC M-22 Betty & Jim Parks Crew Chief M-15

George became B-36 driver in order to make payments every April 15 for two crashed B-29s

Joe & Judy Napieralski current Bob & Norma Wollitz ex ex membership chairman

Verna Vee & Roy Tew Nav Max & Vera Henderson Pilot same 93^rd crew

2000 19^th BG Reunion San Diego (enlarged views follow)

2000 19^th BG Reunion San Diego Left group

2000 19^th BG Reunion San Diego Center group

2000 19^th BG Reunion San Diego Right group

Reunion 2000 San Diego Glass ball provided by Art & Marie Aronsen 28^th Sqd

2000 Plaque, made by Jim Hall right, awarded to 19^th BG President Bob Ley center

Chairman Landau Reading following Certificate of Achievement provided to each member.

Landau presenting Author’s award to June Ley for Bob Ley

Van Parker expressing thanks to Art Aronsen for above Glass Balls presented to each member

Certificate of Appreciation and Achievement

Presented to: Herbert Baumgarten

Congratulations on Sustaining Your Mission to the Year 2000

You are one of a select few to answer “present”

of over 6000 who once answered 19^th Bomb Group roll calls since 1940.

You merged with persons from many sources and back grounds to become comrades – products of the “buddy system” -- for which nothing is defined in writing – yet fully understood and appreciated – by those who served in the military.

You the fortunate, went on to further assignments, defined by destiny.

We are gathered here, drawn by comradeships formed in youth, to recall the good times, the special experiences – and to pay honor to those who did not make it. Except for fate they could be here and we there.

Few, of the many who share this 19^th BG bond, actually knew each other, when placed in harms way.

The composite experience is exceptional, rich in diversity, covering all manor of human experience. Each has contributed to this segment of our nations history – to it’s heritage.

Our composite experience is pregnant with diversity:

Fun and laughter were companions of misery, apprehension and fear;

Humor and pain had many faces;

Fatigue was often deprived of its cure – sleep;

Monotony could be fractured by near panic.

Settings ranged:

from airborne vistas of beauty – to infected jungle rot;

from comfortable quarters – to hours of discomfort at duty stations;

from the thankful pause, we made it – to unreported feeling, this is it, I’ll not be back.

Buddies were parted by chance and circumstance:

Some to capture and slow death – while others endured misery with only hope of return;

Some escaped to fight again – while some were whisked to Hollywood movies sets;

Some saw diverse places – enjoying the adventure at government expense;

Some endured repetitive duties, in behalf of buddies, until relieved to go home.

Logos reveal our bond – Names of places, represent experiences and endeavors:

Entering service, March Field CA, AGOM Mindanao, Rescue missions, Chanute Field IL, Townsville Australia, Albuquerque NM, Broome Australia, Weather missions, The trip overseas, POW Luzon, Darwin Australia, Clark Field PI, Miami FL, Great Bend KS, The Swoose, POW Mindanao, Mariba Australia, Pyote TX, Hell Ships to Japan, North Field Guam, Malang Java, Kadina Okinowa, Bombing missions, Observation missions, POW Japan, The trip home, Leaving service, Looking back.

Trying or unusual circumstance gave birth to humor. When most needed, it was at it’s best.

We the fortunate are gathered here to refresh special experiences & memories;

            with those present and of those no longer with us.

It’s an honor for me, your chairman, to present this certificate to you in behalf of those who did not make it.

D. W. Landau May 2000

George & Betty Savage, Van & Noni Parker Jim & Minnie Mae Hall; Airplane Commanders all

Darrell & Mary Landau holding 19^th BG Assn Distinguished Service Award

Katy Chandler & Frank Hermes Radar operator on Chandlers crew

Zora Selliken Rebecca Slider Verna Vee & Roy Tew

Richard Osborne B-17 Mechanic POW Herb & Jane Baumgarten B-29 mechanic M-10

Bob & Bonnie Fike Tail Gunner, Marian & Carol Lawless AC same crew 93^rd Sqd

John Cox Navigator Ed Jacquet Pilot both at Clark Field Dec 1941

Delores & John Ott Wayne & Dolores Morrison both are board members, their wives handle gift shop.

Jerry Michaels & Bob Ley Bob Ley, Jerry Michaels & Van Parker

Jerry & Pat Michaels June & Bob Ley, new and retiring 19^th BG Presidents

AGOM Reunion Reno NV 1998

AGOM Reunion San Diego 2000

Portland Oregon Reunion

Paul & Joanne Tsalapatas Art Aronsen & Jerry Michaels Glass 19^th Logo ball to CO of 19^th Air Refueling

2002 Ed Jacquet and Charlie & Fay Benton, Mary & Darrell Landau & Art Aronsen

Bob & June Ley Wayne & Dolores Morrison

Ed & Charlie’s last reunion; they pass away of cancer in 2004

Bob Fike, Tail Gunner Roy Tew, Navigator Darrell Landau Engineering Officer

Clips from History Channel Video recorded at Philadelphia Reunion

2004 Above extracted from History Channel video taken at Philadelphia Reunion

Son David Landau recorded, extracted clips, made CD & box for the above

History Channel converted this 1945 black & white to color

This photo always reminds me of when the alert crew would received a call from the tower that someone had a problem. Capt Keogh would whip his Jeep behind planes to find the one in trouble – often cutting behind an engine revved up to advance, it’s high wind catching the canvas top and almost dump us over. I learned much in those first few weeks as a replacement EO, at age 21 I soon felt like an old man.

Jerry Michaels & Julia H. Jacquet Darrell & Mary Landau and Julia Helen Jacquet

Helen, whom I had just met, recalled receiving email information I prepared for a talk Ed Jacquet gave at Nimitz Museum. Ed was one of the remaining few in the Philippines when the war started. Ed’s 93^rd Sqd had been at Del Monte Field Mindanao and flew back landed at emergency field, to meter into damaged Clark Field to load bombs, the day after the initial attack.

Ed Jacquet 1943 sons Richard & Edward Jacquet and Darrell Landau > reporting on History Book Status

Ed contributed significantly to this history with his story “Flight Into History”

reserved for photo of Vern

2005 Katy & Pat Chandler with Mary Landau

Tom & Chris Mitsos 1994 30^th Sqd AGOM Bill Johnson 1942 POW AGOM PT radio operator

It’s appropriate to end this chapter on a happy note. This 1994 photo was taken when I was invited to attend the AGOM (American Guerrillas of Mindanao) reunion in San Diego where I became part of a very unique group of fellows, many of whom had been in the 19^th BG. Tom & Chris Mitsos are telling the guy he has his finger over the lens. Airplane mechanic Mitsos was left behind at Lake Lanao to refueling PBY’s from Australia to haul nursed from Corregidor. He ended up at Disher’s camp, a US WW I soldier married to a Filipino. Disher set up camp near another US WW I soldier married to a Moro. Bill Johnson, radio operator on PT boat that brought President of Philippines also at Lake Lanao was ordered by Gen Sharp to surrender. He and others buried weapons under the trail packing the dirt, before surrendering. Bill managed to escape POW camp, retrieved weapon and was being shown the way to Disher’s camp by Moros. Most were helpful but these “bad” Moro’s shot him in the back to get his gun. Bill managed to shoot back & make it to Disher’s camp where Mitsos tried to clean his wound by boiling his handkerchief and with bamboo stick and poking into the wound. I learned of this when I sidled up to the two guys sitting at the bar at one of their reunions. Bill turned to me and said this SOB tried to kill me with his bamboo stick! I knew of this from Mitsos writings for this history. Previously Mitsos and another fellow had gone to a near by villages to get a Browning Automatic Rifle and ammo for it, en-route back they encountered Moros interested in obtaining the weapon. A few days later Moros attack Dishers camp and were held off by one of the fellows firing back with the BAR. When they attack Bill dropped abruptly to the plank floor causing puss to flow out of his wound. Thus this event saved Bill’s life – both men agreed that attack was a good thing. Tom has since died but Bill & wife are doing well in FL. In the movie “They Were Expendable” it was Bill’s boat being hauled inland to carry fuel on Lake Lanao. The boat didn’t make it past a tight curve and crashed. Bill set up it’s 50 cal guns as anti-aircraft at Lake Lanao.

The day before the above photo I’d entered their conference room and paused behind Bruce Elliott & Paul Marshall, and listened unknown to them. Bruce said to Paul, “remember when those two guys escaped caught and brought back.” Marshall “yeah.” Bruce “remember how one spit in the Jap officers face.” Marshall “yeah”. Bruce, “now that was a brave man.” Marshall “yeah.” Bruce, “remember how his eyes kept blinking after they cut his head off.” Marshall, “yeah.” I found that Bruce lived a couple of blocks from me, so I arrange to meet him – to verify his story. I helped write it up, and in 2004 Bruce was interviewed and shown on the Oliver North TV program. Bruce had escaped POW camp, and a year later made it to Mindanao to join the AGOM, in the process he had killed three Japanese first hand on three occasions with a knife and was not yet 18 years old. Bruce was in charge of that AGOM San Diego Reunion in 1994.

You’re 19^th BG history spans many places and many kinds of activity. It’s been my pleasure to gather some of the stories together for you. The complete collection is on CD’s.

Thank you for the privilege of being your 19^th BG Historian; this leaves much to be desired but I tried.

Darrell W. Landau