V1945G11PRPC.DOC

Personnel

28^th Sqd Staff wartime

28^th Sqd Staff peacetime

93^rd Sqd Staff wartime

Engineering Awards

Public Relations

19thBG Presidential Citation

28^th Sqd Flight Crews

28^th Squadron

War Time 28th Squadron Officers

Front row	Mid row	Back row
Cap Charles R Keough	1st Lt Robert C Ivers	1st Lt Wilbur E Koltz
Cap Jack C Plampin	1st Lt John P Pulos	1st Lt Richard F Bateman
Maj O'Neal	2nd Lt Darrell W Landau	1st Lt Robert S Hines
Maj George A Uhrich	Cap Fred E Daubert	1st Lt Robert F Smith
Maj Vern Chandler	Cap Robert L Forbes	1st Lt Andrew J Sesock Jr
Maj Lee C Free	1st Lt Fred H Bigelow	1st Lt Fred D Pultz
	1st Lt Bernard Bugg
Maj Van Parker far right	Capt William S. Ireton (DOC)

I saw these people every day at the mess hall. In Aug 1992 personnel of the 20th AF met in Seattle for Boeing Day to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first flight of the B-29. At that time Wilbur Koltz provided the names for this photo, I knew the faces but not all of the names. Of those in this photo only Wilbur Koltz, Vern Chandler and myself Darrell Landau were at the Boeing Day meeting. Sec of Defense Dick Cheney gave the main speech at the 20th AF dinner.

Pultz, Smith & Bugg and I lived in the same barracks.

The ranks shown here are those as of 31 July 45, many increased in rank about the time of the photo. Capt Keough became Maj when moving from Squadron to Group Engineering Officer, Landau, replacing Keough would in time became 1st Lt.

All but Pulos, Ivers, Pultz, Hines & Landau returned to the states about the end of 1945. Pulos, Ivers, Pultz & Hines left in the next wave leaving replacement Landau the last to return.

Operations in Saipan, Tinian and North West Field Guam moved into the 19th Group Areas of North Field. MacArthur issued orders freezing all remaining 20^th AF engineering officers in place until peace time replacements took their place. When consolidated this included some 150 frozen Eng Off's, even after most of the planes had been flown to the states. We went en-mass to the Air Inspector to get home in time to start school the fall of 1946, many of us had started but not finished engineering school.

Post War 28th Squadron Officers

Back row	Front row
	1st Lt Fred D Pultz
	1st Lt Robert C Ivers
Cap Lomax
1st Lt Bob Felton
1st Lt John P Pulos	1st Lt Robert S Hines
	2nd Lt Buck Slacum
	1st Lt Darrell W Landau

Capt Lomax, our new CO, had me meet him at 314^th Wing HQ which resulted in setting up the 19^th Bomb Groups PLM (Production Line Maintenance)

Bob Felton's crew rolled over the B-29 M-44, Buck Slocum was his Flight Eng and 28th Sqd Assistant Eng Officer. Five of us: Pulos, Pultz, Ivers Hines & Landau were carry over from Old Crew photo. All shown except Landau went home in a second wave, though he had more points than most of the flight crew members.

War Time 93rd Squadron Officers

First row	Second row
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5 1st Lt Richard A Nevill	5
6	6
7	7 (93rd Sqd Armament Off)
8 (93rd Sqd Eng Officer)	8
	9
	10
	11

I knew their Squadron Eng Officer & Armament Officer but cannot recall their names.Richard Nevill from Dalas TX gave me a set of his 1st Lt bars & congratulations saying I'd been promoted.

Left: Capt Austin F. White, ________, Maj Charles R Keough, _________, Col John A Roberts Right: _______, _(93^rd Sqd Eng Off)__, __(93^rd Sqd Arm Off)__, Col John A. Roberts 19^th BG CO White was 30^th Sqd Eng Off, Keough prior 28^th Sqd Eng Off was then 19^th BG Eng Off,

These were War Time Engineering Officers with prime responsibility for the repair and maintenance of all systems on B-29 aircraft. These awards were presented in the Group Briefing Room. Capt White brought his friend, a nurse, to our movie theater with upside down bomb boxes and bordered by a large pile of tree trunks fellows climbed on to relieve themselves, unaware a female might be in the audience.

J. Roberts C. Keough G. Uhrich & V. Chandler

Uhrich, 28^th Sqd CO, and Keough, 19^th BG EO, saved my fanny from courtsmartial, Chandler, Lead Crew AC in M-2, was first I recognized in 1992 when I remade contact at Boeing Seattle sponsored 50^th anniversary of the B-29 for the 20^th AF personnel. Vern was Chairman of the 19^th BG Association.

Roberts, 19^th BG CO, was originally with the 7^th BG, arriving in Australia in early ’42 where he was stationed at Townsville as part of the newly created 435^th Sqd attached to the 19^th BG. He returned to the States in Nov ’42. Daniel Sidelko, Crew Chief of M-2, said Roberts had been his CO in a B-24 outfit in England using radar to find German U-Boats. Roberts served during the Korean & Vietnam War and retired from service in 1966 as a Brig Gen after 30 yrs military service. He worked for General Dynamics Ft Worth as a Program Director until retiring in 72'. All the above returned Nov 1945.

Public Relations Photo, typical

Illinois B-29 crew members of the 20^th Air Force decorated July 21, 1945 by L/Col George T. Chadwell

Left to right: Flight Officer Robert B. Shaffer, 3734 North Kilpatrick Chicago, Illinois, Air Medal with one oak Leaf Cluster; First Lieutenant Godfrey J. Cardine, 1058 West State Street, Rockford, Illinois, Air Medal; First Lieutenant Paul T. Klink, 12914 South Elm Street, Blue Island, Illinois, Air Medal; First Lieutenant Robert T. Bliss, 521 Columbia Terrace, Peoria, Illinois, Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster; Flight officer Joseph M. Buscaglia, 5034 Warwick Avenue, Chicago Illinois, Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster; Staff Sergeant Kenneth L. Cox, 5237 Huron Street, Chicago Illinois, Air Medal; Staff Sergeant Walter I. Tebbit, 412 North View Street, Aurora, Illinois, Air Medal; Master Sergeant William F. Cokeing, 369 East 73^rd Street, Chicago Illinois, Air Medal; and L/Col Chadwell, their deputy group commander.

Crew Members from Illinois, not a specific crew)

19^th Bomb Group Presidential Citation Presentation

7th Presidential Citation to 19th BG, Taken by me from our observation bleacher a B-29 cockpit

7^th Presidential Citation Ribbon being applied to the Groups Flag

L/Col Harry Mailey L/Col George Chadwell at left Col Storie at right

7^th Presidential Citation It was announced we were to have a full blown military parade, the 19th Bomb Group was to receive it's 7th Presidential Citation. The 19th BG was a B-17 outfit stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines, where they were bombed Dec 8, the same day as Pearl Harbor was bombed. The end of Dec they fell back to Australia then moved to Java from which they operated till falling back to Australia March 1942 and reorganized. In March 1942 after MacArthurs party was taken to Mindanao they flew the MacArthur party from Del Monte Fld Mindanao to Australia. The reorganized 19^th BG operated out of Austalia until Nov 1942 when they were returned to the State and it’s personnel used as key personnel in forming the 20^th AF. Thus the 19^th was receiving it’s 7^th Citation, and would be the only Group in the 20^th AF to remain following the return of others to the US when WW2 ended.

Prepare for Parade All operations were brought to a halt. Flight officers unknown to me were in charge of preparing for the parade. The ground crews were ordered to dress in suntans and fall out for drilling on the aircraft service aprons. M/Sgts were put in charge of formations to practice marching for the occation. This choice was a disaster, the M/Sgt crew chiefs obtained their rank due to superior technical skill and judgement. Few had marched since Basic Training. M/Sgt Simmons came to me for help. I went with him to where air crew officers were applying their cadet marching experience to prepare for this parade. I didn’t know the 1/Lt in charge but intervened, saying I wanted to speak with him for a moment, he’d become aware these fellows knew me. I said these M/Sgts are mostly crew chiefs who are damn good at what they do, but they haven’t marched for years. I said they know eachother and will trust you to pick the right one for the job quite independent of their rank. I left but was told he asked for volunteers for key positions and things went well.

Non Participants We engineering officers were never asked to participate and we saw no reason to volunteer, we were not needed, flight crew personnel did an excellent job. I don’t know about other ground crew officers but Webber and Wycofe and I gathered our new cameras and selected a parked B-29 to use as a bleacher seat from which to watch the parade. A significant part of my military training had been spent in the parade business, and found myself watching with curious detachment. Others were being presented the Presidential Citation – I’d not been put in harms way and was observing those who earned the citation. This parade was not as sharp and crisp as our Cadet parades but it had real meaning to those who’d lost close friends and and said prayers of thanks for their own return. Had I known then that my college room mate, a B-29 Navigator and Cousin a Navy Carrier Pilot had been killed I would not have felt so detached.

1/Lt Pultz M/Sgt Simmons General Cutis LeMay

Basis for Citation After the parade some of us were lounging about in the barracks when Pultz, who'd been laying on his bed, spoke with a desire to tell us something. Pultz was the squadron Intelligence Officer whose job it had been to de-brief flight crews on their return and write the squadron mission reports and operational history. Pultz had been reflecting on the war and its incidents, what really happened vs what was reported. He and his counterparts should write a book.

Pultz chuckled saying, You know, that mission for the 7th Presidential Citation was actually a fouled up. All ears, we asked, How's that?

Pultz said the mission used for the citation had been picked because the Navy sent 20^th AF a message of congratulations, this mission stood out because of this praise. The 20AF accepted the Navy's congratulations with a return msg like always glad to help in a common cause. After all it had been a cooperative effort, the Navy hitting Japanese air bases during the day and the 20th AF diverting bombers to help knock out Kamikaze launch sites causing the Navy great harm. 20th AF Hdqrs passed on the word of the job-well-done. Pultz said he smiled with pride till he checked the location, then asked, "Who in the hell bombed THAT target, it wasn't even on the list!" The Navy found their planned target had already been wipped out?

Pultz and other de-briefer's went back over mission reports and reinterrogated some of the crews. Pultz had us laughing as he told it as being a comedy of errors, of radar out and dropping off a lead ship. The supposed lead ship had released bombs either on a mistaken target or because of being hit. Others seeing the lead plane drop figured they'd missed their cue, and then dropped theirs. Others indexing on them followed suit. As told it was a hilarious story dribbling of bombs across rice paddies with some by chance wiping out a valued target. Each of the crews had reported dropping off the leader as planned, their reports were that of a mission well done. There was nothing in the official record indicating anyone had gone astray.

Bombing methods Prior to Mar 45 the practice had been for aircraft to form up as Squadrons at altitude after reaching the Empire and go in formation dropping their bombs using the Norden Bomb Sight. Initial results were terrible because of high speed Jet stream winds, delays forming up, poor visibility ; they had to carry 1/4 a bomb bay of fuel to make up for the loss due to the method. LeMay took over from Hansell and changed the technique to low altitude, at night using incendiaries. The target was marked by Pathfinder airplanes with good Radar making a big X with fire bombs. Airplanes flew on their own, no longer needing bomb bay tanks. Variations of this were used when they ran out of incendiaries and used high explosives. Maximum efforts were being pushed thus there was ample opportunity for errors to be made without the crews knowing it.

Pultz said they decided to leave well enough alone and let the mission go on record as being a great success as confirmed by the Navy. But you can join us in the image of Bombardiers seeing others release, then release his own, not sure but not wanting to be stuck with a load of bombs. It seemed an ideal script for a comic opera, as planes seeing others drop releasing their own with the effect of dribbling bombs onto out houses and rice paddies.

Gen LeMay became head of the 20th Air Force replacing Gen Hansell who had been in charge of operations starting on Saipan. LeMay had been a Navigator before becoming a pilot had had flown as Gen Spatz Navigator on prewar test flights. He had gone to the 8th AF after operations had been underway and was taken back by returning pilots saying if you stay on a bomb run Flak will get you. He couldn't sleep knowing the entire effort was wasted if they couldn't stay on a bomb run. He tells of getting up at night, getting out an ROTC artillery book and determining the odds of being hit based on the dispersion pattern of a gun. (I could relate to this as I was taking engineering in a Land Grand College and we were required to take Coast Artillery.) LeMay felt the odds were definitely in his favor and pressed for staying on a bomb run. He also initiated staggered formation flying of B-17's to concentrate the fire power of the “man handled” guns. These innovations caused him to be sent first to China then Guam as head of 20th AF to find ways to get better results.

He initiated lead crew training & abandon the practice of forming up for high altitude attacks by each Squadron as a unit. They were to go in as independent planes and form up with others on the same target for mutual protection. This was followed by low level flights using incendiaries, a method which proved very effective. And this was followed by announcing in advance that one of three cities to be bombed, a tactic to show the Japanese that they could not defend themselves.

LeMay was visited by Spatz near the end, Spatz & Doolittle were preparing to start operations out of Okinowa. Spatz reported back to Hap Arnold and Arnold requested LeMay return and brief the Combine Chiefs of Staff. LeMay expressed the conviction that Japan was already defeated. Hap Arnold was the only one of the Joint Chiefs who voted against dropping the Atomic Bomb.

28^th Squadron Flight Crews

Chandler, Vernon L. Stevens, James F. Wayne C. Christensen Lane, George H Jr Allen, Neil C. Hermes, Frank J Jr Richard C. Ackerman Galbreath, Harold L Tannehill, Robert W Snook, Douglas F Kurre, Roy H Kindberg, Rutger H Kerzner, Andrew J

Eugene M. Seitz Robert M Howe Emmet S. Epley Esmond S. Carey Richard R. Ackerman Arthur L. Kendrick James H. Baxendall Thomas C. Atchinson Edward J Doherty Victor O. Dorr Lewis F. Svagreyr

James F. Stevens Robert M Howe Emmet S. Epley Esmond S. Carey Johnathan B McMinis Arthur L. Kendrick James H. Baxendall Thomas C. Atchinson Edward J Doherty Victor O. Dorr Lewis F. Svagreyr

Wells, Chester M Jr Tuech, Thomas E. Ray, Harry Bigelow, Fred H. Butler, Paul F. Mascaro, William A. Casper, Edward Diamond, Leland A. Blouin, Norman J. Bikofsky, Edwin M. Bracey, H. B.

John Randolph Jr. Billy R. Huffman Bernard Van Arkel William E McFain Joseph E. Jamieson Thomas Adams Lloyd B. Ford Kenneth G. Aiken Joseph H. Alves William R McNeill Harry D. McCluskey Chester E. Williams Albert L. Lockwood

Floyd Maupin M-11 crew first to complete 35 mission and with No aborts, J. McCall CC

Maupin, Floyd M Dorrough, Henry W Harris, Donald A Campbell, Lowell M Carlson, Harry W Glanville, Donald C Campbell, Thomas S Comstock, Robert G Kreps, Charles N Lull, Leroy R Terranova, Craig J

M10

Joseph R. Carroll John B. Merritt William F Cottrell Roy M Albert Jr Forrest A. Johnson Joachim J Gabriele William T. Stahl Charles J. Foster John Kukel Phillip F. McGovern Louis G. McDonald

Chadwell Simmons, Joe L. Christensen Wayne A. Brasfield, Joseph D. Bishop, Kenneth L. Brocktrup, Leo A. Turkisher, Robert Burns, Thomas J. Kern, John H. McCluskey, Harry D. McNeill, William R. Doole, Joseph A.

Philip S. Crow Marvin F. Dierking Hansard W. Manton Joseph J. Stefani Joseph E. Webber Harold J. Roberts Charles L. Shumard Warren A. Smith Allen H. Smith John E. Schenk Harold U. O'Bryan

Van Parker and crew M-9

Van R. Parker Calvin D. Hawkins William J. Buffo Kenneth E. Wilber Byrle Lerner Pedro M. Maese George W. Phillips Cormack J. Quinlivan Cassell Biggs John McSherry Jr Roger R. Tetrault

Gammel, Hans P. N. Donaldson, Richard L. James, John F. Leiby, William C. Anderson, Roland S. Harvick, Roy C. Buhr, Walter J. Jr Edmonds, Paul E. Spokovec Carl J. Maneese, Raymond C. Diamond, Len Lodi, Remo J.

Jack S. Ambrose James M. Beelman Walter C. Hulen Elmer D. Jackson Joseph J. Benjamin Oliver B. Barber Keith A. Major Julius A.Barbera Gerald W. Willoughby Everett R. Williams Robert J Deemer Jay B. Sauers

Boggs, Ion “Ike” Wilson, Dave Butzier Aronsen, Art Wood, Al Sattelmeyer, Bob Emerson, Jones Pietz, John Mitchell, Loyd Meyer, Francis Baldwin, Al

Spencer, Robert H. Wiley, Burl T. Jr. Vezeau, Dean F. Hechinger, Adolph Jr. Eriksson, Sherwood T. Barnett, Lynn V. Kimbell, John T. Jr. Ownby, Edwin W. Nomick, Alex Muchkivch, William H. Marolewski, Richard V.