V1992RU-2000-2008
2000
19th BG Reunion San Diego
(composite)
2000
19th BG Reunion San Diego
Left group
2000
19th BG Reunion San Diego
Center group
2000
19th BG Reunion San Diego Right group
Reunion 2000 San Diego Glass ball provided
by Art & Marie Aronsen 28th Sqd
2000 Plaque, made by Jim Hall right, awarded
to 19th 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 19th 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 19th 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 19th
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 93rd
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 19th BG Presidents
AGOM Reunion San Diego 2000
Portland Oregon Reunion
Paul & Joanne Tsalapatas Art Aronsen & Jerry Michaels Glass 19th Logo ball to CO of 19th 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 93rd 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 30th 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 19th 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 19th 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 19th BG Historian; this leaves much to be desired but I tried.
Darrell W. Landau
