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| Claude Benseman, WWII |
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| Current Address: |
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194 Plantation Avenue, Tavernier, FL 33070 |
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| Email: |
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| Family Information: |
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Parents: Claude C. and Helen. |
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| Hometown: |
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Pottsville, PA |
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| Date Entered Service: |
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October 8, 1941 |
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| Service Number: |
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13029401 |
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| Bomb Group: |
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444th |
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| Squadron: |
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678th |
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| Location of Unit: |
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| Missions Flown: |
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35 |
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| Hump Missions Flown: |
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Approximately 20 |
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| Targets: |
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Bangkok, Anshan, Okayama, Omura, Rangoon, Singapore, Mukden, Hankow, Kuala Lumpur, Jahore Straits, O Shima, Kobe, Tokyo, Osaka, Kure, Chiba |
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| Awards/Decorations: |
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Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 4 Bronze Stars
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| Service Schools Attended: |
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Airplane Mechanics Oct 1941; B-29 Armament Mar 1943; Flight Engineer |
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| Military Specialty(ies): |
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MOS 1684-Airplane Power Plant Mechanic-Gunner |
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| Rank Upon Discharge: |
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| Crew Type: |
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Flight crew |
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| Airplane Serial No.& Name: |
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42-24584 Lucky Lady |
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| Were you a POW? |
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No |
| If so, where? |
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| Were you interned? |
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No |
| If so, where? |
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| Date Transferred from the 58th: |
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July 18, 1945 |
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| Date Discharged from the 58th: |
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October 17, 1945 |
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| Post-WWII Military Service: |
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| Post-WWII Civilian Occupation(s): |
| Pilot, Delta Airlines -- 30 years -- 1952-82 |
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| Thoughts on the 58th Bomb Wing: |
| To a kid who was "hooked" on airplanes from day one, being with a new high tech, state-of-the-art, "before its time" aircraft was to be proud and honored. Also being part of the first outfit to take the airplane into combat was awesome. I saw a lot of the world through the blister of a B-29 -- China, Burma, India, the Pacific, Japan, Manchuria, Malaysia, Thailand, Indo-China, Sumatra, Formosa, etc. |
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| Comments: |
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| Claude checking a prop |
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| Claude Benseman C. 2000 |
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