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| Current Address: |
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N81 W13139 Country Terrace Lane, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051 |
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| Email: |
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| Family Information: |
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Parents: Frank and Marion |
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| Hometown: |
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Milwaukee, WI |
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| Date Entered Service: |
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December, 1942 |
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| Service Number: |
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O-766403 |
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| Bomb Group: |
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444th |
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| Squadron: |
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676th |
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| Location of Unit: |
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Tinian (June-October, 1945) |
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| Missions Flown: |
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2 training missions (not credited); 8 combat missions (1 aborted); 1 "mercy" mission (ditched) |
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| Hump Missions Flown: |
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| Targets: |
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Utsonomiya, Namazu, Fukui, Osaka Nava Base (aborted), Tsu, Hachiogi, Toyokawa, Hikari, Sapporo (mercy mission) |
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| Awards/Decorations: |
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Air Medal, Purple Heart, WWII Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citations (2), Theater Ribbons
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| Service Schools Attended: |
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Ranking Field-Tulare, CA Aug-Sep 1943; Merced Army Air Field-Merced, CA Oct-Nov 1943; Williams Army Air Field-Chandler, AZ Dec 1943-Feb 1944 |
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| Military Specialty(ies): |
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MOS 1093-Pilot B-29 VHB, MOS 1055-Pilot, Single Engine (Instructor) |
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| Rank Upon Discharge: |
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1st Lt. |
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| Crew Type: |
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Flight crew |
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| Airplane Serial No.& Name: |
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42-24873 Snuffy, 42-24720 Fu-Kemal-Tu
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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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October, 1945 (I think) |
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| Date Discharged from the 58th: |
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January 16, 1946 |
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| Post-WWII Military Service: |
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Promoted to Captain in Air Force Reserve. Ended service in reserve about Nov 1958. |
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| Post-WWII Civilian Occupation(s): |
| Architect, Civil Engineer |
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| Thoughts on the 58th Bomb Wing: |
| The most meaningful months of my life. |
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| Comments: |
| Co-pilot of plane ditched off of Iwo Jima on mercy mission. Entire crew survived. Promoted to Airplane Commander after end of hostilities. Transferred to 509th Bomb Group before returning to U.S.
"The War Years" an excerpt from "Reminiscing: The Life of John Birch" is available in 58th Bomb Wing Memorial Collection.
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