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| Clarence Brown at Ft. Custer, Jan. 10, 1942 |
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| Current Address: |
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| Email: |
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| Family Information: |
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| Hometown: |
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Niles, MI |
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| Date Entered Service: |
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December 26, 1941 |
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| Service Number: |
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16043401 |
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| Bomb Group: |
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40th |
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| Squadron: |
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45th |
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| Location of Unit: |
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China (1943) |
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| Missions Flown: |
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| Hump Missions Flown: |
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1 round trip |
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| Targets: |
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| Awards/Decorations: |
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India-Burma Air Offensive, China Central Burma Air Combat, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation |
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| Service Schools Attended: |
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Airplane Mechanic--Chanute Field, Rantoul, IL May 1942; Boeing Flying Fortress B-17F Aug 1942; Boeing Superfortress B-29 Jul 1943 |
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| Military Specialty(ies): |
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MOS 747-Airplane and Engine Mechanic |
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| Rank Upon Discharge: |
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S/Sgt |
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| Crew Type: |
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Ground crew |
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| Airplane Serial No.& Name: |
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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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| Date Discharged from the 58th: |
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October 13, 1945 |
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| Post-WWII Military Service: |
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| Post-WWII Civilian Occupation(s): |
| Carpenter and contracting work. |
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| Thoughts on the 58th Bomb Wing: |
| I met some good guys and some bad guys but is not that what life is all about. I learned a good deal about my trade from what I learned in the service, although I had a mechanical background before I entered the service. |
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| Comments: |
| After finishing B29 school at Boeing in Seattle I was detached from a unit in Arizona or New Mexico and sent to Marietta, Georgia. Attached to the 58th Bomb Wing and assigned to A4 under Col. Gavin (one of the finest officers I ever served under). Col. Gavin eventually left and a Major Shanks took command. The Wing left Marietta to go to Salina, Kansas and several men, an officer and I where left behind to modify engines. The officer in charge came to me and said they wanted me in Salina and did I want to go? I knew what Major Shanks wanted me for and I said I did not want to go. The officer said that was good because he wanted to keep me there. I was in charge of a crew and doing a good job and he wanted to keep me. When we finished he wanted to send me to the outfit I was detached from with a recommendation for crew chief. A couple days later he informed me that I was to fly out to Salina by commercial aircraft immediately. I stayed in the 58th Wing until we went to China where I asked for a transfer to 40th Bomb Group 45th Squadron. |
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| Clarence Brown, 2003 |
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