33 School St., Randolph, VT 05060

Wife: Myrtle; Children: Sharon, Kim, Kevin

Bangkok, Singapore (3), Palembang, Yawata, Mukden, Tokyo

Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Gunnery School and Central Fire Control Mar 1943

Top Gunner and CFC Specialist, Engineer C-109

42-65273 Big! Ain't It, 44-70002 Sky Chief

New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. , 1941-1949

Self-employed Auto Mechanic, Apr 1949-1986

I was very proud to be a small part. I was part of some combat missions, then because of difficulty in having necessary gasoline available, our crew was on detached service for 4 months ferrying gas to China over the Hump in C-109s, converted B-24s. Then we returned to Dudkundi and soon transferred to Tinian Island for combat missions again.

My flying in combat stopped in May 1945. On a mission over Tokyo our crew was not scheduled to fly but I had to fly as a substitute top gunner on another crew. The pilot, Lt. Mather, was on his first trip as 1st Pilot. Thirty minutes after takeoff in a brand new plane we lost an engine. We returned to base on Tinian, dropped the bomb load in the ocean and attempted to land at 11:30 p.m. He undershot the runway and ended up in the coral rocks at the entrance to the runway. Six men died in the front (massive fire). Five of us jumped 20 feet to the ground from the top escape hatch in the rear of the plane. That plane (002) had a short tour of duty -- about 2 hours total.