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| Wilbur Cipperly, 1944 |
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| Recent Address: |
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359 Maria Drive, Toms River, NJ 08753 |
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| Email: |
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| Family Information: |
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Parents: Raymond and Edith; Wife: Dorothy; Children: Raymond J., Diane; Sibling: Arthur |
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| Hometown: |
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Belleville, NJ |
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| Date Entered Service: |
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February 3, 1943 |
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| Service Number: |
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32761979 |
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| Bomb Group: |
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462nd |
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| Squadron: |
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768th and 795th |
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| Location of Unit: |
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Hayes, KS (September, 1943) |
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| Missions Flown: |
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35 |
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| Hump Missions Flown: |
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8 round trips |
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| Targets: |
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Bangkok, Yawata, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Anshan, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya |
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| Awards/Decorations: |
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Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal with 1 Bronze Star and 1 Silver Star, WWII Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Air Crew Member Badge, AAF Tech. Radio Operator Badge
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| Service Schools Attended: |
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Radio Operator-Mechanic-Scott Field, IL Mar 1943; Philco-Radio Mechanic- Philadelphia, PA Jul 1943; Extensive First Aid Course-Truax Field, Madison,WI Aug 1943 |
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| Military Specialty(ies): |
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MOS 757-Radio Operator-Mechanic-Gunner, AAF, First Aid and Backup Radar Operator |
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| Rank Upon Discharge: |
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S/Sgt |
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| Crew Type: |
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Flight crew |
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| Airplane Serial No.& Name: |
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42-24506 Untouchable and others without names. |
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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 28, 1945 |
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| Date Discharged from the 58th: |
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October 3, 1945 |
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| Post-WWII Military Service: |
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| Post-WWII Civilian Occupation(s): |
| Electrical Draftsman, 1946 to 1956Electrical Designer, 1956 to 1970Senior Electrical Designer, 1970 to 1980Chief Designer Controls, 1980 to 1988, retired in 1988 |
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| Thoughts on the 58th Bomb Wing: |
| Looking back, my service with the 58th Bomb Wing was a great lifetime experience. Being a member of Captain Hadley's combat crew created a great sense of camaraderie that lasted many, many years after the war was over. For many years we enjoyed the Wing reunions and inside of those we had our crew reunions. Our Pilot stayed in the service and was killed in the Korean Conflict. Our crew enjoyed many reunions together through the years. Now only two of us remain. Our Flight Engineer, John Evans, living in Sun City, AZ and me here in Toms River, NJ. We still talk to each other by telephone once in a while. One by one our crew members have passed away, the last being Bill Meader, our Co-Pilot, who left us about two years ago. |
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| Comments: |
| I am including a photo of me taken in 1944 and one of me taken in 2002. Also included is a photo taken in China of our crew with "Untouchable." In this crew photo: back row, left to right: Tom Walsh, Left Gunner; Bill Meader, Co-Pilot; James Whithurst, Bombardier; John Dates, Central Fire Control; Bill Meuwissen, Navigator; Stan Lewison, Tail Gunner. Front row, left to right: Wil Cipperly, Radio; George Hadley, Pilot; John Evans, Flight Engineer; Ken Crowell, Right Gunner; Francis Boyer, Radar. |
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| Crew of the Untouchable, 1944 (see comments above) |
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| Wil Cipperly, 2002 |
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