NEWS, NOTES, ETC.
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31st Bomb Group Association Reunion 2010 Minutes
of the 31st Bomb Squadron (H) Association Meeting Reston,
Virginia September
11, 2010 Association
president Bill Fallin called the meeting to order. Willie Martens gave
the invocation followed by Fallin’s welcome to all in attendance. A moment of
silence was held in honor of members of the 31st Bomb Squadron (H)
who died since the last reunion: George Vickers, Donald MacAllister, and
Frank Yonkovich. Association
treasurer Jim Doty presented his report. The current balance in the
Association treasury is $2726.17. (See attached sheet) Joanne
Emerick presented the secretary, historian, and newsletter editor’s reports.
Emerick handed out copies of the current mailing list of Association members.
She commented that many members did not pay the Association dues for the
current year and a number of members are several years overdue. Several
overdue members who were attending the meeting paid their dues at that time.
Emerick commented that she only put out two issues of Tail Winds in
2010. She did not publish an issue in January because of the rush to complete
the 31st history book. The other two issues were quite small in
comparison with past issues of Tail Winds. Emerick explained that most
of the information/stories she usually put in the newsletter were now
contained in the 31st book. Emerick told the group she did not
take either of the $100. checks she was due for writing Tail Winds
because the issues were so small. Emerick read several correspondences she
has received, including a card from Ruth MacAllister that expressed great
thanks to Association members for the friendship and love they had shown her
late husband and Association past president, Donald MacAllister. Emerick
reported that in the first two months after publication, over 700 copies of
the 31st Squadron’s history, COURAGE BEFORE EVERY DANGER, have
been sold. She said that because of the numerous complimentary copies that
had to be given, the cost of travel and advertising, etc. the book project
was paying for itself but not generating any profit yet. She announced that a
new website dedicated entirely to the Squadron’s history book will launch on
Wednesday, September 15, 2010. The website will be: couragebeforeeverydanger.com ON SALE NOW The book,
"Courage before every danger, honor before all men" written by
Joanne Emerick, is now available for purchase. The book follows the exploits
of the 31st Bombardment Squadron as it fights its way across the Pacific
during WWII This complete history of the squadron is told by the men
who lived it from their unique eye witness accounts. It contains 421 pages of
emotional and heartwarming recollections along with maps and photographs. This "just
published" book is available in hard and soft cover. The cost for hard
cover is $48.00, for soft cover $35.00. The price includes shipping and
handling. Hard Cover _________@ $ ________Each= $ ___________ Soft Cover __________@ $ ________Each = $ ___________ Totals
__________
$ Amount ___________
(Quanity) To order, please mail
your request to : Emerick Historical
Productions, Box 254 Hoxie, Kansas
67740 Note: This form is
also available at http://www.couragebeforeeverydanger.com.
Just go to the site and click on "Order Book Now". THE SQUADRON By Joanne Emerick
As a youngster, I sat at my father’s feet when he watched World War II
programs on television. He’d say, "I was there!" or "I
remember a time when…" He planted a seed of interest in me – a seed that
blossomed into a passionate desire to know what he experienced as a medical
corpsman in the Pacific during World War II. But Daddy died long before I knew what questions to
ask. His name was Wendell Pfannenstiel, and when he passed away
in 1974, I was only 22. I had just finished my first year of teaching.
Time passed, and my teaching and research skills developed. By 1992, my
students were winning national awards in the History Day research program. I
realized then that I could take the same skills I was teaching my students
and use them to find the men Dad had served with during the war. Not only
would my questions be answered, but I could record Dad’s stories for his four
grandchildren – little ones he never knew. So I began a search for the members of the Army Air Corps’
31st Bombardment Squadron (H). From Dad’s comrades I learned of the vital
role they played in the war effort, and I heard the stories he never shared. The Search Armed with a reunion notice in American Legion Magazine,
and CDs containing phone directories from across the nation, I began a search
for the men with whom Dad spent three years overseas. The search led me
to 200 veterans who would soon become my other dads! The first “31ster” I met was Max Baker of Topeka, Kansas.
He had survived the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by lying on the
Hickam Field runway as bullets from Japanese planes tattooed the asphalt on
either side of him. Bombs hitting the barracks destroyed all of Max’s possessions
except for a Bible inscribed with the phrase, “Give to the Lord the first few
moments of each day and He will be with you all the day long.” I mailed Max a photo of the Squadron medics, and I cried
when I read the first line of his reply: “Oh, yes, I knew your daddy!” I then found the two survivors of Dad’s medical corps
unit. Bob Estes of Crescent City, California, and Charles “Chic” Kudlac
of Grants Pass, Oregon, had lived only 90 miles apart for 50 years, but
hadn’t been aware of each other’s presence. They immediately reunited by
phone. Chic died soon after, and Bob and I were devastated. It would be five
years before I met Bob. From him, I finally learned of Dad’s wartime
experiences. “We did crash duty at the airstrip,” he said. “We’d take
the wounded from the planes and give them first aid and get them to the
hospital. If a plane crashed, we’d take bags and pick up body parts.
I’d like to tell you more about that, but we buried those things so deeply, I
just can’t recall them anymore.” More Stories As I met more 31sters, I heard
more personal stories – each one touching my heart in an indescribable way.
When Ernie Ruiz’s B-17 went down, Ernie and his crew spent days adrift
in the South Pacific before washing ashore on a small island where they lived
with the natives for 51 days. The natives taught Ernie to pack his badly
wounded leg with crushed coral, and Ernie taught them to play games and run
races. When he was finally rescued, the natives promised that if he stayed
with them, they would give him a “Mary.” [Since missionaries’ visits years
before, all women were called “Mary.”] I reunited Donald MacAllister and Owen Carr, whose
relationship had been forged in 1943 when Don administered in-flight first
aid to 18-year-old Owen after the young man’s leg was destroyed by a 20mm
shell. While aiding the wounded Carr and his fellow waist gunner, MacAllister
manned both of their machine guns in an effort to keep Japanese planes at
bay. “He is my hero!” said Owen, who received the Purple Heart and a visit
from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on his 19th birthday. Tragedies and Triumphs But my heart broke for the 31sters I would never meet,
like William W. Patton, Jr., a Missouri farm boy who survived the Pearl
Harbor attack and was later transferred to the European theater. “Junior”
disappeared while returning to England in his P-51 Mustang from a mission
over Germany on January 15, 1945. In 1989, Junior’s mother died at age 93,
still waiting for her firstborn to come home. On February 22, 2001, a
French farmer digging an irrigation ditch found Junior's P-51. Junior Patton,
wearing his flight jacket and dog tags, was still at the controls where he’d
been waiting to be discovered for the past 56 years. I never met Leon Martin and crew, who took off from Momote
Airdrome in the Cisco Kid with a full bomb load but couldn’t clear the
trees at the end of the runway. The B-24 crashed, and its nine 500-lb. bombs
exploded. Leon and his crew died instantly, as did many men eating breakfast
in the Seabee camp into which the plane fell. Tragedies interlaced with triumphs for this squadron.
Presidential Unit Citations and Distinguished Unit Citations followed them as
they island-hopped across the Pacific, taking out the Japanese bastions on
their way to the Philippines. They were young and brave and never questioned
their country’s call. “None of us wanted to be there,” said Bob
Estes, “but we had a job to do, and we simply did our part.” The survivors came home and resumed their lives. One
became a Kansas wheat farmer, one a Texas rancher and another a surveyor and
accountant; one joined Exxon Oil, another became a Professor at the
University of Kentucky, and yet another became the chief Russian interpreter
for U.S. presidents. All enjoyed the freedom for which they had fought
the war. The Classroom Connection In an attempt not only to teach history but to bring
history alive for my students, I took the stories of the 31st Bomb
Squadron (H) into my classroom with unexpected results! My students wanted to
find “heroes” of their own and become story tellers in their own right, and
many sought veterans. Some used the National History Day Program as their
route. They chose a topic and found the people who had experienced it
firsthand. They read books, magazines, and newspapers, searched for
documents, photographs, and firsthand narratives, and, most importantly,
conducted personal interviews. They had to become critical thinkers and learn
historical analysis. It wasn’t enough to report their findings, they had to
measure their subject’s impact on history. The fact that the students’
academic skills developed was marvelous, but what was more wonderful were the
personal relationships that developed between my students and the veterans
they worked with. The story of Jeff and Doc is a prime example. Jeff, my student, met former flight surgeon “Doc” who had
been a World War II prisoner of war. Doc survived the Bataan Death March and
endured four years of Japanese captivity. Doc had been so silent about his
wartime experiences that his youngest children did not know their father had
been a POW. Doc broke his self-imposed silence when he agreed to let
Jeff conduct interviews with him that Jeff transformed into a media
presentation. The unloading of his painful memories caused one of Doc’s
sisters to say to Jeff, “After 40 years, you’ve given us our brother back.”
One of the biggest changes, however, occurred in Jeff. He was a
perfectionist, obsessed with winning. He entered his presentation in the
History Day program, and it was questionable who was more nervous at the
district contest – Jeff, who wanted to win, or Doc, whose experiences were
about to be made public. Jeff began his presentation and as it played, he
watched Doc, who stoically sat in the front row nervously shredding a paper
cup. That’s when Jeff began to change, to see his project not as a way
to earn honors for himself, but as a personal tribute to a man he’d come to
love. Doc was deeply affected by the program. After it won first place at the
district competition, he accompanied Jeff to the State History Day contest.
As the award ceremony began, Jeff said to me, “Mrs. Emerick, I want to win so
badly. But not for me, I want to win for Doc.” Imagine the emotions present
as Jeff was named the 1st place winner and he stopped to take Doc
to the winner’s stand with him. The scene was repeated a month later when
Jeff & Doc once again stood together on the winner’s platform at the
National History Day Contest at the University of Maryland, and Jeff
whispered to me, “This medal should be Doc’s, not mine!” Some of my students chose a different route. We hosted
Kansas’ first official high school graduation ceremony for World War II
veterans who had begun their service before they completed their high school
career. Through Operation Recognition, my students planned the ceremony,
decorated the auditorium, designed the diplomas and programs, and helped
interview the veterans who would receive their diplomas. On a beautiful fall
afternoon, with many state and local dignitaries present [including the
national founder of Operation Recognition], thirteen elderly veterans came
down the auditorium aisle to Pomp and Circumstance, each on the arm of one of
my students. Amanda volunteered to escort Karl, who was blind. Jenna gently
led Lee, who was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. She treated him with
such dignity and respect. Gina escorted Raymond, whose hair she had combed
shortly before the ceremony began – Raymond, known only as the local junk
dealer to the townspeople, but to Gina he was the hero who braved the Nazi
gunfire on D-Day and had a Purple Heart to prove it. With History Day, Operation Recognition, and the multitude
of other projects my students did with veterans came an education that was
far beyond what could be achieved through normal classroom activities. The
students learned that every veteran has story to share, and that many have no
one to share it with. The students learned how to listen. They learned
respect, patience, perseverance, and above all, patriotism from a generation
who fought a war they didn’t ask for, and won a war for the country they
love. The lessons the students have learned will stay with them for a
lifetime. Recording History Today, many of the 31sters I came to know are gone, and
with each passing, my heart breaks a little more. Now in the twilight of
their years, those remaining have asked me to use the Squadron’s official
records, and their diaries, letters, photos, and personal interviews to write
their history. They are concerned that the younger generation of
Americans, especially their own children and grandchildren, don’t understand
and appreciate the patriotism and personal sacrifice necessary to preserve
our freedom. I began that labor of love Nov. 1, 2006, and plan to have their
history ready for publication in November, 2008. On December 7, 2006, I joined Dad’s comrades in Hawaii for
the 65th Anniversary Commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor
and neighboring Hickam Field [where the 31st Squadron was
stationed]. We toured the barracks where they had been quartered, touching
the bullet holes that remain in the stucco walls. We walked to the base
flagpole which still stands proudly today, 65 years after it withstood 100
bombs that hit Hickam Field during the attack. We cried when Air Force
personnel presented each man with a flag that had flown from that historic
pole. At Punchbowl National Cemetery I placed flowers at the graves of
thirteen 31sters, twelve of whom were killed in combat, and I wondered if I
was the first person who “knew” them to visit their gravesites. Finally, we
traveled to Kipapa Gulch and Kualoa Point where the Squadron had been
relocated following the 1941 attack. It was there Dad joined the 31st
in 1942, and I could feel his spirit still present after sixty-four years. I have used my new-found knowledge to develop a
multi-media program on Pearl Harbor and will be taking it into classrooms
soon, hoping to ignite a spark of interest in yet another group of students.
I also continue my efforts to preserve the history of the 31st
Bombardment Squadron (H) as their Historian and editor of the Squadron
newsletter, Tail Winds. I think Daddy would be proud of my
efforts and he and his comrades would be proud of the legacy they have left
for future generations. NOTE:
Joanne Emerick has written a history of her father's Army Air Corps
squadron. For more information, contact Joanne at joanneemerick@hotmail.com.)
To order a copy
of the History, see the order form provided above this article.. A HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN
VISITS PEARL HARBOR ON DECEMBER 7, 2006 At
7:55 a.m. on December 6, 2006, five Eagle jet fighters flew overhead from
the Hawaii Air National Guard in the formation of the "missing
man." The faces of the Pearl Harbor survivors in the crowd became
uneasy. On that day when they heard the sounds of the jets passing over
Hickam Field, most got tears in their eyes, or bowed their heads in prayer.
It was an historic occasion and an honor to be a part of. My Great Uncle Lou
Roffman was in the Army Air Corp. in 1941, and was stationed at Hickam
Field in Honolulu. Two weeks ago I went to Hawaii to attend the 65th
anniversary services of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Witnessing that
event will influence the rest of my life. My Great
Uncle Lou loves to tell stories about his life, including his long service in
the Army Air Corp., and the newly established Air Force. His entire life he
has told stories and jokes,and done magic tricks. That week was no different
as Lou was the center of attention for everyone in the family. However that
week would be the only time I have ever seen my Great Uncle cry. On December
7th my family got up at 5:15 to get ready for the ceremony at Hickam
Air Field, which is where Lou was stationed in 1941. The ceremony would take
place at the exact time of day when the Japanese planes had attacked
six decades before. My Great Uncle turned to me and whispered:" This
might be the most moving thing you're ever going to see. He was right The
ceremony started at 6:30 a.m., when everyone was seated. I was in the front
rows of people sitting next to my Great Uncle. A speaker approached the
podium; he was a Colonel in the Air Force. He was stationed at Hickam Field.
"You are America's greatest generation," he said. The speech was a
commemoration to all the men who lost their lives that day and to all the men
who lived and fought. Then the playing of "Taps" followed by
"God Bless America" and as the band played the F -15 fighter jets
flew one by one overhead. Most of the Pearl Harbor survivors broke into
tears, but not my Great Uncle Lou. His face remained serious. After the ceremony was over Lou wanted the family to take a look
at the Air base where he had been stationed. We went to the very building he
had been sleeping in that infamous morning 65 years before. The holes from
the bullets of the Japanese planes still lined the structure. This was when
my Great Uncle began to cry. He was remembering all of the buddies he lost
that morning, and the men he would see die while he fought in the Pacific. He
said that he hadn't gone to the mess hall by chance that morning, and that
everyone who had gone was dead. I realized that he had survived only by
chance, and that he had remained courageous throughout everything he had been
through. It was a very emotional moment for all of us. My life will be forever influenced by what I witnessed
that day. To hear about the courage and selflessness that those men showed,
the courage of my Great Uncle who had saved the life of a friend that
morning. Seeing the faces of the men who survived one of the greatest
tragedies in our nation's history. Seeing my Great Uncle who perhaps means
more to me now then ever before. Knowing that this could very well have been
their last reunion. I will never forget the things I saw and heard that day. NOTE: The author of this essay is David Roffman, a fifteen year
old high school freshman in Great Falls, Virginia. |
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Fifth Bomb Group Association Reunion 2010
The 20th reunion of the Fifth Bomb Group Association was held on
September 8-12, 2010
at the Sheraton Reston Hotel in Reston, VA . Joanne Emerick
has provided information
about some of the decisions taken at the Group's Business Meeting.
At the 5th Bomb Group
Association meeting in Reston, Virginia, several important decisions were made.
1) As most of you know, tax
considerations initially led us to organize the 5th Bomb Group Association as a
corporation. Deciding at the 2010 reunion that such considerations no longer
justified the record keeping such a designation requires, a unanimous vote was
taken to dissolve the corporation and continue operation simply as The Fifth
Bomb Group Association.
2) A vote was held to offer full
voting membership to the descendants of 5th Bomb Group veterans. The
vote was unanimous.
3) Because of the inability to find
people who were willing to take over the leadership roles in the 5th
Bomb Group Association, a discussion was held on reorganization of the 5th
Group leadership positions. Laura Scharer, 31st Bomb Squadron
Assoc., offered to head a committee that would interview the current officers
and record the tasks each officer is responsible for. She and her committee
would put those tasks into small, manageable job descriptions and help find 5th
Group members who would fill those jobs, probably from among the second
generation of members. Laura and her committee would make recommendations to
the 5th Group officers/Association within several months. The vote
accepting this proposal was unanimous.
4) Laura and Ron Scharer volunteered
to host Reunion 2011 in or near Dayton, Ohio. The exact time and place will be
announced at a later date. The vote accepting this proposal was unanimous.
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Below is a picture of the Willie
Martens family taken at the 2007 reunion. Pictured, from left right are. Back
Row: Nathan Martens, Roger Martens, Donald Martens, and Willie Martens. On the
Front row are: Tiffiney Reynolds, Quinn Wiseman, Wendy Wiseman, Susan Martens,
and Dorothy Martens.Willie's sons are Roger and Donald. Nathan is his grandson.
Tiffiney is Nathan's fiancee. Quinn Wiseman is Wendy's husband. Wendy is Willie
and Dorothy's granddaughter. Susan is Donald's wife. And Dorothy is Willie's
wife. Willie is a long-servng Chairman of the 31st Board of Directors. Picture courtesy of Margaret Ulmer Moye.
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31ST BOMB SQUADRON ASSOCIATION OFFICERS IN 2008 |
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Willie Martens, Board
Chair
Sue & Bill Fallin, President |
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Joanne Emerick, Secretary |
Billie & Jim
Doty, Treasurer |
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Courtney Clark.
Director |
Jim Berry, Director & Owen Carr |
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Lou Roffman,
Director |
Pictures in this section courtesy of Joanne Emerick and Margaret
Moye WISDOM YOU MEET YOUR FATE
ON THE ROAD YOU TOOK TO AVOID IT.
ANONYMOUS HUMOR WHAT EVERYONE KNOWS ISN'T WORTH KNOWING.
WALTER LIPPMAN
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31st
VETERANS AT 2008 REUNION
BACK ROW (L TO R):
SID ULMER, HUGH EARHART, WILLLIE MARTENS, BILL FALLIN, JIM DOTY, COURTNEY
CLARK; FRONT ROW: WALT MEIBAUM, MAX BAKER, ART ZECHER, CHARLES WALTER, LOU
ROFFMAN. ALSO ATTENDING BUT NOT IN PICTURE: CLYDE AVERY AND RUSSELL HANNA
(Picture courtesy of Joanne Emerick)
31st
Veterans at the 2010 Reunion
Front Row: (Left to Right) Lou Roffman,
Bill Fallin, Hugh Earhart, Owen Carr; Second Row: Willie Martens, Courtney
Clark, Max Baker, Jim Doty (Picture courtesy of Barbara O'Brien)
RECENT DEATHS OF 31ST ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
( WITH THANKS TO
JOANNE EMERICK FOR PROVIDING THE INFORMATION BELOW)
31st
Bomb Squadron comrade Billy B. Wilson, of Medford, Oregon, died peaceably at
his home on June 30, 2011. Billy’s stories as a pilot with the 31st.
Bomb Squadron are detailed in Courage Before Every Danger. Billy and wife Peg were married for 67 years. Condolences
may be sent to Peg at 1623 Meadow View Drive, Medford, OR 97504.
This
is to record the passing of 31ster Carl Cole on June 21, 2011 in Kamas City,
Kansas. He is buried in the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery , Leavenworth,
Kansas.Condolences may be sent to Carl's wife, Barbara at 504 NW 80th St.,
Kansas City, Missouri 64118-1107
Bob
Hannigan, a valued combat member of the 31st Bomb Squadron Association passed
away on Friday, June 17, 2011. More details forthcoming.
31st
Bomb Squadron Association President Bill Fallin passed away on March 18, 2011
in Huntsville, Texas. He will be buried in the Sam Houston Cemetery in Houston,
Texas on March 23rd. At present Bills wife, Sue, does not have a
permanent physical address to which cards may be sent. However, she would love
to hear from her friends in the 31st. You may reach her at 936-661-3955.
The
Fallin family is designating the 31st Bomb Squadron Book Fund as a memorial for
Bill. Contributions may be sent to The 31st Bomb Squadron Book Fund, c/o Jim
Doty, Treasurer, 135 Park Drive, Dayton, TN 37321. (In memory of Bill Fallin
Jr)
Hugh
Earhart, active member of the 31st Bomb Squadron Association, died unexpectedly
on March 3rd, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona. Hugh was the bombardier on the Art
Shearer crew. His crewmate, Walt Meibaum, survives. Services for Hugh will be
on March 12th at 1 PM at the Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary, 6500 E. Bell Road,
Scottsdale, AZ. He will be interred at the National Cemetery where his wife is
buried. Interment will be at a later date.Condolences may be sent to Hugh's
daughters: Peggy Lopp, 1834 Kenwood Road, Kingsport, TN 37664-3107 or to
Barbara Severson, 38143 N. 11th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85086-9595
The
family of Hugh Earhart has designated the 31st Bomb Squadron Association as the
memorial for Hugh. Contributions may be sent to The 31st Bomb Squadron
Association c/o Jim Doty, Treasurer, 135 Park Drive, Dayton, TN 37321.(In
memory of Hugh Earhart)
Thirty
firster Edward "Cole" Imler passed away on January 18, 2011 in
Spencerville, OH. Cole had been a valued member of the 31st Bomb Squadron,
beginning with the difficult days on Guadalcanal. Condolences may be sent to
his son-in-law, Nate Shaffer, 9150 Bice Road, Spencerville, OH 45887.
Clyde
Avery, a member of the 31st Bomb Squadron Association, died on February 8,
2011. As a pilot, Avery flew several of the Balikpapan strikes. The only
surviving member of the Avery crew is Dan Weener of Needham, MA
Thirty-firster
Bill Welch passed away on January 25, 2011. Bill flew a B-17 in the Battle of
Midway. As far as in known, Lou Roffman is the only remaining survivor from the
Welch crew. Burial is scheduled for February 2, 2011 at the Fr. Logan
Military Cemetery in Denver with full military honors. Condolences may be
sent to Bill's daughter and husband, Jim and Tish Madden, 32684 Upper Bear
Creek Road, Evergreen, Colorado 80439-7822.
Glenn
Guoan, a gunner on the William McKinley crew, with George Vickers and Don
McAllister, died on October 15, 2010. All the original members of that crew
have now passed on. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Guoan (Faye) at 910 North
Scheurmann Road #B8, Essexville, Michigan 48732.
Thirty-firster
Euland "Art" Zecher, passed away November 8, 2010 at his home in
Mesquite, Nevada. Art was a member of the Nels Anderson air crew and was a long
time member of the 31st Bomb Squadron Association. He is buried in White Hills
National Cemetery near Sturgis, South Dakota.Condolences may be sent to Mrs. Zecher
(Shirley) at 467 Mesa Blvd., Unit 101, Mesquite, Nevada 89027-2178.
It
has just been learned that 31ster Gilbert Yeager passed away in September, 2008
in Little Rock, Arkansas. Gilbert was part of the advanced party of 31sters
sent by Majors George Glober and Butch Brady in 1942 to prepare a campsite on
Guadalcanal for the rest of the Squadron that would arrive later. That arrival
took place in January 1943.
Thirty
firster George W. Britt Jr. passed away November 18, 2010 at his home in
Houston Texas at the age of 85. In WW II George flew 53 combat missions as a
nose gunner on B-24's. George's decorations included the Meritorious Service
Medal, the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the Texas
Outstanding Service Medal.
George
is survived by his wife Mercedes, his son William, and seven step-children.
Condolencies can be sent to Mercedes Britt, 7222 Kingsway Drive, Houston, TX
77087-6026.
Donald
Bruce MacAllister passed away on July 25, 2010, in Lane, Oklahoma at the age 91
years. He joined the Army
Air Corps at Ft. Brown, Brownsville, TX on November 7, 1941. Requested combat,
was sent to Hamilton Field then to Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, in 1943. He
flew 48 missions off Guadalcanal with the 31st and 394th Bomb Sqdns. Awarded
the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with Bronze Stars,
American Campaign Medal, and WWII
Victory Medal. Upon return to the U. S. Don served as instructor, flight
leader, and squadron commander in Bombardier and Autopilot Schools in Reserves
until May 1973 and received an Honorable Discharge as Lt. Colonel. He said *I
Love my country deeply. I am proud to have served my country and proud to be an
American."
Yozelle Unruh, widow of Colonel Marion Unruh, (who preceded her in death)
died on February 8th, 2010 at the age 98. A memorial service will be held on
Saturday, March 20th at the First Presbyterian Chapel in Hutchinson, KS.
Memorial gifts may be made to the New Jerusalem Church, Pretty Prairie, KS. or
to the Good Samaritan Fund at Wesley Towers, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N.
Main Street, Hutchinson, KS 67501
31ster
George w. Vickers died last week at the age of 87. George was a member of the
crew on which Don MacAllister and Owen Carr served and was flying with them the
day Owen was seriously wounded. His funeral will be held Wednesday, March 17,
2010. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Cancer
Society, 225 N. Michigan Avenue, S. 1210. Chicago, Il. 60601 For more
information, call 1-630-257-6363, or consult the web site of the funeral home
at www.markiewiczfh.com.
Frank
Yonkovich died Monday, March 1. He was the oldest member of the Edgar Lynch
crew of the 31st Bomb Squadron. Ed Lynch was killed in action during the war.
The sole surviving member of the Lynch crew is Oscar Zillig.
Merlin
D. Averett , a 31ster from Benton, Arkansas, passed away recently. No
further details available at this time.
The
death of Bill Chelton, a 31ster from Ocala, Florida, has been reported to this
page. No additional details available at this time.
Cile
Thompson, the wife 31ster Paul Thompson, passed away Sunday, Sept. 27 in
Huntington, Indiana. Cile has been in ill health for a number of years. Paul
and Cile never missed a reunion until health issues prevented them from
attending in recent years.
Cile's funeral service will be Thursday at 10 AM at the Bailey-Love Funeral
Home in Huntington. Your condolences will reach Paul and his family at:
260-358-0042 or at 460 Forks of the Wabash Way, Huntington, Indiana 46750-8422
-- or you can send Paul an e-mail through his daughter, Barb Thompson Reed - barbre2@hotmail.com
Thirty-firster
Gene A. Lucchesi, 88, of Longwood, Florida passed away March 14, 2009. Gene
was best known to 31sters as a frequent pilot of PAPER DOLL. He
was a special friend and comrade of Courtney Clark; they had some "swell
times" on rest leave in Sydney, and of course, served together with the
31st. Gene made a career of the Air Force, retiring with the rank of
Colonel after serving 33 years. He and his wife Margie enjoyed Ballroom
Dancing. Margie preceded him in death in 2007. Gene was buried March 20 at Glen
Haven Memorial Park in Winter Park, Florida. Condolences may be sent to Gene's
son Marc, c/o Marc and Marcia Lucchesi, 2730 Green Oak Court, Lewisvile, TX
75077
Thirty
Firster John McNaughton passed away on March 11, 2009 after a bout with
pneumonia. John was extremely proud of his service in the 31st and enjoyed his
relationships with members of the 31st Bomb Squadron Association. His funeral
was held on March 13th at 3:30 PM at Carolina Memorial Gardens in Charleston,
SC. (Tel 843-797-2222.) John's obituary may be viewed at http://www.legacy.com/charleston/DeathNotices.asp. Condolences
may be sent to John McNaughton Jr. at 213 Scalybark Road, Summerville SC 29485
(843-810-1199.)
31st
upper turret gunner Samuel Hoseit died on August 18, 2008 in Seattle,
Washington Sam was a gunner on the Joseph Corgan/Willis Cordell crew
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Stuart N. Clemmer, 91, of Farmington, Conn., passed away on
Monday, (August 25, 2008) . Clemmer served as a member of the
31st Bomb Squadron from April 1944 to May 25, 1945 as a waist gunner and
radio operator. He was member of the Pat Earhart crew, serving with Sid
Ulmer, the tail gunner on that crew.. Condolences may be be sent to Mrs.
Florence Clemmer, 22 Ledgewood Drive, Farmingron, Connecticut 06032.
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Carlton Herman Race, 86, of Farmington, Maine died July
4. He served in World War II with the 31st Bomb Squadron and was a flight
engineer and flew with the Curtis crew.Carlton is survived by four sons and
three daughters. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery in Farmington, Maine.
Condolences may be sent to his daughter Terry Clark, 704 Ash, Wamego, KS
66547
Another of our Pearl Harbor survivors, Victor Wesseling of Corpus
Christi, Texas, passed away November 23, 2007. He was a long-time member of the
31st Association. Condolences may be sent to his son, Rich Wesseling, 7209 Gold
Ridge Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78413-5061.
Wesley William Mansir was born on November 26, 1922
and died on May 8, 2008. Wes was a nose turret gunner in the 31st Bomb Squadron
who flew 43 combat missions to such places as Rabaul, Woleai, Yap and
Truk. Wes is survived by two brothers, a daughter, a sister, two grandchildren
and two great grandchildren. Condolences may be sent to Wes' daughter, Carolyn
S. Schilling at 41 Garnet Rock Lane, Carlisle, MA 01741.
Ruth Helen Cass Phillips, daughter of MIA Major
Gerald Cass passed away in March 2008. At one time Major Cass was
Commander of the 72nd Bomb Squadron. Ruth was recently a member of the
31st Bomb Squadron Association and attended our reunion in San Diego
where she met several men who flew with her father. Condolences may be sent to
her husband, Bert Phillips at 1609 Country Club Drive, NE, Wilmer, MN 56201
Milt Haberman died on Saturday, April 5. It was a
sudden death - Milt had not been sick. Milt joined several 31st members at
Hickam Field in Hawaii in December, 2006, for the December 7 commemoration.
Condolescences may be sent to his daughter, Cathy Cathy Karraker, 316 W
Main St., Lebanon IL 62254 or at ckarraker@charter.net
31st Pearl Harbor Survivor Jim Karstein, passed away
Feb. 23 after a very short illness. He caught a cold which turned into
pneumonia. Jim's beloved wife Tova died just 4 months after marking
Pearl Harbor Day in Hawaii in December 2006. Condolences may be sent to Jim's
only child, Rob Karstein at rkarstein@hotmail.com
or Rob & Patty Karstein, 1252 Colton Ct.,Chula Vista CA 91913.
Bill Winks of Reno, Nevada passed away November 6,
2007. Bill was a long-time member of our Association and was known in Reno for
his tremendous efforts in the area of public service, especially helping
children through the Shriners organization. Condolences may be sent to Mrs. P.
V. Winks, 880 Brown St., Reno, Nevada 89509
31st Bomb Squadron member and Pearl Harbor survivor
Kenneth Atwell has passed away - January 26, 08. Condolences may be e-mailed to
his son, Herb Atwell at the following address:
hlatwell02@aol.com or 4331 Lampman Road,
Vernon, NY 13476.
Richard (Dick) Beck, 31st Bomb Squadron, died of coronary artery heart disease
on December 2, 2007. He is survived by his wife, Norma Beck. Condolences may be
sent to Mrs. Beck at 425 Owens Drive, Sumter SC 29150-3853.
Ph. (803)
775-3800
Carlton E.
Allwardt, 31st Bomb Squadron, was killed March 13, 2007, in a hit and run
accident. He flew 44 combat missions with the 31st Squadron in the Pacific in
World War II. Condolences may be sent to his daughter, Janet Niebauer, 1241
Clear Lake Road, Dowling, Michigan 49050-7788
Park Gough – 31st Pearl Harbor survivor
died on October 29, 2007, followed by his wife Helen’s death on November 1,
2007. Condolences may be sent to their son, Steve Gough at Steve.Gough@Questar.com
Mrs. Barney Rapp died June 24, 2007. Condolences may
be sent to 31ster Barney Rapp, 3154 W. Normandy, Roseburg, OR 97470
For more information, contact Joanne
Emerick, P.O. Box 254, Hoxie, KS 67740. Phone 785-675-3088 or at
jemerick@ruraltel.net