HOT STUFF/GEN. ANDREWS Newsletter #25 February 2019

JIM’S CORNER Te First Snow of Winter I hope y‘all had Merry Christ- mas and a Happy New Year.

I haven’t quite fully recovered from last summer’s health issues but I expect to be back to normal shortly.

The goal for this year is to get Lt. Gen. Andrews promoted posthumously to General. It should have been done decades ago but, hopefully, we can get to the right people to make it hap- pen.

Doddi Marteinsson is doing a wonderful job of developing and Photo by Doddi Marteinsson maintaining “The Story of Tri- umph and Tragedy” website. The Search to Find Family Be sure and check it out when Members Continues you get a chance at: The search continues to locate http://stridsminjar.is/hotstuf/ family members of passengers and crew who were on board The efort continues to locate Solvi Jonnson informed Jim that Hot Stuf. Many family mem- relatives of several of Hot Stuf’s his company GRAFA OG GR- bers when located had no idea of passengers and crew. It would JÓT plans to cover the concrete the story behind the loss of their be nice to let them know of the base of the monument with tile loved one. Another reason is to existence the monument honor- this year and they are also look- ing a member of their family. make them aware of the exis- ing into ways to light the monu- tence of the monument. ment at night. Cheers, After many years of searching, Many thanks go to GRAFA OG a family member of Sgt. Paul GRJÓT for donating the base Jim Lux and for doing an outstanding job installing the monument.

McQueen was recently located. That leaves only fve passengers Page 1 and crew members whose fami- Renewed Efort To Have Jim sent to Senator Alexander is lies have not been located. They Lt. Gen. Andrews Promoted on Page 4. include: Posthumously Crew Members: Memorial Monument Fund Status There is more than $3700 in the memorial monument fund and donations are still being ac- cepted. The funds will be used Capt. James E. “Jimmy” Gott to maintain the monument and Berea, KY possibly add another plaque and/ (NO PHOTO) or an enclosed display case for Sgt. Lloyd C. “George” Weir An efort to have Lt. Gen. An- items that are being left by the McRae, AK drews promoted to (4 star) Gen- monument by visitors. eral has been ongoing for more Passengers than two years. Letters were sent to President Trump, every United States Senator, U.S. Air Force Ofcials, the CEO of the

U.S. Air Force Association and Hot Stuf Engine Hub others requesting their support and help. So far, to no avail! Brig. Gen. Charles M. Barth Walter, MN The goal for this year is to make it happen! Andrews was from Nashville, and many members of his family live in the area. Andy Nelson, Andrews’ great, great Boots (from Crash Site ?) nephew is one of them. He put a package together to present to Chaplain Robert H. Humphrey is Congressmen seeking their Lynchburg, VA support. (NO PHOTO) Jim also has a friend in Austin Capt. Joseph Thomas Johnson who is a close friend of newly Los Angeles, CA elected U.S. Senator from In- This has been an ongoing efort. diana, Mike Braun and will be Your help in trying locate family contacting him for his help. members would be greatly ap- preciated. This is another request for your help to make it happen. Please It would also be nice to fnd pho- contact your Senator and Con- tographs of Sgt. Lloyd Weir and The fnest and most gressmen and request their sup- Capt. Joseph Johnson to add to convenient way to fy port. An example of the letter the video “A Story of Triumph to Iceland and on to Europe! and Tragedy.” Page 2 HOT OFF THE PRESS Jim received the following email today (Feb. 8, 2019) from Andy Nelson (Gen. Andrews great, great nephew).

Hi Jim, Wanted to let you know we've gotten a call from the DC ofce of Congressman Scott DesJarlais regarding our request for a posthumous promotion for General Andrews. Te gentleman on the phone was very in- trigued by the story and everything surrounding it and was excited to be able to help with our goal. I am going to write a separate email including you and our PR team in order to introduce you to them and to allow us to all work together on this. It would be very helpful if you're willing to give me your phone number for future eforts in this endeavor so please let me know if you can share that. In any case, this is very exciting to get a bite this early in the process (for us anyway, we know how long you've been working on this) so we want to ride this momentum the best we can. Talk soon!

Andy Nelson Andy received a positive response from the ofce of his Congressman, Scott DesJarlais from the following letter: January 25, 2019

Te Honorable Scott DesJarlais 2301 Rayburn House Ofce Building Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative DesJarlais, Our family has called Tennessee home since the late 1800s, and we send our best wishes as you begin the important work of the 116th Congress.

We’re writing you, along with the other members of the full Tennessee delegation, to request your help in securing a posthumous promotion for our great-great-uncle, Lt. General Frank Maxwell Andrews, to the rank of four-star General. A hero of the second World War who is considered the father of the modern U.S. Air Force, he was killed with his crew in Iceland in 1943, when the plane he was co-piloting crashed in bad weather. At the time, he was the Commander of the European Teater of Operations, having replaced General Eisenhower in that position, and it is our understanding that he was expecting an imminent promotion to four-star General.

Frank Maxwell Andrews risked his career advocating tirelessly for the B-17 “Flying Fortress” that would be instru- mental in defeating the Axis Powers. was named in his honor, and last May, on the 75th anniver- sary of his death, a privately funded memorial was unveiled in Iceland near the crash site. It is our hope that there will eventually be a ftting memorial to him in his home state of Tennessee. Meanwhile, there is ample precedent for such posthumous promotions, including one of Lt. General Andrews’ World War II contemporaries, General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., who was posthumously promoted to the rank of a full four-star general on July 19, 1954 by a Special Act of Congress (Public Law 83-508). It would mean a great deal to the family if this national hero could receive the military honor of the exalted rank he had earned but not yet attained.

We appreciate your serious consideration of this matter, and respectfully suggest that the honor might coincide with a notable date, such as February 3 [the date of his birth, in Nashville, in 1884,] or May 3 [the date of his death in 1943.] Attached is more detailed information concerning our uncle’s career and our eforts to achieve this recogni- tion for him.

Most sincerely,

Andy Nelson and Charlie Nelson, proprietors Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery Nashville, Tennessee Page 3 Example of the letter sent to Senator Lamar Alexander. Similar letters were sent to every U.S. Senator. With your help, we will make Andrews’ promotion happen! February 8, 2018

Honorable Senator Lamar Alexander 3322 West End Ave #120 Nashville, TN 37203 Dear Senator Alexander,

I am asking your assistance in having the late Lt. General Frank Maxwell Andrews, a native Tennessean, promoted posthumously to the rank of four star General. He was truly one of America’s great military leaders. Andrews was the Commander of the European Theater of Operations (ETO), having replaced Lt. Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower, until his untimely death when he was on board a B-24 Liberator called Hot Stuf that crashed into a mountain in Iceland on May 3, 1943. Andrews was to be notifed on the day he died that “he had been selected to command the entire Allied Forces for the eventual invasion of Europe across the English Channel.” He never received the message. The job would be assigned to Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander seven months later. Camp Springs Army Air Field was renamed Andrews Field, now Joint Base Andrews in 1945 in his honor. Unfortunately, this great leader has been nearly forgotten.

Andrews, an advocate for a separate , is considered one of its founding fathers. He was selected above many who outranked him to organize and command the General Headquarters Air Force, the frst centralized command of the U.S. Army Air Force. Todays United States Air Force is testament to his organization and leadership skills. Gen. Andrews was the only general to command three theaters of operation including the Caribbean Defense Command, U.S. Army in the Middle East Command and European Theaters of Operations Command during World War II.

A memorial monument honoring Gen. Andrews and those who were killed in the accident will be unveiled on May 3, 2018 the 75th anniversary of the accident in Grindavik, Iceland. A memorial service in the Andrews Theater in Kefavik is also planned. It would be most appropriate to announce his promotion and present the four stars to his family at that time. Andrews was in line for promotion and your help is needed in making it happen. His promotion will be instrumental in reviving the legacy of one of America’s great generals.

I have been working on the General Andrews Memorial Monument Project for more than six years to honor Gen. Andrews, those killed and the crew of Hot Stuf. More than $100,000 in private donations was raised for the monument. I would like very much to work with you to make Gen. Andrews’ promotion a part of this important event.

Best Regards,

James C. Lux

Member, 93rd Bombardment Group Association 1409 Thaddeus Cove Austin, Texas 78746 C: 512-731-8024

Page 4 B-24 Liberator Hot Stuf passenger Robert H. Humphrey, U.S. Army Chaplain & Bishop Adna W. Leonard’s Aide

Photograph courtesy of the American Museum in Britain REV. ROBERT HARTMAN HUMPHREY By Tomas Rosser Reeves

Among the many heroes of this war, probably the most unassuming, unher alded and unsung are those gallant soldiers of God, the chaplains, who are proving by their deeds and their deaths that they can take it with the bravest and best of the magnifcent men to whom they· minister. I speak of one of these.

Robert Hartman Humphrey was born in Garret, Indiana, July 11, 1900. His mother, a Presbyterian, died early. His father did not become a Christian until late in life. At sixteen, Robert Humphrey was out in the world "on his own." He was soundly converted in a Methodist Church in Tampa, Florida, just before his seventeenth birthday and two months aferward enlisted in the U. S. Army, 31st Divi- sion1 was sent overseas and served in the 101st Infantry, 26th Division. Afer his return from France and his honorable discharge from the army1 April 26, 1919, he visited a sister living in Hampton, Va., and there he became a member of our church and fnally a minister in our Conference. Upon completion of three years of study at Randolph-Macon Academy at Bedford, Va., he married Miss Maybelle Plunkett, of Lynchburg, Va., on September 16, 1922, and came into the Conference on trial at the ensuing sessions. He was sent to South View, Lynchburg, and served for two years. Tere on May 27, 1924 Maybelle Clair Humphrey, his only child was given. She and her mother survive him. He then served West Campbell Circuit four years, Middle Bed ford Circuit four years, and Concord Circuit four years. During these pastorates he had been pursuing· his work at Lynchburg College and he took his B.A. in 1936. Ten followed three years at Wakefeld, one year at Sledd Memorial, Dan- ville, and, afer fve months on Matthews Circuit, he was called to the colors for active duty. He had held a commission as in the Chaplains' Reserve Corps since May 2, 193 I. He was at once assigned to the 104th Q. M. Regiment and was attached to the 116th Infantry, July 15, 1941. He was pro moted to Captain February 1, 1942, and was attached to the 29th Division Headquarters, September 7, 1942. Te following October he was sent to Eng land. Tere he was promoted to Major on December 4, I 942. Upon the arrival of Bishop A. W. Leonard in , Major Humphrey was given detached service as the Bishop's aid. He planned the trips and accompanied Bishop Leonard and his distinguished party frst to Ireland, then to Scotland, next to Iceland where on May 3, 1943, he was killed in the plane that crashed and took the lives of 14 of the 15 persons on board including Bishop Leonard and Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews.

Te funeral service for the group of fourteen was held May 8, 1943, at 9 :45 am. in the State Cathe- dral Church at Borg Square in Reykjavik. Te committal service was in Fossvogur Cemetery, located near an army camp, just outside Reykjavik, on a grassy plain sloping toward the bay. Te weather was clear and cool with occasional snow furries. Te entire occasion was marked by the dignity of precise military performance and by the unusual beauty of the religious services. Te burial was in that portion of the cemetery allotted to the American Army from the early days of the occupation and the graves were in a separate row, the westernmost being that of Gen. Andrews and the easternmost that of Bishop Leonard. Between these two graves, from west to east, the others were arranged in order of Page 5 their military rank, Major Humphrey's grave being sixth in the row. On May,.11, in the Royal Mili- tary Chapel, Wellington Barracks, London, at 12 noon, a memorial service of the utmost dignity and beauty was held for the entire group.

Many services ·were held in memory of Major Humphrey. On May 7th the Jews of his Division held a service in his honor.

On May 9th at 4:00 p. m. a memorial service was held in Memorial Church, Lynchburg, and that same evening a similar service was held in the Methodist Church, Andover, England.

On May l l th a special service in his memory was held at Camp Myers On May 16th a special me- morial service for him was held by his Division in England at which one of our Virginia Conference chaplains had a part. On the same date the people of Wakefeld, Va., had a similar service in the Methodist Church.

Brig. Gen. E. W. Opie wrote of him: "He did a wonderful work in ,the 116th Infantry while I was its commander, and all of us were better men for having known him and for his ministry to us. His consecration, his sincerity his fne ability for expounding Christian precepts and values, his lovable nature and his unfailing good humor, and his human qualities endeared him to us a infuenced our lives strongly, as they did thousands of others he reached through his ministry.... Such men never die their good works go on for generations.

From England Maj. Gen. L. T. Gerow wrote Mrs. Humphrey: "I know your husband intimately, and l not only admired him but also loved him for his unselfsh devotion to duty; his steadfast adherence to the tenets of his faith; untiring eforts to instill in us a more perfect knowledge and love of God· to sustain us in our daily life and during the test of battle yet to come. He has passed on but before his passing he lef with the ofcers and men of this Division, a heritage that will carry on through eternity. I have not only lost a :fne staf ofcer and a soldier, but a staunch comrade and devoted friend as well.

"I am deeply grieved that he could not continue to carry on in the felds of service in our army today, where one can fnd people that so dreadful need God. His guidance will be sorely missed. I only hope that I can do as well with my job as he did with his.''

In the light of these warm praises there is no need of any tribute from me who was his Presiding Elder for three years and knew him intimately and loved him well. I think it was Macaulay who said it is hard for people to realize that a man was born among them and with whom they touched elbows every day was made of fner stuf than themselves. Te passing of no preacher whom I have known in my lifetime has evoked such universal grief and such unstinted praise especially from those not normally in close contact with the church. A soldier boy from a camp in Florida wrote: “I know he will be sorely missed by all his friends at a time when they need him most, but I feel he has only been ‘transferred' to a place where many of our country's bravest and best have gone and will go before the victory is ours - a place where he can carry on the work loved so well." Like his Lord, he loved to serve. He inspired, planned, and on put on the entertainments which our soldiers overseas gave last Christmas to more than 3,500 orphaned English children, victims of the war. He was happiest making others happy. But enough!

Surely a land where a motherless lad “out on his own" can rise to such heights of selfood and service is no mean country. It is worth living for; It is worth dying for. And yet, think of this fne man - dead before he was forty-three and a soldier in two World Wars!

He died in the service of his country, his church, and his Christ. Te cross was on his collar, on his tongue, in his heart, in his life, in his death. "Greater, love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." 0 arctic Iceland’s rock-ribbed coast! 0 lonely land forlorn! Hold thou, in trust his sacred dust Till God's eternal morn. Page 6 Complete List of Donors James Guddal MN Ralph & Phyllis Mundy TX Johannes Allert MN David Guerra TX David and Cheryl Nein CO Ancient & Honorable Artillery Helen Gutfreund AZ Steven and Anita Nein CO Company of Massachusetts MA Marvin Haddock TX Michael Oliver TX Paul & Audrey Andrejko PA James Han TX Tom Olson, Jr. CO *Frank Maxwell Andrews TN Thomas & Julia Harris TX Thomas Owens TX *Susan Andrews TN Ben Harrison TX Hugh & Barbara Parker TN *Judy Andrews TN John B. Harris IV TX Robert Peckham TX Peter & Joan Asch MI Benjamin Harry TX Bill Pierce TX Lillian Ayars TX William Hawes TX David Pierce NC John Baker TX Max Hill TX Pökkun &Flutningar ehf ICELAND Bank of America (Matching Grant) CA B.E. and T.D. Hinde CO Carl Pollock TX Brig. Gen. Richard Baughn TX Tim and Deborah Hinde CO Ron Poole TX Jim Beck CO Terry Hinde CO Bill Powers CA Tom Bednorz TX Kenneth Hodges II CO Kurt Reedy TX Laurence & Verna Belair NH Matt Hood TX Robert & Wanda Reetz TX Lawrence Berman MA Matt Hoover TX Dr. William Robertson TX G.T. Bjornsson VA Wilbur Hopson TX John & Pat Roche FL Nick Bohas TX Ronald & Charlotte Iberg TX Bob & Terri Rodreguez TX Jack Bond TX Skot Ingram TX *Rondeau Family CA & AZ Raymond & Michelle Bonilla Jr. TX Kaylie Ivester TX James Root MI George Boyd TX ISAVIA ICELAND Dave Rothwell TX Scott Branson TX Thomas & Margaret Jacobs TX *Nancy Ruiz PA Brian & Becky Breece CO *Kevin Jacobson TX Patrick & Yvonne Ryan TX Mike & Conni Brennan TX *Ronald Jacobson MS Peter & Colleen Sanderson CO *Harrell & Jackie Broome MS Lt Gen. Dirk & Betty Jameson TX Bill & Joanne Sargent CO Aaron Buckholtz TX Ray Janes TX Satterstrom Steve TX Heidi Buchholtz TX *Scott & Susan Jefers NY Michael Sellers NY Al and Mattie Buckles NE *Cecil Johnson MS Donald Schneider/Schneider Farms CO Marcu & Dorothy Canipe TX Vic and Jeanna Johnson, Jr. CO *Sarah Helene Sharp FL Chris & Sharon Cain CO Robert Jones TX Frank Sicuro TX Covenant Land Co. (J.B. Carlson) CO George & Elizabeth Jung NY Bob Spurck TX *Peggy Carmen MS Al Kainz TX Robert Spurck, Jr. TX Clairmont Retirement Community TX Joseph Keip NJ Scott Stewart NE *Jan & Robert Clark CO Joe & Ruth Kinnie/KJK Farms CO Fraye Stokes TX Lt. Gen. Charles Cleveland AL Jim Kirschner TX Paul Stroich, Jr. AZ JM Colaluca & LA Littrell TX Lee Kizer CO Vernon Swain WA Doug & Kathy Compton TX James Koch TX Samuel Mirrop & Barbara Szalay TX Cynthia Coven CO James and Carolyn Kontny CO Kenneth Taplin CA Covenant Land Company, Inc. CO L7 Computer Parts TX George Taylor TX Shannon & Gay Cox TX Kermit & Nancy Larson TX TedKomp SWEDEN Charles Cox TX James LaRue TX Mats Tedeneryd SWEDEN Jimmie & Jennifer Craig TX Dr. BA & MW Levy TX Leon & Joan Thomas TX Col. David & Nelda Cravey TX Larry Little TX Tony Thompson TX *Dayton Foundation OH Harry Loftis TX Robert Tresch TX Mark Davis TX Richard and Connie Loos CO Blair Tolleson TX *Margaret Davis OH Lost Creek CC Members TX *Theodore Totman VA *Helene Dermond VA Jim & Nancy Lux TX *Kelly Jacobson Treybig TX John & Suzanne Donatucci TX James Lux TX Nick & Michelle Trimmer MI *Charles L. Dorian MD Robert (Col Rt) & Barbara Madden NE Terrance & Sylvia Turner CA *Johm Dorian WA Mathews Mo TX Heath Twitchell RI *Elizabeth Susan Drazek WV Robert Marquette TX Charles Thompson TX *Greg & Magaret Drazek CO John & Rayann Marx PA United Heritage Charity Found. TX *Kieth & Jennifer Drazik GA John L. Mathews WI Brig. Gen. Regis Urshler NE Eric & Domi Ducreau FRANCE Mac Mathuna TX Kristine & Dwitt Vanwisse TX Joe & Phyllis Duran CA Hugh Maxwell FL Maj. Russell Vanderlugt NY Blaine & Robin Duxbury IN Bill & Linda McCarley TX Lynn & Scott Vosler CO Dr.Robert & Barbara Emerson TX J. and D. McClary CO James & Vicki Warren TX Ray & Alison Ender TX Roger McLain TX Wiesner DF TX R.F. Ferguson TX Scott Merchen TX Jim White TX Judy & Albert Figoski TX Andrew & Marge Meyer TX Robert Weeks TX Patrick Finnegan TX Leonard Miller CA Jon West IA Larry and Janet Flohr NE Military Ofcers Assoc. of Bud & Charla Winnett MO Leland Kizer & Kathy Fourcroy CO America, Austin, TX Chapter TX Thomas Wood TN Les Frazier TX John & Barbara Mitchell UT Joe & Beth Woods TX Robert & Joan Gallup TX Jim Mofett TX Rita Woodlief CA Carol Gerard WI Patrick Moore TX DF & LA Wiesner TX Bruce and Shirley Gerk CO George Morrison Sr. MA Charles & Josephine Wiegand TX Richard Golombeck TX Col. Cassius & Betty Mullen TX * Family of Hot Stuf Crew or Passengers Dorris E. Green TX Albert Mundo MA Thank you! Thank you! William Gros PA Page 7 Jim and Nancy visited the Vin- Warbird Ride Day tage Flying Museum at Mea- on March 16, 2019 and Diamond You can visit their website for cham International Airport in Lil will be one of the warbirds more information: Ft. Worth last December to see available for a ride. It will be the Commemorative Air Forces well worth it just to stop by for http://www.vintagefying- B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil and a tour of the museum and see museum.org/ the B-29 Superfortress FIFI. Diamond Lil and other vintage Diamond Lil. Diamond Lil has aircraft take to the air. four recently installed rebuilt en- The historic hangar where the gines and FIFI looks great with a museum is located was built new paint job. during World War II specifcally The museum will have a for the the B-29 Superfortress.

Boeing B-29 Superfortress Consolidated B-24 Liberator

North American T-6 Texan Lockheed World War II Trainer T-33 Shooting Star

Page 8 A Beautiful Plaque of the B-24 Liberator Hot Stuf Memorial Monument A Limited Number Now Available! The plaque has a metal backing and Contains a Piece of the B-24 Liberator Hot Stuf Recovered from the mountain where it crashed on May 3, 1943 $200 plus $5.00 for shipping Proceeds will go towards monument maintenance and upkeep

Eight & one half inches wide by eleven inches high Make check out to: 93rd Bomb Group Assoc. Metal backing Send to: Includes a piece of B-24 Liberator Hot Stuf 93rd Bomb Group Assoc. Built in stand c/o James C. Lux Suitable for framing An 8.5”x11” photo of the crew included 1409 Thaddeus Cove Austin, Texas 78746 Page 9 “Before The Belle”

Don’t forget, “Before The Belle” is a great book and would make a great gift!

Available on Kindle & Amazon

Going to Europe? Stop in Iceland on the way. Icelandair, the only way to Fly! Page 10