416Th Bomb Group Newsletter 2018
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416th Bomb Group Newsletter 2018 Veterans and spouse of deceased veteran attending the 416th Bomb Group reunion in Abilene, Texas, October 3-7, 2018 Left to right: Roland Dullnig, Dave Andrews, Mickie Weinert, Bob Kehres (Photo courtesy of Jean Sittarich) A bronze memorial plaque, conceived in 1992 by SSgt Frank Basford of the 669th Bomb Squadron, has been installed at nine locations in the United States and abroad. The history of this project, including photographs and locations of the memorial sites has been published by Rick Prucha online at https://www.416th.com/416th_BronzeMemorialPlaques.html A 12”x12”mounted photo on canvas of the variation above, ideal for wall hanging, is now available for sale via the Archive Store online at https://416tharchivestore.ecwid.com 2 Happy New Year to all! Dear 416th Family and Friends, Another year has come and gone. We sadly bid farewell and God Speed to Wayne Downing and Hilaria Huff this year— two of our beloved friends and stalwart reunion pals. With the number of survivors and spouses diminishing, we were very fortunate this year to have a representative from each of the four squadrons of the 416th. Professor Vernon Williams, who has become well acquainted with many of our group at recent reunions and has done much to support the Archive’s efforts, hosted the 2018 reunion in Abilene. It was a memorable gathering with an exceptional schedule of activities. There were many familiar faces among those present and a few new faces that were very welcome. Rick Prucha’s traditional and Dr. Williams presents Col. Brandon Parker, popular review of the recent reunion is posted on the 416th Commander of the 7th Bomb Wing, with website and on the following pages here. a 416th Bomb Group Challenge Coin Through countless hours of loving and dedicated volunteer research, the Archive website continues to grow and has become a high traffic site on the internet with an astounding degree of information about the history, personnel, missions and equipment of the 416th. Check it out and see what’s new! https://www.416th.com The preservation and educational activities by and for the Archive have been supported over the past decade by a considerable number of 416th family members—through crucial donations of data and memorabilia, but also through their generous financial assistance. The Archive Board of Directors sincerely appreciates that help and inspiration from each and every one of you. A special thank you is extended to the Carl and Barbara Stanley Trust and the Harold D. Andrews Trust. Their continuing support has made it possible for us to grow and better accomplish our mission. In 2019, we hope to create additional revenue through grant applications and thereby add some specialized skills, equipment and techniques to our effort. Those who have been reading these newsletters for a decade or more will remember the days when its pages were filled with family news and announcements. One of the several reasons that this year’s edition is being mailed late is that we have received relatively few replies to the several requests that were sent out. Granted, the reunions are not as well attended as they were in the past, but this forum is intended not just for those who are fortunate enough to attend the reunions. It’s for the entire 416th family. Lets all work together in the coming years to keep the memory and spirit of the 416th Bomb Group alive. It’s one of the best ways we can honor those who carried the torch for us at one of the most critical times in our nation’s history. With best wishes, Wayne and Doris Sayles 3 Reunion Summary by Rick Prucha THANKS to Dr. Vernon L. Williams and all those who volunteered and helped put on a WONDERFUL Reunion! The 2018 416th Bomb Group Reunion, was headquartered at the MCM Eleganté Suites in Abilene, Texas, with over 40 attendees. Those hailing from the “Greatest Generation”, pictured on the cover of this newsletter, included 416th Bomb Group Veterans Roland Dullnig, Dave Andrews and Bob Kehres, along with Mickie Weinert, wife of the late Carl Weinert. Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Hospitality Room Reunion HQ was the Hotel 2nd floor Veranda and adjoining room used to house the delicious refreshments which were graciously kept well stocked by Doris Sayles - THANKS Doris and MCM Eleganté Suites! Wednesday saw almost everyone arriving, a few later than planned, and the comradery began immediately as if we had not been apart for the past year. Many took advantage of the free drinks provided by the hotel each evening as they regrouped at the Hospitality Room. During our visiting, we all were pleased to find out that Wayne and Doris Sayles had recently been awarded the Barney Douglas Citizen of the Year Award by the Gainesville, MO Lions Club. CONGRATS to Wayne and Doris on this well-deserved award. Thursday, October 4, 2018 Breakfast was free at the Hotel, so everyone started early Thursday morning to get a bite to eat before gathering at 8:30 AM to load up for the trip to Dyess Air Force Base. Beau Jory Vanderburg, Dyess AFB Museum Curator, along with David Dodge and Ray Holder graciously chauffeured our group both Thursday and Friday. Before going onto the base, we visited the Dyess AFB Welcome Center and Museum where Beau Jory showed a video about the base and presented the heroic story of Lt Col William Edwin “Eddie” Dyess, one of the most decorated Soldiers from the Pacific Theater during World War II, for whom Dyess AFB is named. Lt Col Dyess was a native of Albany, Texas. He was captured by the Japanese on Bataan in April 1942, escaped in April 1943 and fought with guerilla forces on Mindanao until evacuated by submarine in July 1943. During retraining in the United States, his P-38 Lightning caught fire in flight on December 23, 1943 near Burbank, Calif. He refused to bail out over a populated area and died in the crash of his P-38 in a vacant lot. Greeting us at the Museum were Captain Sean Bruce-Rennick, B-1 Pilot and Captain Anthony Bunker, B-1 Navigator/Bombardier, both members of the 28th Bomb Squadron, who joined our group as guides for the day. “Slice” and “Wedge”, to use their “handles” have flown many B-1 (“BONE”) missions in their career and are now instructors at Dyess. Our next stop, on the grounds of Dyess AFB, was the Linear Air Park static aircraft displays where we did a walk around and took group photos at the Douglas A-26C-50-DT Invader (converted to B-26B), Serial # 44-35913. We then had the honor of being allowed to visit the Flight Line where the 7th Bomb Continued on page 5 4 Wing had a Rockwell B-1B Lancer and the 317th Airlift Wing had a Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules available for our group. We were able able to get up-close and personal with the B-1B, climb aboard the C-130J and spend quality time talking with flight and support/maintenance crews of both aircraft. Lunch was at the base Longhorn Dining Facility, followed by a trip to the B-1 Flight Simulator training facility where everyone had the opportunity to take a turn in the cockpit. We finished our visit to Dyess with a roundtable discussion with several of the air and ground crew members where WWII veterans and active service personnel shared stories and exploits. Prior to the Reunion, “Wedge” put together a slide-show of 416th Bomb Group WWII photos and had it continuously playing in the breakroom. Included were several photos of Roland, Dave and Bob, our 416th Veterans, which allowed us all a glimpse into their daily lives during their tour of duty. We then returned to the MCM Eleganté Suites to rest, congregate and dine. Bob Kehres was interviewed by Nereyda Vera, reporter for the San Angelo, KIDY10 FOX News, who published her video and article on-line as “102-year-old WWII veteran recalls war stories”. Friday, October 5, 2018 We all gathered again at 8:30 AM Friday morning for exciting tours of the 12th Armored Division WWII Memorial Museum and Frontier Texas!. Executive Director and Curator William Lenches provided excellent information and narrative as he guided our group around the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum. While we were there, Timothy Chipp of the Abilene Reporter-News talked with several folks in our group and wrote a news article published on Saturday, 6-Oct-2018. Our Veterans were provided a deeper insight into the daily lives of the Allied ground forces the 416th BG supported from the air. Our visit at the 12th Armored Division WWII Memorial Museum ended with a video about spotter aircraft produced by Britany Huckabee, one of Vernon’s former students. We next visited Frontier Texas!, a world class interactive museum and visitor center located in downtown Abilene, Texas. Here we were guided through the amazing displays, artifacts and state-of-the-art technology theater presentations that detailed the history of the region from the pre-historic Native Americans through the 1800’s. Back to the MCM for the afternoon. The planned Veterans Roundtable session was cancelled to allow folks some recuperation time after all the amazing events of the past two days. Later in the afternoon, Vernon led a very helpful discussion on “How to Preserve Your Family’s Photographs and Documents”. Friday evening, Vernon hosted the “Wethersfield Dinner” featuring delicious Texas BBQ and a program which included: “God Bless the USA Tribute to the 416th Bomb Group” video.