455th Bomb Group FalI 1996 Remarks byCol. AI IN MEMORY Asch, (Ret), 455THBOMBAFIDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) USA} SAN GIOVANNIAIRFIELD, ITALY Memorial Hication 1943- 1945 Mere words alone cannot exprcss the significance of dedicating this memorialin memory of those air- f@ merl who lost their lives, It has @ specialmeaniog to all of us. I lost airmenfrom enemy adioo while a-24 flying combat,as some of you did, THISOAK TFEE, PLANTED APBIL, 1996, IS IN LIVINGMEMORY OF Someof the men lie at rest at our THOSEWHO MADE THE SUPNEME SACRIFIOE IN THESKIES OVEB Arlington NationalCemetery. Many EUROPEOUNING WORLD WAR II TO PFESERVEOUN FREEDOMS, of our downed airmenbecame THISMAHKEB IS DEOICATEDTO HONORALL WHO SEFVED. plisonersof war and suffered extreme hardships GBOUPCOMBAT MISSIONS: 255 of Nazi PO1V oISTINGUISHEDUNIT OITATIONS: Two camps.It is to all airmenwho lost BATTLEOAMPAIONS: TEN their llves that we pay specialtrib. SOUADRONS:740TH, 741ST. 742ND AND 74SRD ute and dedicatethis Oak rree and plaque DEDICATED1998 as a living memorial,The hee was planted in April, 1996.Let this living memorial reinaio fot 4llthDedlcatr;s a Color Team. generationsto come as a reminder Llvlng Memodal - Dedicationremarks, Col. Alfred that the preservation of our free- Asch, USAIF(Ret). doms requiredhardships and sacri- Arlin$on National fices by all who served durlng Memorialplaque unveiling,Col. World \var IL Cemetery, Louie O. Hansenand Ralph 27 September 1996 Holdsworth- Remarks bv Lt. Col. Nearly 100 members and wives of Presentationof Memorialto the Clarence Riggs the 455th Bomb croup Sathered at Arlington National cemetery, Lt. Arlington National Cemetery for the Col. ClarenceE. Riggs;accepted by We are proud of our Bomb Group dedication of the living Tree Mr. Thomas Shedock, Histodan of and of those who served, with spe Memorial and Plaque io honor of tne cemetery. cial tribute to thosewho gave dteir those members group of the that lives to presefle our freedoms.The made Taps,Air Force the supreme sacdfice during Bugler. Pin Oak tre€ with the bronz e WWII. A brief but moving program plaque will serveas a living memo- followed: Benediction,Col. Louie O. Hansen. rial for those who have passed on and as a constant Openingremark, Lt. Col. Clarence Following the ceremony the group reminder to all that through tuggs, President of the 455th Bomb toured the cemetery and saw all their life we have life. G.oup Association. the importantland marks,e.g., tr,Ir.Sherlock, on behalf of the Tomb of the Unl<nown Soldier with 455th Bombardment croup Invocation, Col. Louie O. Hansen the changing of the guard, Association, it is oul privilege to USAF (Reo. President Kennedy's gtave, and presentthis living memo al to tie then motored to the Fort Meyers Arlington National Cemetery. \Ve Presentation of colors, Air Force Officer's Club for lutch and dinfler. know you will take good care of it. AlAsch,with the help of theGrounds Keeper, ArlingtonNational Cemetery Memorial Commlttee. plantthe Memorial Tree at ArlingtonNational L to R:John Pramik, Al Asch, and Ralph Cemetery.Dedication is scheduledfor September Holdsworth. 27,1996. REMEMBERING But for eadr of thes€flying heroes RALPTIMOORE There were thousandsof lMe THE FORGOTTEN teknown, WRIIES MECIIAMC And thesewere the men; RalphMoore writes ttut he hrs lo$ vtlo wolked oo the planes Thtrought}le history of wodd avjation contactwith all 455thenlisled men But kept their feet on the grourd... Manyoames have come to the fore errceptfor Sgt,Philljp Bnmow who Itfe a.llknow dre rume of Lndbergh, Greatdeeds of the past was on Lt. Taylorscrew. He lastsaw And we ve read of his flight of farne... in our memory will last, l.t. Taylor in Auslin, Te{as shordyafter But think, if you can, As theyre joined by morc and more... the war. Ralphwas PesoDnel Of his maintenanceman, Equipmentwith Lt. Ande$on and s8t. you v4len mrn first suJtedhis labor of Can rememberhis rlame? Mader. que$ to conquerthe sky And think of our wartimeheroes, He was designer,medunic and pjlot, Gabreski, and Scolt... And he built a madine that would Jabara, 455THBOMBGROUP Canyou tell me of then mes fly... ROOTS Of thef crew chiefs? But somehowfhe order got twisted, And *€n in the public's eye A thousandto one you caffrot. .. The roots of the 455thBomb The only man that could be seen Now pilots arc highly trainedpeople, Group Associationgo all the way back \vas the man who knew how to fly. .. And wings are not easilywon. .. to l2ngley Field.Tom Llle Mitchell, But without the work of the htelligence Officer fcf, the 743rd The pilot was everyone'shelo, maintenancefilan Squadon put togetherthe \tulgar He was brav€, \fulture Associador!issued member- Our pilots would marchwrth a gun.. He was bold, ship cards,Xalt Disneydesi$ed our Sowhen you see a mighty aircraft He was grand, emblern,and we were off runningl As they mark fieir way tl,rough the And he stoodby hjs batteredold \ihen \]{/lL,IIerded, Tor[ starteda biplane art, oewsletterin an aftemF to hold fcr- with his gogglesand helrnetin The grease-$ainedman witi the mer membersof the 4551htogeher. hrnd... --6.h in hic hrn; This was mimeographedin leuer folm To be s!re, thesepilols all earnedil, Is the man s'ho plrt them there. and as lime pa.ssed,Tom had put To fly have to have glb.. togetherquite a list intere*ed 'ou AnonFnous of and And they blazedthen narnes former membersof the 455th. In lhe hall of fame Erl;DedtcqEd and rcPubhsbedfar tbe He alsospearheaded three On v/ings witl bailing wire strurs... bestutl tewnce gtx p oJtbe455tb. rermioos- St louis, Chicago,and 2 Contlnu.d o. Palb 3 voluntee'edfor the mission. sclDol dass ring were found in the I Mil After the Mikv"ukee aukee. *warm-up Back Fores near \4enna. His [)a|a- reunion it was dimcut to get evayone Oo one enginefailed to ciute was unopened. togetheragain - everrcne wls busy function properly ard the flight line attefidingschool, setling up ln busi medsnic wamed of the dsk in flying A.lItbese '€ars, Brc$ers has been fea- nessor practice,rearing farnilies, or the plane Evenso, Montgomerydlose suing his mernoriesof tlE couiage to take to fie air. Taking out f}le fuel and sacrificeof Roberti{oritgomery. ln plant was too jmportanta missionto the surnrnerof 1984Dat€ and his wife tu: Eadler Lss1.t6of tbe Cedgnol!1 the Allies. Ruth,drove acoss the country to visit Connzc\lanhas ee4)afwn Ton one of their sons in New Mo.ico. The la$ ime Brothes Mlrcbell'srrwny neuElettec. saw Lt. They $opped in Noq,zta,OHahoma Montgomerywas io the cocl<pitof Montgomelys hometown.Brothers VAI-OR thejr buming 824. 'gvantedto visit Bob Montgomery's grave.All tlut he found was *Iat sim- The irrget $/asheavily defended by pl€ flat marker- the slandardmilitary He gavehjs life for the missionand Germanfighte$. Montgomeryspbne one. Buried lvas Montgomer/s his clewl was in the rear€nd Chadiepositioo. courage,dedication, loFlty, hercirn\ Going irto t}]e targetMontgornery's It was just a simpl€ military stone.A pllotlng skill and placingthe safetyof plaoe was hit consist€ndyby macline mans life in five lines: his cre$r'above his c'qmlife. 'YAen I gun fire and 20 nlm air calmoris.Th€ RobertA. Montgomery saw hjs gmveI ju$ went to pieces," airplrne caughtfirc. As the blazingfuel Oklahoma BrotheNsaid. "It's aI tbat'sleft of him. leaked out of the tarJ<s,it racedbum- 1srLr. 455 bomb GP AAIr It ju-!t doesn'tseem {ight." ing oails aoo6s plane's Y/odd War tr AM PH the body. The fire took hold despitethe besteffor{s Feb7,1922 J$e,26,1944 In 1985Broriers b€ganan exteosive of lhe rcmainingclew mernbeGto campaignto win the proper honors By ltne 26, 1944,t\e push was on ro hold it at bay At this point or y five for his liieod. "I was just determined - force the Germantroops back to their crew memberswefe still a.live tbat he was going to get somerecog- Montgomery,Brothers, lhe cepilot, homeland.Any blow stirck agaiost njtlon." Hjs Soalwas the SilverSt2r for Gerrnanywas a victory for the allies radio operatorand the tail gurner. On galantry, the thbd-highestaw?rd of (he and a promisethat World lvar II was bomb run Mootgomeryrefi.lsed to !"lor offded by the Air Force. one day doser to ending,at lea$ in move out of positioo aod slayedat fie dre European'fheate, controlsuntil the bombs could be \vith the help of the \,,lrginjaMilitary dropl)ed.Finaly giving orders*lzt InslituteAerospace Office Brothqs 'Ihe 455ihBomb Group of tlle 304ttr thoseleft of the crew should bail out, wrote the proper authorities.'"fbjs let- \ving, 15thAir Forcehad spentJune he then held the plane steadyuntil the ter is a requeJ Fom t}le heart for a smashjngkrgets in Munich, Gemany; lasl crew memberwas dear of the posrhurnousdecomtion for my !fl\MI Vienna,Austria; Ciivasso, Italy; plane. As they balloonedaway from p,lot," he v,rote, 'He displa)€d Cniova, Rumania;and Aies, France. the blazingcxali, she eploded taking cour"ge beyond anlthing tbat I bad Montgomery,the pilot, with her. The ever seenbefore , ,, " After recounting Montgomeryhjmself v'?s readyto cjew nevers3w Montgomeryagain fte eveotsofJune 26, 1944,he cori- complet€his coveted50th mjssion. but they lfiew if he hadnt stayed duded his lefier by saying,'This mat- Then he could go home. aboard,they never could have golten ter has weighed heavilyon my mind out safely. and heart In Augus 1985 Orde6 carnethrough for the next mis- of Presideot sion - a stnthetic fuels plant io Reaganordered that the Silv€rStrr be A lot of storjesof braveryand courage awardedto RobertMontgornery. Moosbierbau.a,Austda. the targetwas carneout of \iwII and a lot of bmve vital, sincedre Rununian bombings men have been forgotfenby all but a On Sunday,April 20, 1986,in the wes had ga-solineproduction destroyedthe few hmily memben Maybe meetingroom of the llarmon there.