THE JOURNAL Official Publication of the 60th ANNIVERSARY 1939- 1999 Veterans of WORLD WAR II Volume 37 Number 4 Winter 1998," LIBERATOR PERMANENCE IN AMERICA (left): The Bronze B-24 was dedicated on September 25th, 1998, in the Honor Court of the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. IN THE U.K.(below): Paul King, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Memorial Trust (left) poses with Karim Yasamee, the stained glass artist, and David Gregson, the furniture maker who crafted the Light box for this beautiful B-24 panel which will be housed in the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library in Norwich, England. THE B-24 WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. DIRECTORY Honorary President JORDAN R. UTTAL 7824 Meadow Park Drive. Apt. 101, Dallas, TX 75230-4939 Telephone: 214-369-5043 OFFICERS President EARL WASSOM 548 Brentmoor Drive, Bowling Green, KY 42101-3772 Telephone: 502-842-0412 Executive Vice President F.C.(HAP) CHANDLER 18 Willow Glen, Atlanta. GA 30342-2023 Telephone: 404-252-5445 TABLE OF CONTENTS Vice President Membership EVELYN COHEN 6410 Delaire Landing Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114-4157 President's Message 489th Notes Tel. 215-632-3992 • Fax 215-632-8319 EARL WASSOM 3 JAMES M. DAVIS 6 Vice President Communications GENE HARTLEY Executive Vice President's Message 49 1st Ringmaster Reports Carpinteria, CA 93013-1231 3950 Via Real #233, FC "HAP" CHANDLER 4 JOHN D. LEPPERT 30 Tel 805-684-9542 • Fax 805-566-0185 492nd Happy Warrior Happenings E.W.(BILL) NOTHSTEIN The Editor's Comments Treasurer 31 40 Meadow Drive. Spencerport, NY 14559-1142 RAY PYTEL 5 W.H. "BILL" BEASLEY Tel 716-352-3350• Fax 716-352-4201 2ADA Annual Financial Statement ARTICLES, STORIES, POEMS Secretary and Director of ELWOOD NOTHSTEIN 6 Administrative Services DAVID G. PATTERSON A Perspective on the 2AD Memorial Squire Court. Alamo, CA 94507-2230 Board of Governors Meeting Reports 28 C.N. "BUD" CHAMBERLAIN 9 Tel 510-837-1667• Fax 510-743-9940 CHARLES WALKER 7 2ADA Representative That Our Memorial May Endure League Membership Application 8 Board of Governors CHARLES WALKER Heritage JORDAN R. UTIAL 14 9824 Crest Meadow, Dallas, TX 75230-5331 1999 Reunion Schedule 9 "Genevieve" Made Our Evasion a Success! Telephone: 214-987-0467 • E-Mail: [email protected] New Members 15 Lows E. DELGUIDICE 16 GROUP VICE PRESIDENTS The Luck of "Parachute Pete" News from Across the Pond Headquarters RAY E. STRONG CLARENCE F. "SKIP" PEASE 16 320 Burlage Circle. Chapel Hill, NC 27514-2701 DAVID HASTINGS 19 President Wassom Visits Telephone: 919-967-2301 Folded Wings 22 44th Bomb Group RICHARD D. BUTLER Mighty 8th AF Heritage Museum 20 51st Annual Convention Information 33 16494 Wagon Wheel Drive, Riverside, CA 92506-5850 Armstrong Elderhostel 1999 Program Tel 909-780-7421 • Fax 909-780-1459 Letters to the Editor 36 HAP CHANDLER 20 93rd Bomb Group ALFRED ASCH 6205 Meadow Court, Rockville. MD 20852-3637 Liberator Stamp Petition RACK COVER The B-24 Flies in Air Force Academy Telephone: 301-881-1376 Honor Court 389th Bomb Group BERNARD F DRISCOLL GROUP REPORTS NEAL SORENSEN 21 Rt. 2 - Box 3245, Richards, TX 77873-9507 A Highlight of Our Telephone: 409-291-6253 Division Headquarters RAY STRONG 23 November Meeting in Norwich 392nd Bomb Group J. FRED THOMAS 8932 Biscayne Court #1318E, Huntington Beach, CA 92646 44th News JORDAN R. UTTAL 22 Telephone. 714-536-2294 DICK BUTLER 13 Duxford Acquires a B-24 23 FRED A. DALE 445th Bomb Group Open Letter to the 93rd Reply by V-Mail Box 352, Mahomet, IL 61853-0352 Tel 217-586-3136 ALFRED ASCH II CHIP DOBSON & MARTIN SCHRECK 24 446th Bomb Group AUD RISLEY 389th Green Dragon Flares A Word to the Wives 24 682 Slade Avenue. Elgin, IL 60120-3066 BARNEY DRISCOLL 22 Tel 847-741-7757 • Fax 847-622-3076 Flown a Ford Lately? 392nd Bomb Group WILLIAM E. HENDRIX. JR 25 4481h Bomb Group CHARLES C. McBRIDE 18 18 Seaview Dr. No.. Rolling Hills Est., CA 90274-5706 J. FRED THOMAS The 1919 U.S. Army Air Service Telephone: 310-541-5381 445th Bomb Group Flying Regulations 453rd Bomb Group JULIAN WILSON FRED A. DALE 12 ED WANNER 25 18951 Castlebay Lane, Northridge. CA 91326-1003 Telephone: 818-360-4046 446th Bungay Bull It's a "Sticky Wicket" for Yanks AUD RISLEY 17 458th Bomb Group E.A.(RICK) ROKICKI Who Play Cricket — or Whatever 365 Mae Road. Glen Burnie, MD 21061-4694 The 448th Speaks DOUG LANSKY 26 Tel. 410-766-1034 • Fax 410-969-1452 CATER LEE 15 8th Air Force Liberator Crew 466th Bomb Group JAMES H. LORENZ News of the 453rd from Flame Leap Shares Honors in Luxembourg 5331 East Poinsettia Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85254-4716 DON TOYE 27 Telephone: 602-951-0343 JULIAN K. WILSON 28 467th Bomb Group WALTER J. MUNDY 458th Bomb Group Thanks,"Little Friend" 23020 Basin Harbor Court. Tehachapi, CA 93561-9638 RICK ROKICKI 29 GEORGE REYNOLDS 30 Telephone: 805-821-5101 466th Attlebridge Tales Thanet Allied Aircrew Memorial, Part 11 489th Bomb Group JAMES M. DAVIS RICK ROKICKI 31 2519 Shell, Midland, TX 79750-8421 JIM LORENZ 10 Telephone: 915-683-2443 467th Poop from Group Oklahoma State Senate Resolution 35 491st Bomb Group JOHN D LEPPERT WALTER J. MUNDY 19 The Lost Squadron Museum 35 4383 Live Oak Blvd., Palm Harbor, FL 34685-4024 Tel. 813-784-1984 492nd Bomb Group W.H. (BILL) BEASLEY MEMORIAL TRUST BOARD OF GOVERNORS 1525 South Garfield Street. Denver, CO 80210-3022 PAUL R. KING, Chairman HILARY HAMMOND Tel. 303-756-4766 • Fax 303-759-3684 Noverre House, Norwich NR2 1RH, England Meadow Cottage High Roa: b assingham, Des, JOURNAL DAVID J. HASTINGS, Vice Chairman Norfolk 1722 2AT gland Editor RAY PYTEL -Westering." Sahouse. Normch. Norfolk NR13 6R0. England EDWARD 0. INMAN Director of the Duxford Imperial War Museum PO. Box 484, Eichorn, WI 53121-0484 ROBIN BERRINGTON Tel 414-723-6381 • Fax 414-723-7981 Cultural Attaché, U S. Embassy Dukiord Airfield, Cambridge CB2 40R, England 24 Grosvenor Sq.. London. W1A 1AE, England PROFESSOR HOWARD TBAPERLEY HERITAGE LEAGUE School of English and American Studies NICHOLAS P. COOPER President CRAIG A. BEASLEY University of East Anglia, Norwich. NR4 77J, England Wychwood, Coley Lane, Cringleford. Norwrch, Norfolk NR4 7RE 3459 Celebration Drive, West Valley City, UT 84120 CHARLES WALKER Tel 801-250-8565• 801-252-3042 MRS. FRANCES DAVIES 9824 Crest Meadow, Dallas, TX 75230-5331 USA 57 Church Lane. Eaton, Norwich NR4 6NY, England 2ND AIR DIVISION MEMORIAL ROOM JOHN WHITEHOUSE ROGER A. FREEMAN 8EW Trust Librarian DEREK S. HILLS The Merlins, Hawkes Lane, Bracon Ash, Norwx:h NR14 May's Barn, Dedham, NT Colchester. Essex. England CO7 6EW England 2ADA Fulbright American Trust Librarian JUDITH A. JEROME DAVID 0. GURNEY LT. COL W.D. WUEST SECOND AIR DIVISION MEMOFIIAL ROOM Bawdesweil HO East Dereharn, Norfolk NR20 404 14 St Andrews Close. Hingham. Norfolk NR9 4JT. England 71 Ber Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 3AD, England 2 KEEPING IN FOCUS SECOND AIR DIVISION ASSOCIATION BY EARL WASSOM,2ADA PRESIDENT (466TH BG) JjOjlljikIIjiL ix months have passed since our convention in Oak Brook. I urged our membership to refocus and continue to pre- THE 2ND AIR DIVISION ASSOCIATION serve our wartime legacy. The original vision of the Associa- traces its initial meeting to 1948 in Chicago, tion was to create a Memorial honoring our comrades who Illinois. It was organized as a nonprofit cor- fell in battle. Wisely, a living memorial concept was chosen. poration in the State of Illinois on January It emerged as an idea housed in a room associated with a 10, 1950. Members of the original Board of library. Since its inception it has become a legend-preserving Directors were 2nd Air Division veterans place ... a center where memories and friendships have been Marilyn Fritz, Howard W. Moore,Jordan R. renewed. Veterans from the various bomber and fighter group Uttal, and Percy C. Young.The association's and headquarters personnel collectively share experiences. purpose is to advocate and support an ade- But, the concept has expanded. Families of the veterans quate, effective and efficient Army, Navy and became involved, then appreciative English friends became caring team members. Amateurs Air Force at all times; to perpetuate the friend- tried their hands at writing, then professional historians stepped in using the resources of our ships and memories of service together in library to assist them in recording and preserving the story of the 1942-45 war years. Small the 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force in Eng- land during World War II; to support finan- memorials and then larger ones, both in England and in the U.S., sprang up. Powerful ties with cially, and in any other way, the Memorial our English friends were strengthened and liaisons with other groups are emerging. Trust of the 2nd Air Division as represented Our organization has a firm grip on its vision. A visionary believes goals can be attained and by the 2nd Air Division Memorial Room of the is convinced that they must be. And, a critical sense of urgency dominates them. This fact is Norwich Central Library; and to undertake evidenced in the activities which have occurred since our Oak Brook convention. such other activities as may from time to time Relationships between the veteran groups of the wartime Eighth Air Force organizations be deemed appropriate by the membership. have been initiated. We were honored to have Norm C. Grant, President of the Eighth Air Force REGULAR (Voting) MEMBERSHIP in Historical Society, and his charming wife, Margaret, as our guests at our convention in Oak the association is limited to those personnel, Brook.