I
was the bombadier on the crew. I completed 23 combat missions, 347
combat flying hours which included the mission on September 2, 1945.
Our crew had an official photographer aboard our plane that day.
We made several passes around the USS Missouri battleship. Unfortunately,
the photos that I had in my possession were taken from parents home
sometime in the 50's.
Our
AC had surgery in early June 45 and was grounded for approximately
3 weeks. It was during this time that Richard spent time on a
submarine. I was temporary on another crew (don't know number)
but was sent to Iwo Jima to provide navigation for P-51s to near
coast of Japan and wait to get them on course back to Iwo.
While
there, we were sent to an area to search for crew members that
bailed out after leaving the coast. Successfully found two suvivors
about four miles apart and waited until the first was on a sub.
One was S/Sgt Claude Alger who was placed on crew 18 later.
As
for myself, I was released from service in Dec 1945 and was recalled
to active duty in Nov 1951, but
while waiting for assignment, I volunteered for Electronic Counter
Measures school at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Upon graduation was
assigned to USAF Security Service at Brooks AFB. After receiving
required security classification, was assigned as commander of
small detachment to monitor communications of the Russian missle
test range. We arrived at the site in Samsun, Turkey in August
1953, set up operations and had positive info to transmit back
to Hq in mid Oct 1953. Returned to the States in Aug 1954 and
pulled duty at HG until applying for upgrading to Radar Navigation
school at Mather AFB in 1956-57. Upon completion, was assigned
to SAC, Walker AFB, Roswell, NM, 6th Bomb Wing, 24th Bomb Squadron,
the same unit I went to on graduating from bombardier school in
1944.
In
1960, our wing was chosen to represent the USAF in the RAF Bombing/Navigation
Competition at Brize Norton, AB in England. We easily won the
bombing but they won all the top places in navigation - [and drinking].
Starting
in 1958, additional B-52 and KC-135 training was conducted at
Walker AFB. Sept 1963 all this training was back to Castle AFB,
CA. The rest of my career was spent there, retired as L/C in April
1, 1970.
Most of B-52 time (approx 4,500 hrs) was spent traning student
crews.
Glenn Haas passed away
3 August 2003 from Pancreatic Cancer |
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