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39th Bomb Group (VH)
Crew 7
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2002 Crew Reunion
Las Vegas, NV

Our reunion in Las Vegas was a grand affair... All the surviving crew members attended except our Aircraft Commander,Capt. Chester Juvenal and wife Molly, who were unable to attend due to health reasons......

We held this reunion at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Las Vegas. On Nov 11 to the 14th, and met that first evening evening at Ralph (pilot) and Betty Hardin's room. After all the hugging and hand shaking, we phoned Captain Juvenal and Molly at their home in Texas and each of us expressed our hope that we will see them at our next reunion...Elmo Huston (Flight Engineer) and Bud Reed (gunner) did all the reunion planning which included dinner that evening in a private dining room at the hotel.

Much of the dinner conversation was about our wonderful Texas reunion in year 2000. The next day we were treated to a guided tour of Nellis AFB, the home of the Thunderbirds, that was a great experience.

The Nellis AFB management provided us with a private tour bus with a driver and a tour guide and they took us all around the base. We had a private lecture on the history and accomplishments of that wonderful flying acrobatic team, past and present. We held our reunion lunch there at a private dining room at the Nellis AFB Officers Club. As is our custom, we honor one of our crew for his contributions during our combat missions. Dick Little as Master of Ceremonies presented the Crew 7 Honor Plaque to Dale Barton, Navigator.

It was a fine reunion. We enjoyed each other and we enjoyed talking about our reunion in Texas in 2000... the wonderful reception by the city of Laredo and our year or more long unsuccessful search for the B-29 which bore the city's name.

Ralph, Pilot, and Betty Hardin
Pauline and Dan Jesser, Radar
Wm. Badgley, Bomb & Ed Reilly, TG
Elmo Huston, FE & Howard Reed, RG
Howard Reed and Richard Little, RO
Dale Barton, Nav on right
with his nephew and niece
Dale Barton, Nav & Dick Little
Elmo Huston, FE
Source: Ed Reilly, Dan Jesser