Having
completed our B-29 crew training in Clovis, New Mexico our
class boarded a train to Herrington, Kansas where we were
assigned a brand new B-29 to check-out and fly overseas.
Our first stop was Mather Field Sacramento, Calif. and then
we island hopped to Hickham Field, Hawaii, then to Kwajalien.
Upon leaving Kwajalien our Airplane Commander, 1st. Lt.
James W. Welch Jr., opened a "Classified" envelop
informing us our destination was North Field, Guam to join
the 314th Bomb Wing. Shortly after that news our Radio operator
Sgt Richard Huston came on the intercom and announced that
San Francisco radio, 6 o'clock news, reported the earth
shaking news that the Germans had surrendered. Seven hours
later we were following a 'Follow Me' jeep to an empty revetment
to park the aircraft on Guam, 8 May 1945.
Len's
family received mail that the crew landed on Guam, his mother
called his Grandmother who replied that her cousin Captain
George McMillen, Naval Attache Governor of Guam had to surrender
the island to the Japanese and was in a POW camp in Tokyo
with General Wainwright. Captain McMillen was also from
Youngstown.
In
a matter of days our crew was introduced to a brand new
B-29 (serial number 44-61524 designated as P9 of the 60th
Bomb Squadron and we also met our ground crew who were the
personnel who maintained the original P9. We were informed
that we became the replacement crew and but was not clear
which mission that the original crew failed to return -
their first, second, or third.
Meeting
our ground crew and working with them when P-9 was down
for maintenance was a great opportunity to learn more about
our aircraft. Occasionally, when an engine change was completed
Capt. Welch would ask them to go along to 'slow time' a
new engine. When they refused, we would have a big laugh.
Did they know something that we didn't?
It
was necessary to slow time a new engine for several hours
as a normal mission was 14 to 18 hours and more importantly
maximum engine performances for take-off to get the aircraft
airborne with crew, ammo for the guns, fuel, and bombs;
it is necessary to determine that the new engine met airworthy
requirements and was up to the test. If our plane was down
for maintenance; we would fly the mission in a 'standby'
aircraft.
Our
Crew was so fortunate to have an Airplane Commander with
combat experience such as Capt. James W. Welch Jr. of St.
Augustine, Florida. Capt. Welch flew a tour of duty out
of North Africa as an A/C in B-24s, which included missions
over the Polesti Oil refineries. Our pilot 1st Lt Richard
Larson was an experienced B-17 pilot who transitioned into
B-29 before joining our crew. Both our navigator and bombardier
were instructors prior to signing up for combat which was
comforting to the thoughts of other crew members preparing
themselves mentally for combat.
To introduce some of the crew members to combat, Operations
would assign the Airplane Commander, Bombardier, Navigator,
and Flight Engineer to ride in the jump seat (for passengers)
to different aircraft. Our Flight Engineer, F/O Bill Burke,
was assigned to Crew P6. During take-off an engine fire
occurred. The bombs were salvoed into the ocean, and during
this night approach to the runway a wing impacted the runway
and P6 went off the runway into the adjacent field and a
fire broke out.
F/O Bill Burke went to the hospital for injuries incurred,
and received the Purple Heart.
Sergeant
Ray Swartz, Radio Operator, of Crew P6 was awarded the
Soldier's Medal for his heroism in saving the lives of two
fellow airman; his Airplane Commander and F/O Burke, the
passenger from replacement Crew P9.
Corporal
Estaban 'Steve' Garcia, tail gunner of P6, died in the hospital
as a result of injuries incurred during the crash. The noncommissioned
officers from replacement Crew P9 had the honor and privilege
to be the pallbearers for Corporal Garcia's funeral on Guam.
Our
Crew flew every scheduled mission beginning with a day raid
1 June 1945 thru 2 September, which was the 'Display of
Power' mission, with the exception of one mission. We aborted
one mission as the result of a propeller governor malfunction
on No. 2 engine during preflight. The 'Display of Power'
mission was an historical event for all B-29 crews as the
various bomb groups in the 20th Air Force flew in formation
over the battle ship Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay during
the signing of the peace treaty between the Allied Forces
and the Japanese.
The
'City of Youngstown' crew received the Distinguished Flying
Cross as a result of enemy action on a day raid to Kobe,
5 June 1945, our second mission. During the 21 missions
we received the Air Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters plus
a Battle Star on our Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon for
being in "Harms Way'"
With
the Grace of the Good Lord our crew accumulated over 500
hours in the B-29's and flew the "City of Youngstown"
to Mather Field Sacramento, Calif. We had the privilege
to bring military personnel as passengers, high point servicemen,
who were eligible for immediate discharge from other branches
of service. This effort was called "Operation Sunset
Project No. 2". The Golden Gate Bridge looked far more
spectacular flying east than flying west!
Capt.
Welch made every attempt to fly the "City of Youngstown"
to Youngstown for Victory Bond Rally, which many of the
other B-29 crews were doing; however, Air Force people declined
the request as the runways at Youngstown Municipal Airport
were only 3800' at that time and the Air Force required
at least 5000'. This information was brought to the attention
of the Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio and was announced in the
local newspaper the "Youngstown Vindicator". I
use to deliver that newspaper when I was a youngster living
in Boardman, Ohio at 99 Ferncliff Avenue.
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