Born:
30 June 1923
Died: 14 December 2002
The son of Elmer C. and Elva M. Elvgren, Bud had one
sister named Donna.
His
father worked as a grain elevator operator all his life
and his mother was a housewife.
As
a child Bud would mow lawns like many other kids his
age - taking care of 7-10 lawns.
He
started collecting stamps around the age of 8 or 9 until
about the time he entered St. Paul Central High School
then started becoming interested in sports - swimming
and golf.
In
September 1941 he attended University of Minnesota
He
enlisted in the Army February 23, 1943, first going
to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis for approximately 6
weeks then to Washington University for 8-10 weeks of
training followed by a 7-day trip on a troop train to
Santa Anna, CA for 6 weeks of Preflight Testing. This
is the time that the AAF decided Bud should be a pilot
based on his tests.
From
here Bud went to Kings City, CA for 9 weeks of Primary
Flying School most of which was on a Ryan single low
wing. He graduated early 1944. Kirtland Field for B-24
Transitional School Training, which lasted a couple
months Bud, recalls. There they simulated bombing missions
lasting 7-8 hours.
While
at Kirtland, there were approximately 275 men in his
class when it many of them went over to Europe - however
there remained about 25, including Bud to received orders
to Lincoln, NE to be assigned as B-29 pilots then to
Great Bend, followed by Salina, KS at Smoky Hill Army
Air Field. Elvgren and his crew trained at Batista as
many of the other 39th BG Crews.
Once
returning to Salina it was on to Herington to pick up
the crew's new B-29 then to Guam via Mather Field, John
Rogers Field, Hawaii, Kwajalein arriving at North Field
just as part of the first runway was being completed.
On
their first combat mission to Koriyama as they broke
through the clouds, Crew 28 found themselves alone in
the middle of Tokyo Bay; after finding the target and
dropping their bombs, fighters gave pursuit and suddenly
turned away as the crew looked out their side window
they saw the fighters had turned away because of the
oncoming squadron to drop their bombs on the target.
Bud
also recalled on an Osaka Mission where they were badly
shot up and had to crash land at Iwo Jima - luckily
it was raining hard; they had to belly land due to damage
to their landing gear onto the muddy runway. About 5
days after their return to Guam they received their
2nd B-29.
He
flew approximately 30 missions - never missing a single
one assigned.
After
the War
Married:
Margy Lee Bohannon September 3, 1949
Children: Anne, Joan Carlson and Alex Elvgren (deceased)
Hobby
into Occupation
Bud
started stamp collecting as a boy and in the seventies
became a dealer in Philatelic materials specializing
in Postal History and Autographs. This took us to stamp
shows all over the country, and to London, Paris and
Vienna.
Hobby
in the Sixties
In
the 60's Bud gained an interest in painting and did
some wonderful (to us) things. His cousin Gil Elvgren
lived on Siesta Key in (Sarasota, FL) and was a rather
well known illustrator and calendar girl artist.
Graham
"Bud" Elvgren was interred 30 June 2003
(which would have been his 80th birthday) with a
military service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery
in
St. Paul, MN. |
The Elvgren Family can be contacted via email by
clicking here |
|