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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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"City of Binghamton"
"Silver Streak"
B29 # 44-69756

Major Crumm had flown 25, B-17 combat missions in Europe before his Guam assignment as Commander of the 61st Squadron, 39th Bomb Group. After VJ Day he moved rapidly through many levels of command, i.e. Continental Air Command, Strategic Air Command, the Pentagon, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff, which was responsible for developing the U.S. Nuclear War Plan. In July 1965 Major General Crumm was assigned as Commander, 3rd Air Division at Anderson Air Force Base on Guam and responsible for all B-52 Vietnam Theater operations as directed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity he hosted visits/conferences by the President, Secretary of Defense, senior officers commanding the Vietnam Theater Forces, exchanged staff visits with General Westmoreland, the Commander of MACV. During this period Colonel Joseph J. Semanek was assigned as Commander 3960 Strategic Wing at Anderseon. In early 1967, one week before departure for his new assignment in the Pentagon, General Crumm was on his last Vietnam combat mission in the lead B-52 of a three formation at 18,000 feet. The formation was turning over the I.P. for a bomb run on Vietnam target when the B-52 flying on his right wing overran the formation and collided with General Crumm's aircraft. The third B-52 saw parachutes come out of the disintegrating planes but General Crumm, not occupying an ejection seat, did not make it and was declared KIA.

Crew 23 Main Page
61st Squadron Crew Index
Source: Joseph J. Semanek for the book "History of the 39th Bomb Group"