On
26 October 1942, Colonel Mundy received his prodigious
Command Pilot rating.
In
November 1942, he was sent to Washington, D.C. as
plans officer at AFRIT.
From
30 June 1943 until 18 June 1944, Colonel Mundy served
as Commander of Laughlin Field, Del Rio, Texas.
At
that time, he was transferred to the 33rd Fighter
Wing, as its Commanding Officer, initially at Blackland,
then in Waco Field, both in Texas. He served in this
position until 25 August 1944.
On
26 August of that year, he was sent to Randolph Field,
Texas to serve as Chief of Staff of its 2500th Base
Unit. During this time he also attended the Army-Navy
Staff College from which he graduated on 20 January
1945.
He
departed from Hamilton Field on 15 February 1945.
Upon his arrival at Headquarters, XXI Bomber Command,
he became Operations and Training Staff Officer with
that Organization. Inasmuch as Mundy's prior 3rd attack
Group had specialized in low level flying, he was
called upon to help in the planning of the law level
incendiary missions.
On
15 March 1945, Colonel George Mundy was named Commanding
Officer of the 39th Bomb Group, 314th Bomb Wing, stationed
at North Field, Guam, Colonel John G, Fowler, who
had brought the Group overseas returned to his earlier
position as Vice Commander of the 314th Bomb Wing.
Colonel
Mundy would serve as CO of the 39th Bomb Group until
the end of hostilities precipitated by an unprecedented
air campaign by the 20th Air Force - One that had
destroyed 50 of Japan's largest cities as well as
it's military capacity to continue the war. This was
the first time in history that major nation had been
defeated without a land invasion.
On
Guam, Mundy's first fourteen missions went well, but
his fifteenth came close to being the last for him.
On this strategic daylight raid against Nagoya, Mundy
was flying as Command Pilot with Captain John Miranda's
Crew 13 of the 60th Squadron. Struck twice by 120
mm shells, which tore off approximately eight feet
of the "City of Galveston's" right wing, a couple
of feet off its aileron, and doing severe damage to
bomb bay doors and two engines. The crippled plane
barely made it to a Point eight miles off the Japanese
coast where the twelve men successfully bailed out
and were picked up by submarine. General Mundy recalls
that they were stripped by the souvenir hunting crew
of the submarine who confiscated such prize trophies
as flight jackets, helmets, sun glasses and 45's.
George quipped afterward, "You don't come out with
a thing except your life." He wasn't complaining though
- it was a willing price to pay for 12-lives.
Both
Mundy and Miranda received Silver Stars for their
superb leadership and competency during this life
threatening experience.
Colonel
Mundy returned to duty on 3 July, about a week later,
and went on to fly seven more combat missions - accelerating
a total of 22 by war's end.
An
interesting incident involving Colonel Mundy and Captain
Miranda occurred early on in their relationship, On
this particular day the Colonel, seated at his desk
in his Quonset hut, spotted John Miranda passing by.
He called out to "Big John" to "stop in for a moment."
He
said, "John, I have two papers on my desk that deal
with you. Please read them and tell me which one you
think I should sign."
One
order cited Miranda for punishment under the 104th
Article of War - misconduct with the M.P.'s. The other
recommended him for promotion to lead crew commander.
At
the time, Colonel Mundy was intending to sign only
one of them - not the two. Miranda read them over
carefully, then smiled and said. "Colonel, I think
you should sign them both." "I did," Mundy related,
"and he got both,"
It
isn't often that a subordinate is cited and promoted
in the same sitting. With John it was quite possible
- he had a reputation as one who was generally out for
a good time and, on occasion, would exceed the limits
of good behavior.
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