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Lt
Col Sturdivant, Dpty CO;
Col. Potter
Paige, CO.
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I was assigned to the initial cadre of the Group in
June of 1944, and took initial command until sometime
in July or August when Colonel Potter B. Paige arrived
in Salina to assume command. Nine or ten of us had
already checked out in the B-29 at Alamogordo, New
Mexico in July and were to comprise the 39th command,
staff and operations jobs. When the crews and maintenance
people arrived, we began flight training in a bunch
of really raunchy B-29's. All will probably remember
the problems we had with engine fires, runaway props
and blown "jugs." The flight crews and maintenance
personnel were truly dedicated and few realize what
a miraculous job they did to keep those aircraft in
the air, not to mention the added responsibility of
trying to accomplish our required training in the
face of these obstacles. Everything seemed to be working
against us. Bad weather came early in the fall; it
was just about as bad as Kansas can get - rain, wind,
cold fronts, snow, and so it went.
This
caused us to fall far behind in our training, so it
was decided that the Group would go down to Batista
Field in Cuba in order to accomplish all that had
to be done. We deployed the entire 39th in December
and January and were able to catch up on most of our
training during our stay there. We, however, were
not able to complete fully the flying time, navigation
and bombing missions that had been scheduled.
During
this time we were also having added problems of command.
The Group Commander was seldom at Salina and he never
showed up in Cuba to direct the activities of the
39th. Consequently, all of these problems ended up
in my lap. We had in addition to the many day-to-day
difficulties, the necessary planning for the trip
to Cuba, and preparations for the immediate overseas
embarkment of the ground echelon as well as that of
the flight echelon which would soon follow. Fortunately,
we had an exceptional group of staff officers Tommy
Thompson, Bill Crumm, Woody Carpenter, and Rob Strong.
These people, I am proud to say, rallied together
with the flight crews and maintenance personnel to
create a close unit relationship and an esprit de
corps which was able to compensate for many of our
difficulties.
Colonel
Paige was relieved of command in early January just
before we began our deployment and Colonel Fowler
was named as his successor. Colonel Fowler never did
appear on the scene either in the States or on Guam
and therefore was commander in name only. It was left
up to me to complete the Group's training, ship our
equipment, receive our aircraft, and deploy the unit
overseas. I will admit that I was very disappointed
that I didn't get the Group command at that time.
They pointed out, that at age 26, and only six years
out of the academy, I was considered too young and
inexperienced for the job.
As
one may remember, we staged at Herington, Kansas and
deployed to North Field, Guam via Mather Air Force
base, Hickam Field in Hawaii, and Kwajalein. I was
aboard the first aircraft, P-2, commanded by Captain
Keene.
When
we arrived at Guam, newly named Group Commander, Colonel
George W. Mundy was on hand to greet us. He proved
himself to be a most capable leader whom I respected
and liked very much. Your biography of him was really
outstanding in that you caught the very essence of
his personality. We grew to be close and steadfast
friends both there on Guam and continuing later when
I took over the 6th Bomb Group at Clark Field, where
he was 313th Wing Commander.
Sturdivant [ 1
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