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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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S/Sgt Edward R. Kosmowski
Asst. Crew Chief

Then
Ed & Jean Kosmowski 2003

Born: 12 April 1924 - Milwaukee, WI

Education: Grades 1-12

Milwaukee Public Schools

Post High School Tool & Die Apprenticeship (3 yrs)

Martial Status: Married 7 September 1946 to Jean Grimmer

Family Status: Two Daughters: Debra Jean - Teacher, Married with two sons
Dr. Kerry Ann - Professor, Married

Military Service:

1
April, 1942 Accepted into U.S. Army Air Force Cadet Program
1
June 2, 1942 Sworn into U.S. Army Force Cadets
1
November 1942 Pre-flight school - Santa Anna, CA
1
  Primary Flight School - 29 Pams Air Academy, CA-PT-17
(Washed out in Flight School)

1
April, 1943 Staging Center - Fresno, CA
1
1943 Graduated Mech School - Army Air Field, Amarillo, TX
1
Graduate of Engine School - Chanute Field, Rantoul, IL
1
Graduate of Central Fire Control School - Lowery School - Lowery Field, Denver, CO.

1
March 1944 Air Crew, Pratt, KS
1
1 73rd Bomb Wing
497th Bomb Group
870th Bomb Squadron
MOS 1684 Right Blister Gunner

1
1 Reassigned with 10 other 1684 gunners to SHAAF - Salina, KS:
73rd Bomb Wing
497th Bomb Group
870th Bomb Squadron
MOS 1684 Right Blister Gunner

1
April/May 1944 Flew as Flight Crew Member, B-17 F's (no B-29's available at the time)

1
End of May, 1944 By order of General C. LeMay all Right Blister Gunners were taken out of Air Crews because of their engine school backgrounds and were assigned as ground school team members with:
MOS: 747
314th Bomb Wing
39th Bomb Group (VH)
60th Squadron
Overseas assignment delayed until 1945

1
1944-1945 Assistant Crew Chief - S/Sgt under Crew Chief M/Sgt John Danhof.
Crew P-8 Airplane Commander: Major Leo Lewis
Based in Salina, KS, Havana Cuba, Guam and Iwo Jima

1
December 1945 Discharged - Camp McCoy, Sparta, WI

Post WWII:
I am retired Tool & Die Maker who worked for General Motors just alittle over less than 41 years. I did alot of tooling and die work that contributed to guidance systems for the C-IV Carousel Systems, Titan Missle, Thor Missle, Polaris Missle and automobile computers.

Assistant Crew Chief, Edward Kosmowski, recalls an incident that occurred while he was flying as a passenger with an aircrew back in Salina, Kansas: "We were over Colorado on a triangular mission when the CFC (top) blister blew out. It resembled a 20mm shell exploding. Everything that was loose in the immediate vicinity went out with it. With bail out bell sounding, everyone scurried for their chutes and oxygen mask, oxygen bottle and additional clothing. The pilot instantly came on the intercom and instructed everyone to hang loose and report the damage. We were then instructed to hook up to bail-out bottles until he descended below 10,000 feet."

Other recollections are:

Guam Night Guard Duty - The time they assigned everyone from Sgt down to pull guard duty at the planes. A jeep with Major Miranda drove up and I had him halt, get out and come forward to be recognized. Let me tell you after it was over he was one hot Major! I did it because I did not know if he was testing me to see if I was doing my job!

The time they flew the P-8 ground crew up to Iwo Jima to repair the plane. We flew in a B-24 Liberator and on landing we blew a tire. The last part of rolling to a halt was not very smooth!

I remember going along with John Danhof on the "Show of Force" mission on a fly over Tokyo Bay and the Battleship Missouri. I don't recall the crew as P-8 crew was in Hawaii on R & R. On the way back we had to shut down one engine and feather the prop. Then we made another stop on Iwo Jima.

I also had the priviledge of talking to General Cutis LeMay while on Guam.



S/Sgt Edward R. Kosmowski, took his Final Flight on 27 September 2015

Ground Crew Page
60th Squadron Crew Index

Sources: "History of the 39th Bomb Group" & Ed Kosmowski