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Crew
20 was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for
their participation in a mission against Nagoya on 26
June 1945. The citation reads as follows:
"For extraordinary achievement while participating
in aerial flight on 26 June 1945. These individuals were
combat members of a B-29 aircraft in the memorable daylight
strike from base in the Marianas against the high priority
target of Nagoya, Japan. They assembled off the coast
of Honshu and made the bombing run undeterred by continuous
opposition from closely pressed attacks by enemy fighters
and intense and accurate flak. The entire formation dropped
bombs with devastating results. Immediately thereafter,
a burst of anti-aircraft fire from heavy caliber guns
seriously damaged their plane. Despite the crippled condition
of their own aircraft, they unhesitatingly maneuvered
to give protective cover to a B-29 more gravely damaged
than their own. The deep devotion to duty and courage
and high degree of professional skill displayed by these
veteran combat crewmen aided materially in the prosecution
of the war and reflect great credit on themselves and
the Army Air Forces."
For
some unexplained reason, some of the crew did not receive
the DFC. Tom Campbell, Pilot; Harry Robinson, Bombardier;
Charles Castle, Flight Engineer; and Gunners William Emery
and Joshua Shubin were the only ones of the crew so named.
Radio Operator, Henry Wysocki and Castle have tried to
continuously to get this gross injustice corrected.
But
47years have passed and Wysocki, now 73*, is still appealing
the to the bureaucracy, but no one seems to want to be
listening.
Flight
Engineer Charles Castle recalls that their crew buddied
this plane a few miles off the Japanese coast and watched
as the entire crew bailed out.
"Our
radio operator, Sgt Wysocki, had contacted a sub giving
them our position and that of the downed crewmembers.
We continued to circle overhead until the rescue submarine
picked up all men. All the while, we were flying on three
engines, as one had been knocked out by flak. Incidentally
we chose not to land at Iwo.
The
Flight Engineer on the disabled B-29 was George Mantak.
The survivors remained on the sub for three weeks. After
returning to Guam, the crew was sent to Hawaii for two weeks
of rest of relaxation." |
