| Name: | James K. Kangas |
| E-mail address: | jjkang@earthlink.net |
| Comments: | Was only 18 when arrived at Grafton Underwood with crew - ball turret gunner with Lucky Bastard Club completion - am now living in Sarasota FL and wonder if there is a group there - or anyone to meet up with from the 284th. We are full time residents relocated from a life in MN as contractor/builder now retired. Please contact me at the above email address.
Crew Member: Ray Cook - pilot; Phillip Leavitt - co-pilot; Roy Walker - navigator (deceased); Houston (Pete) Dosset - flight enginner upper turret; Thomas Hannis - radio man (deceased in war); Howard Krupsky - waist gunner; Forrest (Barrell) Green - tailgunner - James Kangas - ball turret; Clarence Gustivus - togglier (bombadier short timer -changed out) |
| Name: | Tom Sparks |
| E-mail address: | tjsparks@shortsnorter.org |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.shortsnorter.org |
| Comments: | My uncle, Kenneth Sparks, was a Navigator in the 547th Bomb Squadron. His short snorter is posted on The Short Snorter Project web site at...
http://www.shortsnorter.org/Kenneth_Sparks_Short_Snorter.html. If anyone else has a short snorter and would like it posted to my web site please send me an email. Thank you veterans for your service! Regards, Tom Sparks |
| Name: | morris shaw (warshawsky) |
| E-mail address: | shaw384@sbcglobal.net |
| Comments: | 6/29/09 I just discovered this website and I was in awe and amazed that so many people are keeping 384 alive and kicking in 2009. I finished one tour and started another but did not complete as I was sent home to Ft. Logon army rehab hospital in Colorado. Any members of Wahoo 1 or Wahoo 2 please contact me. |
| Name: | Don Price |
| E-mail address: | don_price56@hotmail.com |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.gulfcoastwing.org |
| Comments: | Published in the body of another fellow's Dad's recollection from Sudberry...
After one mission a 384 B17G ship landed on one engine, and after rolling to a stop on the taxiway at Sudberry the one engine that was still running fell off..... Literally, it fell off!!!!!! On the damn ground.......... Lest We Forget, Don Price- Wing Leader Commemorative Air Force- Gulf Coast Wing |
| Name: | Rick Giancarlo |
| E-mail address: | rgiancarlo1@comcast.net |
| Comments: | Hi,
Lt. Charles "Ted" Zitnik was the original Damn Yankee Co-Pilot when they formed the crew in the U.S. He flew 12 missions as Co-Pilot before receiving his own crew. On his 13th mission, his B-17, Chaplain's Office, went down on the mission to Bremen. All survived except Sgt. Robert Rimmer. Lt. McGovern and Sgt. Curtiss were also members of the original Damn Yankee crew but did not fly the 12-01-43 mission. Both completed their tours and rotated back to the U.S. I have a lot of documentation on both crews. |
| Name: | Rick Giancarlo |
| E-mail address: | rgiancarlo1@comcast.net |
| Comments: | Lt. Zitnik flew 12 missions with Damn Yankee before getting his own crew. The 11-26-43 mission was Lt. Zitnik's 13th mission when he went down near Bremen. Sgt. Curtiss, the original ball turret gunner and Lt. McGovern were not on the 12-01-43 mission with Damn Yankee. They both completed their tours and were rotated back to the U.S. |
| Name: | Johan R Ryheul |
| E-mail address: | regulusone@gmail.com |
| Homepage URL: | http://jabbeke-remembers.skynetblogs.be/ |
| Comments: | Also recently discovered this site due to the Jabbeke Remembers events.
It was a wonderfull discovery to me ! Keep up the good work. I still have a few questions I hope you can help me with. Does anyone know when Lt. Charles 'Ted' Zitnik moved from Damn Yankee II to Chaplain's Office ? What happened with Lt. Vincent McGovern ? Is he the same Lt. and later Capt. I found flying helicopters after WW II ? And the same one acting in the movie Battle Taxi from 1955 ? Sgt. William Curtis, when was he a member of the crew of Damn Yankee II ? Thanks, Best regards, Johan R. Ryheul - Belgium |
| Name: | Warrant Officer Patrick Brion |
| E-mail address: | patrickbrion@hotmail.com |
| Comments: | Ken,
This is a site I only recently discovered. Your support in my research, even on short notice, is very appreciated. Continue with your work of remembrance. Warmest regards from Belgium, Patrick |
| Name: | Oscar N. Gore |
| E-mail address: | ongore@hotmail.com |
| Comments: | Flew 33 missions from Grafton/Underwood as a radio-operator gunner, assigned to 544th. squadron of the 384th. bomb group. |
| Name: | Fred Preller |
| E-mail address: | JOBS@384thBombGroup.com |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.384thbombgroup.com/ |
| Comments: | -*- HELP WANTED -*-
Assistant Webmaster (volunteer positions) The workload for developing and maintaining this website has grown to require additional personnel. These are volunteer positions for a non-commercial website committed to presenting a complete history of the 384th Bomb Group (Heavy), from its inception in 1942 through the end of World War II. The work involves developing and maintaining web pages and scripts, database development, data entry, and ancillary tasks. Responsibilities will depend on skills and interest. This position has the potential to lead to responsibility for the entire 384th website. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: The successful candidates will have knowledge of HTML and JavaScript, be willing to spend 5-10 hours per week performing website tasking, and be willing to learn additional technical skills as needed. MINIMUM EXPERIENCE LEVEL: Classroom or self-taught in required knowledge areas, with some experience establishing and operating a website (non-trivial class project qualifies). DESIRED SKILLS: CSS, PHP scripting, SQL database (MySQL), Joomla! (see joomla.org), content management systems, photo/graphics editing. COMPENSATION: Website personnel receive no monetary compensation, and provide their own tools and training. You will gain valuable website experience and be contributing to the preservation of a valuable historic record. Please respond directly using the email link above. |
| Name: | Eugene Spearman |
| E-mail address: | eSpearman@netbci.com |
| Homepage URL: | http://384th BombGroup.com |
| Comments: | Dear Fred,
While flying in the Ed Nicolai crew on the March 30 1945 Bremen mission in B-17 No. 448772, our plane lost two engines. and we dove down into some clouds and came back across the continent "on the deck". Pilot, waist Gunner, were wounded and Tail Gunner was killed. Plane suffered severe flak damage. Reports were that there were over 200 holes in plane. Tail was in bad shape and right wing flaps were hit as well as left wing just outside the radio comp. I was told that the plane was scrapped. I would like to know if anyone has pictures of the plane. |
| Name: | Ken Decker |
| E-mail address: | kdecker19@stny.rr.com |
| Comments: | I am still very much interested in the research of the 384th Bomb Group, though due to a severe ilness in the family I have not been able to spend much time other than answer a few e-mail messages.
Most recently I was contacted by the Belgian Armed Forces in regards to the crash of "Damn Yankee" on 12/1/43. I was asked to aid in the project of a memorial service to be held there on 25 April 2009. This is being done with the USAF providing support along with a color guard for the event. Unfortunately, locating family members since the research project I conducted ten years ago has been very difficult. Pilot, Bruce Sundlun was contacted via e-mail and still no reply received from him. The son and daughter of copilot Andrew Boles has also been a no callback situation. Two nephews of Navigator Reno Jylkka have been contacted and have shown great interest and cooperation. Non family members who are interested in research have provided somme new photos and excellent cooperation. Anyone who has any information regarding the families of crew members is asked to please write me at the e-mail address shown here. The limited eddition painting of "Damn Yankee" has also been offered at a generous discount by the artist to family members. You can contact me regarding this as well. I apologize to all who tried to contact me over the past two years. There was just no time for me to even turn on my computer. Finally, I have started to get back to my project of adding to the history of the 384th, though still a limited basis. Thanks to Fred Preller and all of you who have shown concern and have sent letters, e-mail and cards. |
| Name: | Charles Barr |
| E-mail address: | charles.j.barr@us.army.mil |
| Comments: | This is a great web site about the 384th Bomb Group. I am interested in it because my neighbor's brother, 2LT Walter Humphreys, was Bombardier on the Pie Eyed Piper of the 547th Bomb Squadron. His plane, Pie Eyed Piper, tail # 42-29686, was shot down on 12 August 1943 on the mission to bomb a synthetic fuel plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Walter and the Top Turret gunner/engineer, William L. Hamilton were killed on this mission. The other eight crewmembers were taken prisoner. Walter's brother, Kenneth Humphreys, told me that one of the crewmembers taken prisoner, William Bartels, visited his parent's home near Wymore, Nebraska after the war. He told of the terrible conditions they endured as POW's after their fateful bombing mission and shoot-down. Walter Humphrey's remains were returned to the United States after WW II ended and he is buried in the Bethel Cemetery four miles southeast of Wymore, Nebraska along US Highway 77. There is a memorial in Walter's name at the Wymore Presbyterian Church in Wymore, NE. |
| Name: | Diane Needelman Miller |
| E-mail address: | ladyteach@comcast.net |
| Comments: | Please make a correction in your taps section. MY mother Marjorie Needelman did not pass away. It was my dad Benjamin Needelman a member of your bomb group who passed away on december 10,2008. |
| Name: | Henk Bredewolt |
| E-mail address: | henkpolarbear@home.nl |
| Comments: | Hi, My name is Henk Bredewolt, I'm 48 years old, and I'm resident in Roosendaal, The Netherlands. I have a very important question. First I will tell that the 384th. Bombergroup website is a very good one, with a lot of very good information. On may 31th. 1944, my hometown Roosendaal was bombed trough 13 B-17 Bombers, Squadron-Leader Lt-Col. Tom Beckett. For many years I have got contact with the Lead Navigator Lt. Alfred Colarusso, and I have got a lot of very good information and photographs from him, also a lot of documents. Now I'm looking for some other crew from the 544th / 545 Squadron who also bombed my hometown Roosendaal on May 31th. 1944. I will gladly come in contact with this crew for information, photographs etc. etc.. This is very important for my archives in Roosendaal. By the way, I would also tell that I have got a ,lot of good information from my friend Mr. Fred Preller, (384th.Website-homepage), he is very helpfull. For years I organize exhibitions, and I tell the schoolchildren about May 31th. 1944. I hope somebody can and will help me, please it's very important.
Greetings from a friend who lives in Roosendaal, The Netherlands. Henk Bredewolt. |
| Name: | Steve Grand Pre |
| E-mail address: | grandpre@enteract.com |
| Comments: | Please help me contact relatives of 2LT Douglas Haig Turner. He and my father, 2LT Richard Grand Pre were members of Crew 17, 545th BS, Fort #42-30076. Their plane was one of two that was lost on the 384th’s first operational mission to Antwerp Belgium on 22 June 1943. LT Turner sacrificed his own life while saving my father’s by heroically helping my father escape the doomed plane. He was unable to escape the plane before it crashed. Lt Turner’s mother, Mrs. Richard Turner, was living on Kern Avenue in Los Angeles at the time of her son’s death. Please help me locate the family of this amazing man. Thank you! |
| Name: | Susan Garrett |
| E-mail address: | susanm.garrett@yahoo.ie |
| Comments: | Could anyone please help me with the following, A USAAF Ferry Flight Crash landed in Johnstown Co. Kilkenny Rep. of Ireland on 23rd January 1944. The crew had abandoned aircraft over Northern ireland and aircraft carried on un-manned until crashing in Kilkenny. The Crew were Charles G Smith, John M Hanning, Ralph H Stanley, Garven F Williams, Sgt Stanley C Burton, Kenmore E Rowe, Robert F Wise, George Avilez jr, Raymond Niday and Vernon D Gardner. After this all but Stanley went on to the 384th Bomb Group. Does anyone have any information on the above crew. I have seen Kenmore Rowe photos on this site and would love to know are any of the above in those photos. Best wishes to all for 09 |
| Name: | Brian Miller |
| E-mail address: | Roofmill@aol.com |
| Comments: | I had the honor to meet and interview Ed Ladendorff,Jr. who flew 29 missions as a navigator with the 545th Squadron. I have been asked to write a short story about his experiences and have found your web site very helpful.
As part of this story I had the opportunity to fly with him on the Collings Foundation's B-17. His first since the war. Upon completion of this story I could forward a copy to the Webmaster for your Association's use, however you see fit. I am neither getting paid to write this story or am asking to get paid for its use by others. My only goal is to honor Ed and all the others who made these sacrifices for this great country. Send me an email if you would like to have a copy on the story |
| Name: | Brian Miller |
| E-mail address: | Roofmill@aol.com |
| Comments: | I had the honor to meet and interview Ed Ladendorff,Jr. who flew 29 missions as a navigator with the 545th Squadron. I have been asked to write a short story about his experiences and have found your web site very helpful.
As part of this story I had the opportunity to fly with him on the Collings Foundation's B-17. His first since the war. Upon completion of this story I could forward a copy to the Webmaster for your Association's use, however you see fit. I am neither getting paid to write this story or am asking to get paid for its use by others. My only goal is to honor Ed and all the others who made these sacrifices for this great country. Send me an email if you would like to have a copy on the story |
| Name: | John Grimaldi |
| E-mail address: | gggrimaldi@comcast.net |
| Comments: | Dear Fred:
Thank you for providing such a wonderful web site. "Keep The Show On The Road" |
| Name: | Fred Preller |
| E-mail address: | f3red@preller.us |
| Homepage URL: | http://384thBombGroup.com |
| Comments: | Once again the calendar has started over. At this time of the year, all messages from the previous year are sent to the archive for preservation. Follow the "LOGBOOK ARCHIVE" link on the 384th Bomb Group home page to find all previous postings going back to mid-2003.
Happy New Year to all - enjoy the blessings of Freedom! Your webmaster, f3 |