Subject: [303rd BG News] 9 August 2009 (Corrected)
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:11:33 -0600
List-Id: 303rd Bomb Group News <303rd-announce.303rdBG.com>

_*303rd Bomb Group <http://www.303rdbg.com>*_
*
N E W S   U P D A T E S*
*09 August 2009*
*www.303rdBG.com <http://www.303rdbg.com>*
*_
_*This famous Bettmann/Corbis photograph of Walter Cronkite and a bomber 
crew is often used with reference to his missions with the 303rd Bomb 
Group, including a recent appearance in /People Magazine/.

In fact, the aircraft and crew belonged to the 323rd Bomb Group, 454th 
Bomb Squadron.  The bomber is B-26 Martin Marauder, #41-31951,  named 
"U.S.O."  The pilot was 1Lt Jack W. Nye (far left). The date of the 
mission was February 9 or 10, 1944 and the target was a V-1 rocket 
site.  Cronkite's first mission with the 303rd Bomb Group was on 
February 26, 1943 to Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

Others identified in the photo are Flight Engineer T/Sgt Ceibert C. 
Brag, second from the left, and Radio Operator S/Sgt Arthur W. Brand, 
third from the left.

Thanks to Jim Hamilton, author of /The Writing 69th/, and Roy Bozych, 
323rd Bomb Group Historian, for the information.  More on Mr. Cronkite 
and the other reporter's service as war correspondents in "The Writing 
69th" can be found here: http://www.greenharbor.com/wr69/wr69.html.  
Also, see the 323rd Bomb Group website here: http://www.323bg454bs.org/

*_
_*_*New Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial Visitor's Brochure*_

A new brochure for visitors at the Cambridge American Cemetery is now in 
distribution. The brochure was developed by the American Battle 
Monuments Commission through cooperation with Cambridge American 
Cemetery Superintendent David Bedford, and executed by F. Clifton Berry 
Jr. and his team at FCB Associates LLC. The 303rd Bomb Group, 427th Bomb 
Squadron Captain Donald E. Stockton Crew was chosen to be highlighted on 
the brochure.  The brochure may be viewed here:  
http://www.303rdbg.com/cambridge-cemetery-brochure.pdf

For more information about the American Battle Monuments Commission and 
its stewardship of the 24 American overseas military cemeteries and 25 
memorials and monuments, visit its website at www.abmc.gov 
<http://www.abmc.gov>.

On Mission 35, 14 May 1943 to Kiel, Germany, in B-17F 41-24619 
S-for-Sugar, Capt Stockton was hit in the right side by a 20 mm shell.  
He fell over his pilot controls and died and the B-17 went into a steep 
dive. Copilot 2Lt John C. Barker and Engineer T/Sgt Roy Q. Smith gained 
control of the fortress and brought it back into formation. A very sad 
crew brought Captain Stockton's body back to Molesworth.  He is buried 
in the Cambridge England American Cemetery.

The loss of Captain Stockton was the inspiration for Walter Cronkite's 
article "Nine Crying Boys and a Flying Fort."  We have been unable to 
locate a copy of that article.   Mr. Cronkite has referred to the death 
of Captain Stockton several times over the years in interviews.  The 
following United Press article was published in May 1944.

*DON WAS A REAL 'MAN'S' SOLDIER*
*War Reporter Writes Memorial Day Eulogy*
by Walter Cronkite

    *LONDON, May 30, -- (Delayed) -- (UP) --*
    This is a pretty personal note for Mr. and Mrs. Stockton, Los
    Angeles, U.S.A.   I don't know their initials and the last street
    address I had for them was 756 South Broadway.  But if the editor
    uses this, they might see it--and I'd like them to get this message.

    Dear Mr. and Mrs. Stockton:  This is to apologize for not keeping my
    promise.  You did not know of my promise.  I made it only to
    myself--and silently to Don in a way.  I promised to go out to
    Brookwood Cemetery and visit his grave this Memorial Day.

    But the war--the one that cut that grand full life of his short at
    22 years--interfered in carrying out that simple little gesture of
    tribute.

    It interfered because I write the air war, and today as I write this
    between stories, the air over England is reverberating under the
    terrible impact of thousands of tons of bombs.

    *DON WOULD KNOW*

    I am busy writing that story now.  It is a story that Don would know
    all about, so at least he will forgive my failure to get out there
    to peaceful Brookwood today.

    Don was one of those keen-visioned youngsters who believed in our
    America's job and got into it early.  When that 20 mm. cannon shell
    snuffed out his life over Kiel May 14, 1943, he was within a single
    mission of completing his operation tour of duty.  One more and he
    would have been buying us all beer at the officer's mess--and Don
    would have a keg out at the enlisted men's mess, too, because that
    was the kind of guy he was.

    Don would have been going home as one of those American boy pioneers
    who in the lean Winter days of 1942-1943 went out daily over Germany
    in a handful of Fortresses without fighter escort.  They were the
    ones that paved the way for the mighty high-altitude precision
    attacks of today.

    *BACK FROM RAID*

    I met Don in February 1943, just after he had brought an almost
    tailless Fort back from a raid over France.  He was sitting on a
    table in the briefing room, a doughnut in one hand and a coffee cup
    in the other.  His flying cap was pushed back on his forehead.  His
    face bore red marks where the oxygen mask had been. It was dirty and
    sweaty, but it was broken in the middle by one of the biggest grins
    I ever saw.

    I thought to myself, "this bird isn't real: he is out of one of
    those slick magazine ads."

    Don turned out to be the realest man I ever met.

    He was promoted to Captain while still 21, but he might as well have
    been a PFC.  He never pulled his rank.

    Well, Mr. and Mrs. Stockton, I am telling you this--things you know
    better than I--because in the year that has gone by, Don still
    stands out as typical of all the things that are finest in our
    American fliers.

During World War II, Brookwood Cemetery was a temporary resting place 
for over 5,000 war dead.  After the war they were either transferred to 
Cambridge American Cemetery or returned to their families in the USA.  
Brookwood now contains the graves of 468 American military dead and 
names of 563 others.  Most are from World War I.

_*

<http://www.303rdbg.com/contribute.html>WEBSITE FUND DRIVE
*_When the 303rd Bomb Group Association dissolved nearly two years ago, 
the funding of the 303rdBG.com website stopped.  All remaining 
Association assets were donated to the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum.  
I made a pledge at that time to continue the website for as long as I am 
able and at my own expense, if necessary.  That pledge still remains and 
the website will continue for the foreseeable future and, hopefully, 
well beyond that.

I am also determined to keep the website content free, and to keep 
annoying advertising off the site.  The only way to accomplish this is 
to have an occasional fund drive to raise money for expenses.  My time 
and efforts to preserve this priceless history will always be donated.

Several people have already donated to the website fund and I have 
expressed my gratitude to each of them personally.  If any of you would 
care to help out, it will be sincerely appreciated.  Information on 
making donations to the website fund are here:  
http://www.303rdbg.com/contribute.html    You are welcome to make a 
donation honoring a loved one or friend, as some of the supporters have 
done.  Thank you all very much.
_*
*_
_*
<http://www.303rdbg.com/project-folded-flag.html>PROJECT: Folded Flag
*_PROJECT: Folded Flag continues to expand with new photographs and 
grave photographs.  Quite a few family members have sent photographs and 
there has been tremendous support from the Find A Grave Community.  
Please look at your loved one's name on the TAPS Pages.  Perhaps there 
is a photograph there.  If not, please try to send me one.  See:  
http://www.303rdbg.com/project-folded-flag.html
_*

TAPS
*_
*Richard K. Baer*, 85, passed away August 2, 2009 at Weiss Memorial 
Hospital in Chicago, IL.  He was born in Chicago on 10/11/23.  He was a 
carpenter by trade and owned Chicago Stair Co. designer/builder of 
interior staircases.  He was a lifelong resident of Chicago, IL.  Dick 
"Mo" Baer was the tail-gunner on the 303rd BG / 359th BS Vern L. Moncur 
"Thunderbird" Crew.   Though assigned as a waist gunner, Sgt Baer flew 
most of his 28 missions as the tail gunner.

*Seymour T. Cohen*, San Antonio, FL  passed away August 2, 2009, age 84. 
He leaves his beloved wife Natalie, three daughters from a previous 
marriage. . . .  In WWII served as Staff Sergeant, radio operator and 
waist gunner in B-17s with the U.S. 303 Bomb Group stationed in England 
flying 30 missions over Germany. In retirement he volunteered at the Air 
Power Museum, Amityville, L.I.  There he befriended another volunteer 
Gunther Bier, a native of Germany who became an American citizen and 
whose hometown in Germany was bombed by the 8th Air Force when Gunther 
had been a teenager. Such is the power of forgiveness and the human bond 
which Seymour exemplified.

* William M. Magruder*, 97, of Moultrie, GA died Thursday, July 30, 
2009, at Woodlands Living Center. . . He served as a sergeant in the 
United States Army during World War II, participating in the air 
offensive in Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Southern France, 
Rhineland and Central Europe. He was awarded six Bronze Stars, the 
Distinguished Unit Badge and the Good Conduct Medal.  [358th Bomb 
Squadron, Surgical Technician]

Keeping the Legacy Alive,
Gary

-- 
___________
*Gary L. Moncur
**303rd Bomb Group Historian
[email-masked]
www.303rdBG.com

*

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