Subject: [303rd BG News] 9 December 2009
From: [email-masked]
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:08:18 -0700
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
*/*The Latest News From the 303rd Bomb Group*/*/

/**9 December 2009*
*www.303rdBG.com <http://www.303rdbg.com>*

_*MONCUR "THUNDERBIRD" CREW MAKES A FINAL LANDING AT MOLESWORTH

*_
*/RAF MOLESWORTH - December 4, 2009:   JIOCEUR Deputy Commander, Captain 
Henry J. "Harry" Babin, USN; and the JAC Senior Enlisted Leader, Master 
Chief John C. Frakes, USN officiate at a small ceremony where a 
beautifully framed picture of  /**/the 1Lt Vern L. Moncur Original 
Thunderbird Crew /**/was hung in the Thunderbird Lounge at RAF 
Molesworth, England -- Sixty-six years to the day when the photo was 
taken in 1943./*
*

*On December 4, 2009 the 359th BS 1Lt Vern L. Moncur crew made one final 
landing at Molesworth as a framed photograph of the Original 
"Thunderbird" Crew was placed on a wall in the RAF Molesworth 
"Thunderbird Lounge."   The "Thunderbird Lounge" had previously been 
named in honor of the famous B-17 that the Moncur Crew flew and named.  
The photograph was donated to the Joint Analysis Center by  Vern and 
Alice Moncur's five children.

The crew members are: (back) 1Lt Vern L. Moncur (P), 2Lt James Brooks 
(N), 2Lt Billy A. Cunningham (CP), 2Lt David K.S. Chang (B); (front) 
T/Sgt Robert L. Rosier (FE), T/Sgt James S. Andrus (RO), S/Sgt Thomas J. 
Dickman (WG), S/Sgt Walter E. Hein (BTG), S/Sgt Richard K. Baer (TG), 
S/Sgt Leonard L. Wike (WG).  Vern Moncur passed away January 3, 1985.  
Ball-turret gunner Walter Hein is the only surviving member of the 
crew.  The caption on the photograph reads:

    The 1Lt Vern L. Moncur Crew was assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group at
    Molesworth, England on 14 November 1943.  They flew 28 combat
    missions between 13 December 1943 and 10 April 1944.  The Moncur
    Crew, pictured above with B-17F /The '8' Ball MK II/ #41-24635,  
    was the first and only crew assigned to the famous B-17G
    /Thunderbird/ #42-38050 (BN-U).  The crew gave Thunderbird her name,
    based on a tribal legend of a "gigantic bird" coming to the rescue.
                                 
    The Moncur Crew flew 20 of their combat missions in Thunderbird and
    were one of the first 303rd Bomb Group crews to finish their
    missions without anyone on board being injured. Following their 28
    combat missions, Thunderbird became a "first mission ship" given to
    new crews to get them off to a good start -- and a good start it was
    as Thunderbird went on to fly 112 combat missions without any
    regular crew member being injured or killed.

_*SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1941*_

*"A** Date Which Will Live In Infamy"
*(Timeline and photos courtesy of www.historyplace.com)

/*Photo taken from a Japanese plane during the attack shows vulnerable 
American battleships, and in the distance, smoke rising from Hickam 
Airfield where 35 men having breakfast in the mess hall were killed 
after a direct bomb hit.*/

/*The USS Shaw explodes during the Japanese air raid.
*/

/*(Left) The battleship USS Arizona after a bomb penetrated into the 
forward magazine causing massive explosions and killing 1,104 men. 
(Right) Dousing the flames on the battleship USS West Virginia, which 
survived and was rebuilt.

*/

*Sequence of Events*

*Saturday, December 6, 1941* - Washington D.C. - U.S. President Franklin 
Roosevelt makes a final appeal to the Emperor of Japan for peace. There 
is no reply. Late this same day, the U.S. code-breaking service begins 
intercepting a 14-part Japanese message and deciphers the first 13 
parts, passing them on to the President and Secretary of State. The 
Americans believe a Japanese attack is imminent, most likely somewhere 
in Southeast Asia.

*Sunday, December 7* - Washington D.C. - The last part of the Japanese 
message, stating that diplomatic relations with the U.S. are to be 
broken off, reaches Washington in the morning and is decoded at 
approximately 9 a.m. About an hour later, another Japanese message is 
intercepted. It instructs the Japanese embassy to deliver the main 
message to the Americans at 1 p.m. The Americans realize this time 
corresponds with early morning time in Pearl Harbor, which is several 
hours behind. The U.S. War Department then sends out an alert but uses a 
commercial telegraph because radio contact with Hawaii is temporarily 
broken. Delays prevent the alert from arriving at headquarters in Oahu 
until noontime (Hawaii time) four hours after the attack has already begun.

*Sunday, December 7* - Islands of Hawaii, near Oahu - The Japanese 
attack force under the command of Admiral Nagumo, consisting of six 
carriers with 423 planes, is about to attack. At 6 a.m., the first 
attack wave of 183 Japanese planes takes off from the carriers located 
230 miles north of Oahu and heads for the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl 
Harbor.

Pearl Harbor - At 7:02 a.m., two Army operators at Oahu's northern shore 
radar station detect the Japanese air attack approaching and contact a 
junior officer who disregards their reports, thinking they are American 
B-17 planes which are expected in from the U.S. west coast.

Near Oahu - At 7:15 a.m., a second attack wave of 167 planes takes off 
from the Japanese carriers and heads for Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor is not on a state on high alert. Senior commanders have 
concluded, based on available intelligence, there is no reason to 
believe an attack is imminent. Aircraft are therefore left parked 
wingtip to wingtip on airfields, anti-aircraft guns are unmanned with 
many ammunition boxes kept locked in accordance with peacetime 
regulations. There are also no torpedo nets protecting the fleet 
anchorage. And since it is Sunday morning, many officers and crewmen are 
leisurely ashore.

At 7:53 a.m., the first Japanese assault wave, with 51 'Val' dive 
bombers, 40 'Kate' torpedo bombers, 50 high level bombers and 43 'Zero' 
fighters, commences the attack with flight commander, Mitsuo Fuchida, 
sounding the battle cry: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!).

The Americans are taken completely by surprise. The first attack wave 
targets airfields and battleships. The second wave targets other ships 
and shipyard facilities. The air raid lasts until 9:45 a.m. Eight 
battleships are damaged, with five sunk. Three light cruisers, three 
destroyers and three smaller vessels are lost along with 188 aircraft. 
The Japanese lose 27 planes and five midget submarines which attempted 
to penetrate the inner harbor and launch torpedoes.

Escaping damage from the attack are the prime targets, the three U.S. 
Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga, 
which were not in the port. Also escaping damage are the base fuel tanks.

The casualty list includes 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians killed, 
with 1,178 wounded. Included are 1,104 men aboard the Battleship USS 
Arizona killed after a 1,760-pound air bomb penetrated into the forward 
magazine causing catastrophic explosions.

In Washington, various delays prevent the Japanese diplomats from 
presenting their war message to Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, until 
2:30 p.m. (Washington time) just as the first reports of the air raid at 
Pearl Harbor are being read by Hull.

News of the "sneak attack" is broadcast to the American public via radio 
bulletins, with many popular Sunday afternoon entertainment programs 
being interrupted. The news sends a shockwave across the nation and 
results in a tremendous influx of young volunteers into the U.S. armed 
forces. The attack also unites the nation behind the President and 
effectively ends isolationist sentiment in the country.

*Monday, December 8 *- The United States and Britain declare war on 
Japan with President Roosevelt calling December 7, "a date which will 
live in infamy..."

*Thursday, December 11* - Germany and Italy declare war on the United 
States. The European and Southeast Asian wars have now become a global 
conflict with the Axis powers; Japan, Germany and Italy, united against 
America, Britain, France, and their Allies.
_*
*_

  
_*CHRISTMAS AT MOLESWORTH*_

/*Reverend Merritt "Chappie" Slawson conducts Christmas Services in the 
Molesworth Chapel in 1944.*/

/*  In 1943, the 303rd Bomb Group hosted a Children's Christmas Party 
for the local children.
*//*Father Christmas (1Lt Wightman A. Roach) greets the smiling 
children, and a smiling Colonel Stevens.*/

*_A PERSONAL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE_*
Susan and I want to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of 
the nearly 2,000 303rd BG family and friends that receive these News 
Updates a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year.   We have been involved 
in preserving the history of the 303rd Bomb Group for over 13 years.  
Without a doubt, they have been the most rewarding years of our lives.  
It is an honor for us to be friends with, and to work so closely with 
many of the finest people we have ever met -- truly the "Greatest 
Generation."   Thank you for your friendship and support, both 
financially and in spirt.  We are proud to be numbered with you.

We offer our sincere thanks and appreciation to every veteran reading 
this, whenever and wherever you served.  Thank you for your service and 
for protecting our freedom.  And thanks to the spouses and families of 
the veterans as well.  While you may not have worn the uniform, you 
served nonetheless. 

May the Lord bless you this holiday season,
Gary and Susan Moncur

_* *__*TAPS

*_ *John C. Zerr Sr*., 91, Geigertown, PA, died Dec. 5, 2009, of natural 
causes in his residence.  He was the husband of the late Ruth May 
(Brady) Zerr.  Born in Robeson Township, he was a son of the late J. 
George and Martha M. (Hawk) Zerr.  He was the owner of John Zerr & Sons 
Construction since 1973, previously being in business with his father 
and brother. Zerr was also former assistant director of Rehabilitation 
in the Redevelopment Authority for the City of Reading.  He was a World 
War II veteran of the 8th Army Air Force, 303rd Bomb Group, 358th Squadron.

Zerr was a graduate of the former Birdsboro High School, class of 1936; 
a 70-year member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America Camp 388; a 
50-year member of Union Lodge 479 F&AM, Reading Consistory, Rajah 
Shriners; a 40-year member of Tall Cedars of Lebanon, Neversink Forest 
32; a 50-year member of the Odd Fellows; a charter member of the Hay 
Creek Historical Assoc.; American Legion; founding member of the 
American Air Museum in Britain; and charter member of the Geigertown 
Grange 2061.

*Jack Lowell Lester*  (Aug. 11, 1922 ~ Sep. 21, 2009) was born in 
Sanger, California to Clyde "Kelly" Lester and Laura Kuckenbecker 
Lester. He passed away quietly in his sleep.  He graduated from Sanger 
Union High School in 1939, and Reedley Junior College in 1941.  Jack 
married Lois Mae Hickman in 1942.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and was stationed in England as a 
B-17 pilot with the Eighth Air Force.  Following the war he returned to 
Sanger, where he worked in the produce industry and was one of the 
stockholders of Bear State Packing. He continued work in the produce 
industry until his retirement in 1984 from Blue Anchor, Inc.

Lt. Col. *Edward James Giering*, RET., 85, of Clinton, beloved husband 
of Judith (Roberts) Giering, passed away on Sunday, (November 29, 2009). 
He was born on March 4, 1924 in New Haven, son of the late George and 
Agnes (Moran) Giering and lived in Clinton for the past 40 years. Edward 
was a graduate of Boston University and was a United States Army career 
veteran, having served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was 
instrumental in the creation of the Connecticut P.O.W. license plate and 
also worked tirelessly to help increase pensions for veterans who became 
disabled while serving their country. He was a member of the VFW -- Post 
9918 in Westbrook, a member of the 303rd Bomb Group, and a member of the 
Distinguished Flying Cross Society. He belonged to the B.P.O.E. Lodge 
1784 and the Masonic Lodge. During Edward's illustrious Army career he 
received the Distinguished Flying Cross Award, a Purple Heart and a 
Bronze Star. He chronicled his World War II experience in the book "B-17 
Bomber Crew Diary".

*Douglas L. Jones Sr.*, 89, of Jones Road in Moretown, VT died on 
Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at Woodridge Nursing Home in Berlin.  He was 
born in Pomfret on Oct. 6, 1918, to Albert and Lillian (Wright) Jones. 
He attended schools in Burlington and graduated from Montpelier High 
School. He served in the US Army Air Corps in World War II as a flight 
engineer on B-17's in England.  He is credited with shooting down a 
German warplane and he received the Air Medal and was awarded two 
Distinguished Flying Crosses.

Douglas married Marie Mandeville in Montpelier on July 16, 1954. He was 
employed by B & B Artesian Well Company and retired from the Vermont 
Department of Agriculture where he was employed as a metrologist in the 
Division of Weights and Measures.  He was a life member of Brown-Johnson 
Post #792 VFW in Montpelier and a life member of the Montpelier Elks 
Lodge #924.  Douglas is survived by his wife Marie; daughters Sandra 
Nemeskay of N. Stonington CT, Sheryl Barrows of Moretown, Lynn Joslin of 
Berlin; sons Lawrence Jones and Douglas Jones Jr. of Moretown; 
grandchildren Reginald Bragg of CT, Shawn Isham of Middlesex, Hayden 
Jones of Moretown; and brother Albert Jones of Montpelier

_*FEEDBACK*_

    /Thank you for the Emails giving me the "303rd BG News" for these
    many years.  //Sgt. *Thomas J. Reino* was lost over the Sub pens at
    St. Nazaire, Jan 3, 1943. He flew with Lt. Clark's crew.  Tommy and
    I were classmates at Ellwood City High School, and also teammates on
    the football team in 1939-40.  In early 1942 on my front porch, he
    and I spent our last hours together; he wanted me to join the Air
    Force with him.  I couldn't as I had three younger brothers and
    sister and my mother to care for as dependents, father was deceased
    in 1933.   /
    / /
    /When my younger brother finished high school, I then went into the
    Army Air Corps in May of 1943 and on to the 446th BG in Bungay,
    England 1944-45 completing my 'Tour of Duty' and returned home.  I
    will be 89 in January and still feel the common pain that we knew
    during WWII of making friends then losing them.  I watched Tom walk
    away, never to see him again. /
    / /
    /I read every issue of the '303rd News' and I thank you again for
    keeping me in mind.  Best regards, Al Pishioneri, Ball-Turret
    Armorer on "Patriotic Patty" 0734/

_*PREVIOUS NEWS UPDATES
*_Previous News Updates are available online.  See:  
http://www.303rdbg.com/newsupdates.html
Your comments and feedback are always appreciated and may be included in 
future News Updates.

Keeping the Legacy Alive,
Gary
-- 
___________
*Gary L. Moncur*
* 303rd Bomb Group Historian
[email-masked]
www.303rdBG.com*

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