============================================================================ Z SQUARE 52 "20TH CENTURY SWEETHEART' SER. #42-65251 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREW NUMBER CREW MISSIONS 35 AIRCRAFT MISSIONS 55 PLUS POWS (DESTROYED 9 ZEROS) PILOT AC CAPT. GEORGE I. IRBY COPILOT 1/LT. HAROLD CHADIMA BOMBARDIER 1/LT. GEORGE W. MARSHALL, JR. FLT. ENG. LT. DONALD J. JONES NAVIGATOR LT. THEODORE WIDES RADIO SGT. JACK SMEDLEY L. GUN. SGT. MARVIN F. FOWLER R. GUN. SGT. ROBERT BLUMBERG RING GUN. T/SGT JOSEPH BECHTEL (DECEASED 1991) RADAR SGT. RAYMOND C. COOPER TAIL GUN. SGT. FRANK KARKOS GROUND CREW S/SGT. REINO LAKTI (CREW CHIEF), SGT. DANTE R. CHIMENTO, SGT. DONALD A. DEEDS AND CPL GERAINO E. CLARK NOTES: SGT. TOM PHILLIPS REPLACED SGT. JACK SMEDLEY AND SGT. W. R. JACKSON REPLACED SGT. ROBERT BLUMBERG ============================================================================ Z SQUARE 52 "20TH CENTURY SWEETHEART" SER. #42-65251 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREW NUMBER REPLACEMENT NO # CREW MISSIONS 17 INCLUDING POW MISSIONS AIRCRAFT MISSIONS 55 PLUS POW'S (9 ZEROS DESTROYED) PILOT AC CAPT. LOUIS G. WHITTEN COPILOT 1/LT. THEODORE J. HOVLAND BOMBARDIER 2/LT. ARA MOORADIAN FLT. ENG. M/SGT. KENNETH S. SELLEG NAVIGATOR 1/LT. ROBERT L. PLUNKETT RADIO S/SGT. RAYMOND D. SENTZ L. GUN. SGT. R. MILLIKEN R. GUN. SGT. CECIL HILLSTEAD RTING GUN. SGT. K. LYLE SPANGLER RADAR 1/LT. MELVIN JANS TAIL GUN. CPL. WARREN J. SMITH GROUND CREW S/SGT. REINO LATKI (CREW CHIEF), SGT. DANTE R. CHIMENTO, SGT. DONALD DEEDS AND CPL. GERAINO NOTES: CAPT. WHITTEN REPLACED BY LT. HOVLAND. LT. MOORDAVIAN STAYED IN SERVICE AND LOST HIS LIFE DURING THE KOREAN WAR. M/SGT. SELLEG WAS KILLED WHEN THE B-29 HE WAS FLYING ON CRASHED ON JULY 27, 1948 ON A AROUND THE WORLD TRAINING FLIGHT. POINT OF INTEREST; THIS CREW TOOK OFF ON SEPT. 6/45 ON A POW MISSION TO SHANGHAI. AFTER A REFUELING STOP AT IWO, AND ON THE WAY TO OKINAWA, HAD A PROP ;FEATHERING MOTOR BURN OUT. THEY HAD TO SPEND TO SPEND A DAY THERE FOR REPAIRS. ON SEPT. 7 THEY TOOK OFF FOR SHANGHAI TO COMPLETE THE POW DROP. THEY MADE TEIR DROP ON A BUILDING MARKED WITH A WHITE CROSS AND HEADED FOR HOME. AFTER THE WAR AN ARTICLE APPEARED IN A WISCONSIN PAPER WRITTEN BY A PRIEST FROM SHANGHAI, THANKING THE CREW OF THE B-29 THAT ON SEPT. 7/45 HAD BLESSED HIS PARRISH WITH ALL THAT FOOD.
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