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Z SQUARE 52 "20TH CENTURY SWEETHEART' SER. #42-65251
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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
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Z SQUARE 52 "20TH CENTURY SWEETHEART" SER. #42-65251
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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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