My Search

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During WWII, my father was a lieutenant the Army Air Corps, that was before the Air Force was created as a separate branch of the US military, and he served in the Pacific during 1944 and 1945 as a navigator and bombardier.

After my father's death, I found that he had kept a record of the combat missions he flew during the war as well as ... more

 

Documenting World War II: Through the Lens of a Camera

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L. Bennett "Elby" Fenberg, a combat photographer who served in the 163rd division of the Signal Corps of the Army during World War II, is known for filming the demolition of a huge Nazi swastika at a stadium in Nuremberg, Germany in 1945. The dramatic film shows the destruction of the giant swastika that "was about 50 feet across and was made o... more

 

The Loss of Our Friend

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It was a gloomy day in Shanghai. Dick and I were in our room in the Japanese barracks that were taken over by our Army. The room was bare except for two bunk beds, which were made of two by four lengths of wood. I used the lower bunk and Dick had the upper bunk. I received my sleeping bag from the q... more

 

Searching for a Compass

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The time to return to Shanghai was now, so only I and my copilot climbed aboard the C—46 that was waiting for us. After the exterior visual checks, we strapped on our parachutes, sat down and fastened our safety straps. While my copilot read the pre- flight instructions, we both checked our setting... more

 

Divine Intervention, Part One

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Part 1: Shanghai, China,1945. Our mission was to fly a C-46 loaded with close to 10 tons of fifty-gallon drums containing high test aviation gasoline to Kunming China, a 1300 mile plus trip. Because we had to add fuel to our plane at a field that our navigator had directions for, our air miles wo... more

 

Divine Intervention, Part Two

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Part 2: I remember my arrival in Kunming from Calcutta, India, and the Army issue of following: fleece-lined boots, fleece-lined flying overall type leg and body cover, fleece-lined bomber jacket, and the dual gloves to keep my fingers from freezing at the high altitudes I would be flying. The 45... more