Services were held for these crews on March 8, 1949 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Section E 29.
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44-69881, 52nd Squadron, 29th Bomb Group, 314th Wing |
Standing L to R: #2
- 1st Lt Waldo C. Everdon, Airplane Commander; # 5 2nd Lt John J. O'Conner, Bombardier |
Other members of the crew
yet to be identified in the photo: |
F/O Tim Arhutick - Pilot |
Sgt Ernest D. Bergeron - CFC Gunner
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F/O Monroe M. Cohen - Radar Observer
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Cpl Herbert A. Kellogg - Radio Operator
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Sgt John Puciloski - Right Gunner
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Cpl William B. Stockburger, Jr.
- Flight Enginner |
Cpl John W. Cameron - Left Gunner
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Cpl Arthur J. Morretta - Tail Gunner
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2nd Lt Edwin A. Rodeheffer, Jr.
- Navigator |
2nd Lt Newton Earle Towle, Jr. -
Pilot (acting as Aerial Observer)
Subject: crew member of 29th B.G ,collision
Just
in case you dont know tne man standing with his crew under the B-29 picture, in this site is, Monroe Cohen of the 29 bomb
group 52 BS crew. He was the radar operator. He is the last man standing from left to right.Monroe was born in Brooklyn N.Y.
He metioned to my Grandmother that some of the other guys in the crew were also from N.Y. Keith Meyers email:
soldora62@optonline.net
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Click here for the 39th Bomb Group Association!
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42-65373, 62nd Squadron, 39th Bomb Group, 314th Wing |
L to R Front Row: |
F/O |
Maurice E. Long |
Radar Observer |
F/O |
William G. Joyce |
Pilot |
Capt |
Donald Q. Hopkins |
Airplane Commander |
F/O |
Kenneth E. Durham |
Navigator |
F/O |
Maurice J. Powsner |
Bombardier |
L to R Back Row: |
S/Sgt |
Thomas G. Ulrich |
CFC Gunner |
Sgt |
Kenneth Colli |
Right Gunner |
M/Sgt |
Gerhard J. Kuehler |
Flight Engineer |
Sgt |
Justin J. Patsey |
Left Gunner |
Unknown position in photo: |
S/Sgt |
Edward J. Mose |
Radio Operator |
Sgt |
Raymond E. Barczak |
Tail Gunner |
On the night of 19 June 1945,
123 Guam based B-29's Bombed the City of Shizouka. More than 2000 Japanese were killed and 60 percent of the city was destroyed.
Two of the aircraft did not
return with the others. One was Crew 42 of the 39th Bomb Group and one from the 29th Bomb Group. They collided and crashed
near the Abe River, about 150 miles south of Tokyo. A Japanese citizen Mr. Ito found two surviving crewmen and tried to help
them. These two men died of their injuries so Mr. Ito buried the two flyers at a Shinto Shrine at the base of Mt. Sengen and
gave them a Shinto burial. This act took great courage because it was the violating the military law; all enemies, dead or
alive were to be turned over to the authorities. For this act, Mr. Ito was labeled a traitor and forced to live in disgrace
until the war's end. Following the war, Ito built a monument to the Japanese citizens killed in that raid and wanted to erect
one for the airmen who lost their lives. He needed to inscribe their names, and according to his religion, the matter had
to be resolved within thirty (30) years. The efforts to get the names began a warm and strong relationship between the Japanese
and the Americans that still continues today.
Mr. Ito became a Buddhist
monk and continued a ceremony at the monument annually with the help of Dr. Sugano. When Ito died, Dr. Sugano was entrusted
with the "Blackened Canteen" recovered from the crash site and used in the ceremony for over twenty years. From this canteen
whisky was poured on the headstone of the monument.
In January 1995, Harry Mitchell,
President of the 29th Bomb Group Association was contacted to by Dr. Sugano to aid in locating family members of the two crews.
John B. Colli, brother of Kenneth Colli, Crew 42, and Mrs. Margaret Delago, wife of John Pauciloski of the 29th Bomb Group
were located by Mr. Mitchell and his wife. These four were invited to Japan as the guests of Dr. Sugano to attend the 1995
Joint Memorial Service in Shizuoki City 17 June. Col. Michael G. King, Vice Commander 374 th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base,
Japan. Many other U.S. dignitaries attended.
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