Invader vol 33 issue 1 2015

Vol. 33 No. 1

March 2015

The Devil's Own

Grim Reapers!

The Magazine of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association OUR HERITAGE - 13th Aero Squadron, 14 June 1917 www.13thbombsquadron.com

t s e B e h t f o One e West.

Gon

The 13th Bomb Squadron Association Remembers One of the Best...

Fitzhugh L. "Fitz" Fulton, Jr. June 6, 1925 – February 4, 2015

March 2015

The President’s Corner

Welcome again from Fort Walton

the B-57G at McDill and Eglin AFBs; operational deployment of the B-57G fleet to Ubon, Thailand; and B-57G and F-4D combat missions over Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I also served on the operations staff at the Tactical Air Warfare Center at Eglin AFB, and my last tour before retirement was as the Director of Ranges, Special Operations and Electronic Warfare at Tactical Air Command Headquarters, Langley AFB, Virginia (finally returning to within a few miles of my birthplace—what a trip!!). During that time I also squeezed in on-site completion of the Squadron Officer School and Air War College.

Beach. As I said before, it’s an honor and a privilege to serve as your president and I sincerely hope that we grow and prosper during my term. To do that—grow and prosper—we need every member to devote just a little bit of effort to solicit new members. There are many 13th members from SEA— Clark, Vietnam and Thailand—who have not been introduced to the Association, nor have they been Charley Brown invited to join us at a reunion. I was one of them until 2012 when Bob Butterfield and Bob Parks (an original McDill AFB and Ubon, Thailand 13th member) attended the 13th BST reunion here in FWB. That introduction enthused in me a strong desire to join, and to contribute to the growth and prosperity of this historical organization that is so worthy of permanence. That is the primary mission on which I will stay focused during my time in office.

Although there were many special times and events during those years that I now still live and can tell about, there are but a few that stand out. One of these was a never before attempted, but safely executed, landing of a B-47 aircraft in a 40 knot crosswind without its rudder-elevator power control being operational. (The highest crosswind tested under this aircraft condition was 25 knots. In fact, the recommended action under this condition was to bailout rather than attempt to land. Since my crew and I did not want to bailout into a wintry New England night, our Wing Commander approved a single attempt. If not successful over the threshold, we were to climb to a safe altitude and bailout.)

To enhance our recruitment and sustainment efforts I am working on a plan to reduce the cost of future reunions that I will propose to the Association’s officers at its next meeting—with hopes of implementing the plan in time for the 2016 reunion. My goal is to reduce the attendance cost for a 2-member family by at least $500.00 per reunion. If we can make reunions affordable for our many enlisted retiree members, I believe more will come; and the more that come reduces the overall cost on everyone. (I have done this before and am confident that we can achieve it here also.)

Another event was a safely executed landing of a B-57G aircraft with an inoperable hydraulic system, and with its bomb bay doors in the open position with 4 incendiary bombs still attached. For those two feats I received the SAC and the PACAF flying safety awards. Of course I had many exciting events occur during combat that created a little “pucker” time and resulted in “gongs” being added to my chest. The “war” stories connected with those flights will have to wait for an in-person rendition.

In addition to those stories, I had another noteworthy happening at Ubon. As the B-57G Wing Tactics and Evaluation Officer I could fly in any of the on-station aircraft types. So I arranged for, and received, an on-site checkout in the F-4D back seat, and flew 16 combat sorties with 2 different fighter squadrons, the Wolf FAC and Wing Tactics pilots. Those missions gave me an added perspective of the famous 8th Tactical Fighter Wing’s war fighting capabilities, which in turn, added to the knowledge I needed to perform my own tactics duties well. Not only that, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Another goal of mine is to inform you a bit more on who your leaders are, and what they have done in their lifetimes. In that regard, I have asked each of the officers to provide a brief biography which we will publish in the Invader. If not this issue, then in future issues until all have been presented. I will lead off this effort with the following personal summary:

I was born on September 11, 1934, in Sandston, Virginia, which

is now a suburb of Richmond. My family left there when I was two years old, and over the next twenty years, lived in 10 different cities in 4 different states (no, my family was not military; just itinerant for many different reasons). During those years, I attended nine different secondary schools and one university. Following my University of South Carolina graduation in 1956 with a BS degree in Geology and as a second lieutenant in the USAF, I proceeded to Lackland AFB, Texas where I started my Air Force career.

But, the favorite thing that happened to me during my tour at Ubon was meeting the love of my life, Ann Marie. She was the Wing Commander’s secretary, who I saw almost daily, and we finally went to dinner one night in February—may have been Valentine’s Day, come to think about it—after we had been there since late September. (On her party suit she had “Pilot Fighter” sewed where “fighter pilot” usually went.) After an on-site courtship that lasted until I redeployed in September, we finally arranged for her transfer to FWB, and subsequent marriage on 2 June 1972 in Tampa, FL.

During that career, I had 15 different permanent changes of station and also 9 different temporary duty locations (with several TDY tours of duty being 3 months or 6 months long). Most of my tours were primary flying tours during which I logged about 6,500 flight hours in several different aircraft. Highlights of those flying tours included: “nuclear reflex alert” duty overseas; tactical test team leader that certified the C-141 for supply and personnel air delivery; high altitude reconnaissance missions while with the 58th B-57F squadron at Albuquerque, NM; flying participation in the operational test and weapons delivery systems checks of

With that, I will close and wish all of you a safe and happy Easter holiday period.

Reaper pride, Charley

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March 2015

Letter to the Editor

It’s winter above North Korea. Your airplane has been hit, and the pilot is unable to feather the prop.

You are going down. The other three crewmen are discussing when to jump. The new untrained 2nd lieutenant navigator in the right seat with a borrowed and ill-fitting parachute knows he will likely fall out of the chute when it opens.

This isn’t an action movie. It’s what real people experienced as aviators during the Korean War, spending countless missions flying through the dark, risking life and limb to navigate the mountains and valleys of enemy terrain.

For veteran navigator Charles W. Hinton, his time in the war was short, but the memories of what he and his squadron accomplished will last a lifetime. Pulled from navigation school straight into a tour of duty, he had no previous training to speak of and learned to fly combat in a B-26 attack while literally in the line of fire.

Korea: A Short Time in a Small War is a firsthand account of Hinton’s six months of experience during this tumultuous period in history, along with the stories of a diverse collection of friends and foes he interacted with along the way. Charlie's book is available on Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/kry6ltu

This is a photo of some of the things that were on display by E.J. Silva's casket at his funeral.

Thank you so much to the 13th Bomb Squadron Association. E.J. Attended as many reunions as he was able to right up to the last.

Thank you again!

Elsie Silva

The INVADER is the official newsletter of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association, a Non-profit organization. The INVADER is published three times yearly for the benefit of the Association members. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Association or of the Department of the Air Force. *Members of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association must maintain contact with the Association or “after two years of not communicating with the association, a member will no longer receive the INVADER or the Directory”.

Editor: Don Henderson 254 Freeport Road New Kensington, PA 15068-5421 Tel: (412) 417-6667 e-mail: Don@HendersonGDI.com Henderson Graphic Design & Illustration www.HendersonGDI.com The INVADER masthead displays the principal combat aircraft of the 13th Squadron since its initial activation in 1917. ©13th Bomb Squadron Association 2015

13th Bomb Squadron Assoc. Hats & Patches please contact John Fortier at (310) 540-2596 or john_fortier@msn.com or write to him at 713 South Broadway Street, Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Cover photo: Fitz Fulton by Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Fulton was the project pilot on all early tests of the Boeing 747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) used to air launch the Space Shuttle prototype Enterprise in the Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at Dryden in 1977.

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March 2015

Officers of the 13th Bomb Squadron Association Charles J. (Charley) Brown 905 Holbrook Circle Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547-6733 charley6272@yahoo.com

President

1st Vice President/

Secretary

Member at Large WWII

Member at Large Vietnam

2nd Vice President

Robert R. (Bob) Koehne 23332 SE 225th St. Maple Valley, WA 98038 csrrk@comcast.net

Locator Data Manager

Treasurer

Edward T. (Tighe) Carvey 6980 Olympic View Ct. Silverdale, WA 98383 tcarvey@wavecable.com

Member at Large Korea

Edward D. (Ed) Connor, Jr. 1217 Earnestine St. McLean, VA 22101-2646 ravenfive5@verizon.net

Member at Large GWOT

Ron Silvia 20 Green Lane Assonet, MA 02702-1410 finefiftynine@verizon.net

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James R. (Bob) Parks 3219 Tavern Oaks St. San Antonio, TX, 78247 bob-parks@satx.rr.com

Roger A. Bauman 5664 S. Basalt Ave. Boise, ID 83716-9007 retafo4@cableone.net

Ron Jarrett 10349 416th Avenue Britton, SD 57430-5005 rjarrett@brittonsd.com

Karl J. (Buck) Shawhan 4014 Buccaneer Blvd.

Plattsmouth, NE 68048 shawhan9@gmail.com

March 2015

Remembering Fitz Fulton

By Rapid Robert Mosley

Navigator and I flew a tour of combat with the 89th Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group in World War II , as well as a tour of combat with the 90th Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group in the Korean War. Additionally, my Commander, Major Walter S. King of the 89th Squadron in WW II, became the Commander of the 13th Squadron during the Korean War (killed in action before I arrived), so there was a lot of cross pollination between the four of us. And, again, I think it surprising, concerning the tendency of flyers to be modest, that Fitz nor I, ever knew until later years, that we both had flown tours of combat in Korea at nearly the same time. And, also that while Charlie and I were Flying C-135s in the ARIA (droop snoot) Aircraft, chasing Apollo Spacecraft all over the world for 3 years, during the Apollo Man To The Moon Program (even once going out to the mid Pacific and photographing the “Firey" Night return of Apollo 8 from the moon) together we did not know that we had both been at K-8 Kunsan by the Sea, “bombing the dirty communists” at night in North Korea, during a 3 month overlap of our tours.

With total disregard for proper writing style, I want to insert a Walter S. King story and cannot think of a better place to interject it, so, as stated above, Walter S. King was my CO in the 89th Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group during WWII and had stayed in the service after the war was over, while I had gotten out of the service after the war and had gone to work as an assistant cartoonist to my brother Zack Mosley, creator of the comic strip “Smilin’ Jack”.

Zack and I were at an Air Show in Harlingen , Texas where Zack had been invited as a Special Guest.

Walter had somehow heard that I was there and looked me up. Walter was a Lt Col at the time and was part of the Air Show in making a “Both Engines Feathered” pass in front of the crowd in an A-26. We were talking about the past, what had happened to old so and so?

And Walter said, “Wouldn’t it be nice to get that Old Gang together again and have another war?” To which I said, “Walter are you out of your #$@&%*! mind?”.

Fitz was one of the world's best test pilots, he was a mild mannered man, did not drink, or curse; went to church and was a perfect gentleman at all times. With this persona you would never guess that deep down inside was a fearless tiger.

Maybe too fearless at times, but he always came out on top.

I first heard of Fitz Fulton when I had been assigned as a Captain in the USAF, to the Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB in 1958, but never met him until late in 1959 when I graduated from the school and was assigned as an Experimental Test Pilot at Flight Test Operations, a couple of blocks and a few sand piles down the road, to the East of the school; one of the proudest moments of my life.

Flight Test Operations was divided functionally into 3 parts: a Fighter Section, a Bomber/Transport Section, and a Special Operations Section consisting of high altitude aircraft, like the U-2, as well as STOL Aircraft and Helicopters). I was assigned to the Bomber/Transport Section because of my past flying experience in Bomber and Transport Aircraft.

Test Operations was commanded by the most modest Fighter Pilot I have ever known, the famous Lt Col Clarence ‘Bud’Anderson, a triple Ace in WWII with 16 and two thirds kills and it was unknown to me the entire time of my tour as a Test Pilot at Edwards.

In light of Fitz’s recent departure to the WEST, my friend Maj. Charlie Hinton, from ARIA days at Patrick AFB from 1967 to 1970, knowing of my friendship with Fitz, asked me to compile a few of my experiences with Fitz at Edwards and also in the later years when we worked together again as civilians on the Space Shuttle Program. This, I have willingly tried to do.

One other thing, before I start spinning yarns, that I want to address is the common denominator the 3 of us, Fitz, Charlie, and myself, had with the 3rd Attack Group, i.e., Charlie flew a tour of combat with the 13th Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group in the Korean War, Fitz flew a tour of combat with the 13th Squadron of the 3rd Attack Group in the Korean War also. Fitz even flew one mission with Charlie, as his 5

March 2015 I was extremely fortunate to have him as my BOSS. Just a little bragging on my part, but not too long after I started testing airplanes, he unknowingly paid me a complement, that I have never forgotten, i.e., one day at his desk, he was just casually thumbing through a Flight Test Report I had written about a test I had done, and without even knowing of my presence, said “Now That Is Good Data”. Coming from THE FITZ FULTON, I was EXTREMELY PLEASED. One of the many good things about being a Test Pilot at Edwards was that if you were not busy with your own test that day, you were on call to support any other Test Pilot needing assistance with his test, thus, you got to fly all sorts of planes; fighters, bombers, transports, helicopters and STOL aircraft. At one time I was current in 10 airplanes at the same time (no longer allowed).

Most of my flying experience with Fitz was in the B-52 where at the time Fitz was the primary Drop Pilot for the X-15, just as he had been on many of those early Rocket Planes he had dropped from the specially modified B-29s they had at Edwards (Muroc Air Base) back then.

In my time at Edwards they had two B-52s (A model 003 and B model 008) and Fitz flew 93 of the 199 drops of the X-15 in the X-15 project. I flew on some of those launches as a Co-pilot. The plan for me was to become one of the official X-15 droppers later on, once I was officially checked out in the B-52. Thus, Fitz and I flew a lot of local training flights in the B-52.

It was on one of those training flights that Fitz showed his “Tiger” characteristic one day (as I referred to in my opening sentence of this opus). On that particular day, but certainly not uncommon at Edwards, it was terribly windy and, of course, never down the runway of 02 20. I remarked while going out to the plane, “It’s going to be a rough landing out there today, Fitz”. Fitz’s answer was, “See that T-Bird out there landing?” (which I could plainly see with a wing down, battling the crosswind.) “Well, if he can do it so can we.” And we did, but c’mon Fitz, there is a big difference in horsing around in a B-52 (even with a cross wind gear) in a severe cross wind, than in a “Pip Squeek” T-Bird.

Another time, Fitz and I, on a late summer afternoon in 1961, were at Carswell AFB in Ft. Worth, Texas and were getting ready to return to Edwards AFB, California that night in an old B-47 six engine jet bomber that we used there at the Flight Test Center. At that time, that particular plane had had its bomb bay doors removed which gave it the appearance that there

The Martin RB-57F went to 82,000 feet

was only half of an airplane thru the midsection of the plane. We were using it, at the Test Center, to drop the prototypes of the B-70 bomber ejection seats to see how the parachutes on the seats performed prior to the seats actually being installed in the B-70. The seats wouldn't quite fit in the B-47 bomb bay with the doors closed but they would fit with the doors removed so that is what they had done, i.e., they had removed the bomb bay doors. With the doors removed, the plane rumbled and buffeted when it flew and they had limited its air speed to 250 knots indicated, but when you got it up to around 37,000 feet you had a true air speed of close to 400 knots so it was OK to use for a cross country flight if you needed it. It just grumbled about it.

I have no recollection of what Fitz and I were doing at Ft. Worth, but when we were getting ready to come back to Edwards, we checked the weather and it was an awful forecast: terrible thunderstorms, severe turbulence, and up to one inch hail on the route of flight. I said, “Fitz, let's just wait and go in the morning because with the two hour time difference, we can leave at 7 AM in the morning and be home by 8 AM Edwards time and no one will ever know the difference.” He said, “No, we are going and we can contact ‘Star Gazer’ for radar vectors around the thunderstorms”. Star Gazer was some kind of military (I think) rinky dink radar system they had in operation around the country at that time that was supposed to help in situations like this, but my experience with Star Gazer had always been bad.

Now, it was only Fitz and I aboard that six engine jet bomber. The plane had a good radar set in it, but it was controlled from the Navigator/Bombardier position up in the nose, but we had no Navigator/ Bombardier up there to operate it.

So, off we go. The B-47 had a fighter type cockpit and canopy. He was in command of the plane, but I was in the front seat and he was in the back seat. I guess he had flown it out to Texas and I was flying it back.

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March 2015

Master Sergeant Dempsey D. Bankus

We were about 30 minutes out and we got into just what had been forecast. We called Star Gazer and, just like the other times I had needed them, there was no reply. (When you really needed them, the atmospheric conditions were always so bad that you couldn't make contact.)

We were all over the sky. Sitting out there in a fighter type canopy, I wasn't missing a thing; lightning, hail, and extreme turbulence. I had my seat belt clinched down as tight as I could get it, and it took both hands to control the wheel. Even then, I had my right elbow stuffed up under the side of the canopy ledge to keep my arms from flopping. It was so rough that I could not take my hands off of the control column, so Fitz was in the back working the six throttles. We were easily anywhere between 4000 feet above our assigned altitude and 4000 below it. Once that slick B-47 started downhill it would go through altitude like you wouldn't believe, but just as bad or worse was that it would get up near the stall point just as fast going uphill because we were trying to hold 250 knots and thus you did not have to lose very much airspeed on those uphill excursions before stall became a concern.

But, like I said, going downhill, 250 knots was just a number we passed through. I don't remember what speed we may have hit, but I became concerned as to what those downhill runs were doing to the fuselage.

They had limited the indicated airspeed on that thing to 250 knots for some reason. So, besides wondering if we were even going to maintain control of the old girl, I was wondering if that thing might not just break into two parts. It was under these conditions that Fitz, worrying about a midair collision since we were not maintaining our assigned altitude, said, “I think we should let someone know where we are”. Now Fitz was my boss but my answer was, “Hell, Fitz, I wouldn't worry about that, there are no other damn fools up here but you and I!”, and I sincerely meant it.

Obviously we made it. In later years, I read this account of the adventure to Fitz and he conceded that he remembered it well, just the way I told it. He did not go so far, however, as to say it was an error in judgment. He didn't have to. (Fitz never forgot that thunderstorm we hit that night in the B-47 out in West Texas). And the old tiger, who had cheated death so many times testing airplanes, died peacefully in his sleep.

Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Dempsey D. “Jack” Bankus passed away at Cornerstone Rehabilitation Center in Shreveport, Louisiana of natural causes on November 20, 2014. Sergeant Bankus was born near Milan, Missouri on March 13, 1923 to John A. and Blanche (Hays) Bankus.

His first marriage to Margie (Sayre) Bankus produced two wonderful sons, Kent Bankus and Bobby Bankus. He was preceded in death by his wife, Florence (Allen) Bankus, with whom he had two beautiful daughters, Jaci (Bankus) Diebner and Jeri (Bankus) Hollowell. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Marion (Charest) Bankus; his parents John and Blanche Bankus; his brothers, Roscoe and Kenneth Bankus; and his grandsons, John Bankus and Benjamin Slater. He is survived by his sister Geraldine (Bankus) Ogle; four children, Kent Bankus, Bobby Bankus, Jaci (Bankus) Diebner, and Jeri (Bankus) Hollowell; and by nine grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

Sergeant Bankus joined the Army Air Corps in December, 1943 and during WWII flew 17 missions as a belly gunner in B-24 Liberators in the South Pacific. He was shot down in 1945 and, after two days in the ocean, was rescued by a PBY Catalina. He mustered out of the Air Corps in November 1945 and farmed for a while near Sorrell, Missouri.

He reenlisted in the Air Force in October 1947, and was an engineergunner in the 13th Bomb Squadron on B-26 Invader aircraft in Japan at the start of the Korean war. Wounded three days after the war started, he is believed to be the first US airman wounded in that war. He was later shot down again. After his B-26 crashed on the top of a hill, Sgt Bankus turned on the aircraft battery switches was able to operate the guns in the top turret. He successfully repelled a North Korean force attacking an Army unit on the hill. He totaled 92 combat missions in WWII and Korea. Among his many decorations and ribbons, Master Sergeant Bankus is entitled to wear the Distinguished Flying Cross; the Air Medal with nine Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Purple Heart.

After retiring from the Air Force, Sergeant Bankus was employed at the Louisiana Army Ordnance Plant, and later by the Gym Dandy Company in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Master Sergeant Bankus’ two sons were both career military. His oldest son, retired Air Force Colonel Gerald K. Bankus, was shot down in 1966 in Vietnam while flying an F-100 Super Saber. His younger son, retired Army Sergeant Major Bobby J. Bankus, served in the Armored Cavalry throughout his career.

Services for Master Sergeant Bankus were held at the Hill Crest Funeral Home, with a military graveside ceremony, in Haughton, Louisiana on November 25, 2014. Pallbearers were members of the Barksdale Air Force Base Honor Guard. The Honor Guard from VFW Post 5951 also rendered military honors during the ceremony.

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March 2015

A Passing Phase, Thoughts on a Gunner’s Moon

By Jim Humphries

I found my neighbor’s mailbox lying on the sidewalk, its supporting post broken off near the ground. I can fix that with a pole through the hollow post, thought I, and set to work. A school bus stopped at the corner, and dropped off a few kids. A few minutes later, I looked up to find a young man standing beside the fallen mailbox, apparently wondering what I was doing. He was a pleasant boy, an eighth grader. I asked what he Gunner's Moon was studying in school this week, and he replied: “We’re learning about phases of the moon.”

So I encouraged him, “Tell me about that. I’ve long wondered how that happens.”

He began confidently enough. “Well, you know, there’s the sun and here’s the moon and the tilt of the earth’s axis and, and …”

We flew in total darkness with our navigation lights turned off after crossing from the airspace of friendly Thailand into the dangerous skies over Laos, a supposedly neutral land used by the enemy as a supply route each night.

Nearly all of the lights on the ground were turned off or shielded, so we shared a common defense with our foe. Without guns to defend us against air attack, or electronic countermeasures to protect us from surfaceto-air missiles or radardirected anti-aircraft fire, we depended on the darkness to make us invisible. Friendly fighter pilots took out the triple-A radars, like shooting rattlesnakes whenever they appeared. Our offensive ordnance was M-36 incendiary bombs in the bomb bay and a pair of 500 pound laser-guided bombs beneath the wings.

Initially we wondered if the laser beams that our systems operators pointed to enemy trucks negotiating the infamous Ho Chi Minh Trail were visible to the anti-aircraft batteries in the jungles below. It wasn’t hard to imagine that those thin beams might act like precision searchlights pointing directly to our planes.

We were relieved to discover that the beams turned out to be invisible. And so we flew our missions on nights “as black as the inside of a cow,” as one of our squadron mates quipped, with some degree of confidence that even though they could hear us, they couldn’t see us.

On many nights there would be a moon in the sky, subtly displaying its familiar phases. It wasn’t long before I discovered a characteristic that had gone unnoticed before. When the moon was in its earliest phase, just a crescent, it would appear right after dark low in the western sky. Before long, it had dropped below the horizon, not to be seen again until the

I called his bluff. “You really don’t know how the moon has phases, do you?”

He made me a promise that he would get it figured out, and tell me. In the meantime, I learned that Jose Randel was my new neighbor. This was our first meeting. No wonder he stopped to enquire what I was doing to his mail box!

I told him a story of how I became interested in phases of the moon. I was an Air Force pilot flying night missions in the early seventies during the Vietnam War. We were without defensive armament of any kind in our B-57 bombers. All of God’s critters have some kind of defense, even though it may be just camouflage. I can think of a species of moth that has the silhouette of a cobra’s head branded by nature on their wings. Predators tend to keep their distance. Of course, if the camouflage doesn’t fool the predator, the moth becomes lunch.

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cont. on page 9

March 2015 cont. From page 8

A PASSING PHASE

following night. A few nights later, a quarter moon was visible just after last light, but this time much higher in the western sky. Of course, it had been up there all day, rather inconspicuous, in the bright sun that made the days pleasant. But as the sun’s light faded into twilight, the waxing moon became an object of beauty in the night sky. Quickly, as the days passed, the moon shuttled through its phases, getting larger each night until it was round, full and bright.

That’s when this phenomena caught my attention.

Maybe you’ve picked up where this is going! As the moon was waxing larger and brighter each night, it made its appearance higher in the sky each night until it rose at dusk above the eastern horizon. Then it slowly moved high above all night long. At its full phase, the moon turned the darkness into a cool glow as it beamed down its reflected sunlight on the earth.

We felt exposed on those nights when the moon was full. If the alignment was just right, we reasoned that the gunners could see us silhouetted against the luminosity of the sky. Surely our invisibility was compromised with a full moon up there above us.

Pilots called it a gunner’s moon. I never learned whether my imagined vulnerability during nights of full moon phases was increased or not. But I surely began paying attention to phases of the moon, whether or not I understood the astronomical mechanics that affected our view of its visible lighted area. And when my combat tour was done, a hundred and one missions long, I lost my concern for the phases of our heavenly satellite. Now I’m anxious to learn what Jose will teach me.

Jose was surprised that an old man, an old military pilot, would be interested in the phases of the moon.

But my war story and my self-discovered celestial positions of the moon during its phases each month fascinated him. It was probably a good lesson for a youngster. The lesson being that natural phenomena may be of some concern to a school boy simply because it might be on the test, but they can become intensely interesting when one has ‘some skin in the game,’ as they say. I’m betting that Jose will have an explanation for me very soon.

Jim Humphries 13th BS, Ubon Thailand 1971-1972

Jim Wise VIRGINIA BEACH—Marion Arthur (Jim) Wise passed away Dec. 31, 2014.

He was a resident of Virginia Beach.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Emma Shoemaker Wise and Maynard Marion Wise; wife, Mildred, of 49 years; brother, Larry; and sister, Bernadine.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife Linda; a son, Gary; daughter-in-law, Pamela; and granddaughter, Amanda.

He is also survived by a brother, Jan Franklin; a sisterin-law, Patricia; nephews, Michael, Greg and Brian; and many great-nieces and great-nephews. His extended family includes a stepdaughter, Kelly Schuellein, her husband Paul and their children, James, Brian and Heidi; a stepson, Neal Insley, his wife Madelyn and sons, Ross and Grady.

Jim was born in Fostoria, Ohio and served in the U.S. Air Force 13th Bomb Squadron as a gunner in the Korean War. He retired from NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, where he was involved in the space program.

In later years he served as a docent at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach and worked with Habitat for Humanity in Smithfield. He was a member of many organizations, but HAM Radio was his passion.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10, 11 a.m. at the West Neck Village Hall, 2580 Signature Drive, Virginia Beach.

A graveside service will be held at Arlington Memorial Cemetery at a later date.

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March 2015

Honorary Membership Awarded

left to right is Robert Butterfield, Sarah Adams (Production Manager), Suzie Schulenberg (Designer/Owner), Sandy Acquaviva (Operations Manager), Deann Pulley (Programmer/Designer) and Chuck Whiting (Marketing/PR)

for their contributions in the success of the site. Bob also presented them with a framed copy of Don Henderson's wonderful graphic art work of all 37 aircraft the squadron has flown .

At the 2014 Association Reunion in Providence, RI, the Executive Board unanimously recommended that Suzie Schulenberg and FaverWebs be awarded an Honorary Membership in the 13th Bomb Squadron Association for their outstanding contributions to our organization for nearly five years.

The efforts of FaverWebs began in February 2010 when they proposed a military website that would trace the history of the 13th Squadron from 1917 forward including WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Global War on Terrorism. Once accepted, FaverWebs proceeded to design, develop, maintain and update the history and achievements of the Squadron on www.13thbombsquadron.com that is considered the prestige site for active duty Air Force squadrons today.

In responding to the presentation, Suzie said, “I’m SO happy to hear you made it back safely and cannot thank you enough for sharing your generous time and love to me and to my FaverWebs team. It was one of the most priceless honors I have ever received and it meant even more that you went to so much trouble on our behalf. We are honored to have been chosen to partner with your great organization of such courageous soldiers. We are deeply grateful and will treasure our membership as part of your elite group. God bless you and the 13th Bomb Squadron Association! It is truly an American treasure…”

Traveling to Franklin, TN to make the presentation, past president Bob Butterfield's timing was spot on because the FaverWeb Christmas party had to be postponed to January on the same day that Bob could make the trip. Therefore, he was able to meet the team members and congratulate each personally

We are truly grateful to Suzie and FaverWebs for the support they have given us. We look forward to their professionalism and expertise in helping us present on the world wide web what the men and women of the 13th Squadron have contributed to the defense of our country since 1917.

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March 2015

Captain Hobey Baker, Class of 1914 Posted on October 28, 2010 by Brett Tomlinson

On Nov. 11, 2010 the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame inducted Hobey Baker, Princeton Class of 1914, a legendary football and hockey star at Princeton. That Baker would be honored on Veterans Day seems appropriate: A World War I fighter pilot, he died in a flying accident the month after the Allies and Germans signed the November 11, 1918, armistice that ended the war.

before America’s entry into the war, with the idea of fitting himself for the service should the need arise. As might have been expected of probably the best and most successful athlete this country ever produced, he excelled in flying as he had in football and hockey.

Early in the summer of 1917, he went to France as a First Lieutenant among the first of the American pilots, in order to take the advanced courses in Baker, a native of Bala-Cynwyd, acrobatics, combat and gunnery, which Pennsylvania, was an agile and swift could not at that time be obtained in open-field runner on the football field. this country. He first took a course at He also earned acclaim for his kicking a Flying School in England and then Captain Hobart A. H. "Hobey" Baker. skills. But it was in hockey that he at the French Schools at Avord, Pau, truly dazzled, earning a reputation as the greatest player of and Cazaux. At the Gunnery School at Cazaux he made a his era. At the time, hockey was a relatively minor sport brilliant record. He appreciated the fundamental principle on campus, in part because Princeton did not have its own that for the pilot of a pursuit plane to do accurate and rink. Varsity games were played in New York City. effective shooting, he must from the first train himself to fire from the shortest possible ranges. His appreciation of Baker’s athletic exploits were well known to his this however almost led to his undoing on one occasion. contemporaries, but shortly after his death, the Princeton In diving on a balloon used as a target, Hobey tried to Alumni Weekly took a closer look at his contributions maintain his fire until very close. He riddled the balloon as an aviator with an article written by Maj. Charles but misjudged his distance and ran into it just as he was Biddle, Class of 1911, a flying ace and one of Baker’s pulling away. The impact shattered his propeller and badly former commanders. In it, Biddle describes Baker as “a strained the machine, and the cloth of the balloon became striking example of the finest that America can produce” – wrapped around one wing and thereby threw the plane out courageous, unselfish, and modest. of balance. Those watching on the ground held their breath Captain Hobart Baker’s Career in the Service and gave him up for lost, but Hobey was one of those who

By Maj. Charles J. Biddle, Princeton Class of 1911 never give up and realize that in aviation the surest way to lose your life is to lose your head. By the most skillful To the many friends of Captain Hobart A. H. Baker, the handling of his crippled machine he was able to bring it news from France that he was killed in an accident while safely to the ground, to the great delight and astonishment flying at the Toul aerodrome on Saturday, December 21st, of his French audience. came as a great shock. With the fighting at an end we had all been hoping to see him home before long, where Lieutenant Baker had hoped to be sent to the front as soon we could personally do him the honor which he so richly as he had completed his training, but he was assigned to deserved, for no one ever knew Hobey Baker who did instruction work and kept at this duty for some time. I not admire him for his many splendid qualities and the saw him in Paris in January and he was leaving no stone work he had done, and love him for the man he was. His unturned in trying to get orders which would take him death makes us realize more than ever that the great war to the front, but there were many unavoidable delays, so did not end with the signing of the armistice, nor will it that his long hoped for orders did not finally arrive until end for many years to come, and we know that our friend about the first of April, 1918. He was at this time sent has laid down his life for a cause to which his whole heart to the 103rd Aero Squadron, better known under its old was devoted, just as surely as though he had gone down in French name as the “Escadrille Lafayette.” The pilots combat on the lines. of the squadron had already transferred from the French After a long and phenomenal career as an athlete at Princeton, Hobey Baker took up flying more than a year

to the American service and the enlisted personnel was almost entirely made up of American mechanics, but the

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(U.S. Air Force photos by Senior Airman Bryan Crane)

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March 2015 near him. When the patrol was over and Lieutenant Baker and I were walking to our quarters I said to him, “Well, Hobe, I guess you saw what a Hun looks like, anyhow.” To which he replied, “No. Where? I did not see any.”

Lt Col Charles J. Biddle, the first war time commander of the 13th Aero Squadron and its leading Ace with 8 confirmmed victories

squadron itself was still operating with the French and continued to do so until about the first of July. On April 1st he was with the famous Fourth Army in Champagne under General Gouraud, covering the lines between Rheims and the Argonne Forest, in conjunction with a number of French squadrons. I was myself a flight commander in the Lafayette Squadron at the time and was delighted when Lieutenant Baker was assigned to my flight. An American pursuit squadron is divided into three flights of six or seven pilots each, and patrols are usually made by flights led by the flight commander. There is nothing so reassuring to a pilot as to know well the men with whom he is flying and to feel that they will stick with him through thick and thin, regardless of odds or the dangers to themselves.

Soon after Lieutenant Baker arrived at the Lafayette Squadron, we moved to Fismes with the Chemin des Dames region as our sector. On April 12th Hobey went out with me for his first flight over the lines. We had hardly gotten started and were still climbing to gain our altitude when I sighted a German two-seated photographic plane coming into our lines high above us. We immediately started in pursuit, but although we got within a thousand yards or so, the [German] was too far above us and got back into his own lines before we could come within range of him. A few minutes later almost the same thing happened again with another two-seater, who caught sight of us and escaped far into his own lines before we could get

Then I told him about the two that we had been after and he was terribly disgusted with himself for not having seen them. As a matter of fact it was the best thing that could have happened. All his friends knew from the beginning that he would make a splendid pilot, but feared that in his great anxiety to fight he would try to begin by doing too much. One of the greatest dangers to a new pilot at the front is that, no matter how great his ability and how hard he may try, he will at first probably not see more than one-third of what he will see after he has had a little experience. The reason for this is that he is occupied with his machine, with keeping his place in the formation, and in trying to learn the country over which he is flying. Then also other planes in the air do not so readily catch his eye as they do that of a more experienced man. The result is that new men run a great risk of being taken by surprise, and an experience such as the above impresses this all important fact upon them as nothing else could. Lieutenant Baker learned the game in a remarkably short time and it was not long before he saw as well as the best of them. In all his experience at the front I do not remember a single instance when he was caught unawares.

About the end of April the Lafayette Squadron moved to Flanders for the battle around Kemmel Hill south of Ypres.

Our first flight in this sector was a daylight patrol one misty morning when the French were counter-attacking in the region of the Hill. The mist and low clouds forced us to fly at an altitude of only about two hundred yards and the shelling on the ground was terrific. Kemmel Hill looked like a volcano in eruption, and the shells were falling so thick on its summit that the whole top of the hill seemed to be constantly exploding and resembling somewhat, a huge pot of boiling water. In the mist it was very difficult to keep formation and Lieutenant Baker became separated from the rest of the patrol. Soon afterward I caught sight of him in the fog, flying in the direction of the German lines. It was his first flight in this sector and the weather conditions were such as to make it almost impossible for one not familiar with the country to keep his bearings. I had myself spent five months in this region with the French aviation in the summer and fall of 1917, so that I knew the ground. Seeing Lieutenant Baker making off into the [German] lines, I thought he must be lost, so started after him, firing my gun to one side of him to attract his attention, but the noise of his own motor, added to the din on the ground, prevented his hearing me and he disappeared in the mist. Upon returning to airfield near Dunkirk we waited anxiously for him to come back, but four or five hours went by without

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March 2015 news from him. We were all beginning to be very much worried lest he had gotten lost and either been shot down or forced to land in German territory, when to our great relief and delight a telephone came from an English field near Bethune, saying that he was there and safe. It seems that after becoming separated from the patrol and not knowing the country, Lieutenant Baker had started home by compass, but unfortunately there was something wrong with his compass, so that when it read “west� he was in reality flying south. At this time the lines south of Ypres made a large bulge west towards the forest of Nieppe, and flying south took Lieutenant Baker across this salient. He flew for miles inside the German lines, and each time he would came down out of the mist to see where he was he would be greeted by a burst of fire from the ground. He worked around more to the west and finally when he came down to look once more, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing a lot of British Tommies marching along a road. He landed near Bethune after having flown across the entire salient, and a joyful squadron we were to have him safely back with us again.

His First Victory in the Air It was toward the end of May that Lieutenant Baker brought down his first German plane. Five men from the Lafayette Squadron attacked a loose formation of about twenty-five [German] scouts and Lieutenant Baker shot down one of them near Ypres, a very fine performance, considering how greatly our men were outnumbered. For this he was decorated with the French Croix de Guerre, the ceremony taking place at Handschaote in Belgium on June 12th.

Towards the end of May the [German] aviation in Flanders was greatly reduced, most of the squadrons evidently having been moved further south for the offensive there. In consequence opportunities were hard to find and Lieutenant Baker got few chances until the Lafayette Squadron moved to the St. Mihiel sector about July 1st, with headquarters at the Toul aerodrome. I had just been given command of the 13th Aero Squadron and succeeded in getting Lieutenant Baker transferred to it as a flight commander.

He accordingly left the Lafayette and became a member of the 13th about July 15th. But the Mihiel front was very quiet at this time and although Lieutenant Baker spent more time over the lines than any other man in the squadron and was of invaluable service in training the new pilots, he was hardly able to get a shot at a [German]. One two-seater which attacked went down in a spin for a long distance, but managed to straighten out just before he hit the ground and go back to his own lines.

The first week in August Lieutenant Baker was put in command of the 14th Aero Squadron and was ordered to the rear to complete its organization and bring it to the front. As bad luck would have it, his squadron was

not ready and it was not until the end of October that he was finally able to get it in operation on the front, the squadron at this time being made a part the 4th Pursuit Group, stationed at the Toul aerodrome and flying in the St. Mihiel sector. As was often remarked by his friends, Hobey Baker was from the beginning beset by the hardest kind of luck. Through no fault of his own, or rather in spite of everything he could do, he was held a long time in the rear before getting to the front, then when he got there he had a lot of trouble with his machine guns failing him at critical moments, and finally when he got a squadron of his own, it was one which was not ready for the front while other men who were made squadron commanders after him had the good fortune to get squadrons which were all equipped. Then just when Lieutenant Baker had gotten all his pilots and was ready to take them to the front, it so happened that they were needed to replace losses in the squadrons operating in the Argonne offensive, and his men were almost all taken away from him, so that he had to start all over again, getting a new lot together. It was at this time about the middle of October, that he was promoted to the rank of Captain. During the last ten days before the signing of the armistice, Captain Baker got the first real opportunities for active fighting which he had had since the preceding June, and brought down two more [German] machines, his second and third. The first of these was a Fokker single-seater, one of a group of five which Captain Baker attacked while leading a formation of an equal number of his new pilots. The [German] fell into German territory northwest of Pont-a-Mousson and the wreck was visible from our lines, the American artillery completing its destruction. The second and the last plane which he brought down was a two-seater which penetrated the American lines at a great altitude for the purpose of dropping propaganda leaflets among the infantry. Captain Baker and one of his pilots attacked him between nineteen and twenty thousand feet up and under Captain Baker’s fire the [German] plane turned completely over on its back, throwing the observer out, the body falling in our lines. After falling upside down for about five thousand feet, the pilot, who had evidently been wounded, managed to right his plane and started for his own lines. He was again attacked and finally crashed a hopeless wreck about a mile inside the German lines.

Shortly after the signing of the armistice we crossed the lines and found the skeleton of the machine, and scattered about it, quantities of the propaganda sheets with which it had been loaded.

His Success as Squadron Commander and Pilot As a squadron commander, Captain Baker was very successful, for the officers and men under his command loved and admired him as did all who knew him. His pilots knew that he would never ask them to undertake

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March 2015 anything which he would a true friend on whom one not do himself, and that in could always rely. He was him they had a friend who entirely unselfish and always was constantly watching thinking of others rather than over their safety and of himself, and I remember who would never forsake one occasion on which I as them, regardless of the his commanding officer had consequences to himself. practically to order him to His enlisted men knew that take credit for the destruction he was always thinking of of a German plane, which their welfare and comfort by all the reports he and he and that any order which alone had quite evidently came from Captain Baker brought down, because would be just and fair. I he felt that there was a Hobey Baker's crashed SPAD. On December 21, 1918, a little over a month since well remember one day last the Armistice, Hobey received his orders to return home. Against the objection possibility that some of of his men, he insisted on taking one last flight in his SPAD. According to November when a patrol his pilots might have had witnesses, Hobey Baker took off in the rain, he leveled off at 600 feet, but the returning from the lines something to do with it, carburetor failed and the engine failed. Baker attempted to glide the plane back to reported that it had last seen the airfield. With another 100 feet of altitude, Hobey probably could have safely and he therefore wished to made it back, but he didn’t have that altitude, and the plane nose dived into the Captain Baker engaged in a withdraw in their favor. In earth. His men pulled him from the wreckage, but Hobey Baker died moments hard fight with half a dozen later in the ambulance. He was only 26 years old. spite of all the well deserved [German] single-seaters and praise that was heaped upon that they were afraid that he had gone down in the unequal him for his success in athletics and in the service, he was fight. A look of consternation spread among the men, totally unspoiled by it and he was modest almost to a fault. which was succeeded a few minutes later by a cheer, as the His record as an officer was a splendid one, and he was a Captain’s machine with its orange and black markings (he son of whom Princeton may well be proud. had adopted the Princeton colors and a Princeton tiger as No details have as yet been received of Captain Baker’s the distinguishing mark of his squadron) was seen returning death but as he fell at Toul he must have been buried at the from the lines. Hobey had attacked a German formation by cemetery of the hospital at Sebastopol, about two miles himself and had gotten into hot water, but with his usual north of Toul. There he will lie in company with [Raoul] skill and presence of mind had extricated himself with Lufbery, [David] Putnam, and many others who played a nothing worse than a bullet through one wing. great game through to the end and won, because they did As a pilot, Captain Baker was one of the very best; he enjoyed flying and handled his machine with the greatest skill. I have never known a man who was more eager to fly or who tried harder to give to his country the very best that was in him. He fought whenever the opportunity offered and always with the most fearless courage. With his great bravery, he at the same time used his head at all times and realized that there is a wide difference between true courage and foolhardiness, and that the latter accomplishes little but is really playing into the hands of the enemy. The only reason that Captain Baker’s score in German machines brought down was not higher was because the chances which came to him were few. Had he had them or had the war continued, there is no doubt that his tally would have been a long one. During his service at the front he at all times flew the Spad single-seater pursuit machine and was entirely engaged in pursuit work.

As a man Captain Baker was a striking example of the finest that America can produce. In the course of several months of living and flying with him on the front I came to know him intimately. He was a thorough gentleman and

their best.

About the author: Charles J. Biddle, Princeton Class of 1911.

Biddle joined the French Foreign Legion in 1917, Escadrille SPA 73, Escadrille Lafayette SPA 124. After the United States joined in the war, Biddle served as Commander of the 13th Aero Squadron and was Commander of the 4th Pursuit Group. He was an Ace with 8 victories, he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Purple Heart, the French Legion of Honor, and France’s Crois de Guerre with four palms for his extraordinary contributions to the Allied cause in Europe during World War I. A Harvard Law graduate, he had a notable career as a senior partner in the firm of Drinker, Biddle, and Reath. He died in 1972 at age 82.

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“YOU SEEMED WINGED, EVEN AS A LAD, WITH THAT SWIFT LOOK OF THOSE WHO KNOW THE SKY, IT WAS NO BLUNDERING FATE THAT STOOPED AND BADE YOU BREAK YOUR WINGS, AND FALL TO EARTH AND DIE, I THINK SOME DAY YOU MAY HAVE FLOWN TOO HIGH, SO THAT IMMORTALS SAW YOU AND WERE GLAD, WATCHING THE BEAUTY OF YOUR SPIRITS FLAME, UNTIL THEY LOVED AND CALLED YOU, AND YOU CAME.” —The inscription on Hobey Baker’s tombstone

March 2015

13th BOMB SQUADRON REUNION1969

By Bob Butterfield

Not waiting until the war was over to have a reunion, the 13th Bomb Squadron Grim Reapers and their sister squadron, the 8th Bomb Squadron Liberty Bell, were reunited in a gala reunion at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, 15-17 August 1969. (The 8th and 13th flew combat missions in Southeast Asia between late 1964 and early 1968.)

Both squadrons had been in Japan in the 3rd Bomb Wing, along with the 90th Bomb Squadron, Pair of Dice, flying B-57Bs. In early 1964, the squadrons were preparing to rotate back to the CONUS when the 8th and 13th were alerted for reassignment to Clark Air Base in the Philippines (RPI) in preparation for supporting Allied Forces that might be needed to defend South Vietnam from communist North Vietnam invaders. That transfer took place in April 1964.

After the August 2, 1964, Gulf of Tonkin attacks on U.S. Naval vessels, crews from both the 8th and 13th squadrons were deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base, South Vietnam, to fly combat support missions (reconnaissance) at two-week intervals. In February 1965, the first ground attack mission was flown by the 13th Bomb Squadron. Sorties continued from Bien Hoa and Tan Son Nhut Air Bases until August, when the aircraft began flying from DaNang Air Base in northern South Vietnam. The two squadrons started a sixty-day rotation, with one squadron training at Clark, while the sister squadron flew day and night combat attack missions. Fourteen months later, the squadrons' deployment base became Phan Rang Air Base, three-hundred miles south of DaNang. During these deployments to Vietnam, crew members completed as many as three-hundred combat missions in the B-57 aircraft.

By January 1968, the rotations ended. About half of the B-57s were flown home and were reconfigured with new, sophisticated electronic equipment. In 1970, they were deployed to Ubon Air Base, Thailand, as B-57Gs in the 13th Bomb Squadron. The remaining aircraft were reassigned to other units in the CONUS or retired, and the 8th Bomb Squadron was re-designated as the 8th Attack Squadron flying the A-37 aircraft.

In 1969, Lt Col Frank (Smash) Chandler, a bigger-than-life former 13th Bomb Squadron navigator, with the help of Robert (Batman) Bateman, a pilot from the 8th Squadron, organized a reunion of the men of the 8th/13th who had

taken the fight to the enemy. Many members were still on active duty, while others had finished their service and had returned to civilian life--some to fly commercially.

I was in the Pentagon when Smash called me and asked for some help. He wanted to publicize the reunion, and thought General Carl (Tooey) Spaatz USAF (Ret.) would be a great supporter of the gathering of eagles. (During his amazing career, Gen Spaatz had flown with the 13th Aero Squadron for two weeks in 1918, and had shot down three German planes.) When I asked Gen Spaatz if he would participate, he accepted gladly, and I invited him to the Pentagon for a publicity photo.

From the USAF Museum, I borrowed a large, framed section of fabric fuselage on which was painted an Oscar, and the Number 20, from the WW I Spad assigned to Lt. Murray Guthrie. (Note: When the war ended, pilots were allowed to cut off their aircraft number as a souvenir. The number 20 indicated that Guthrie was the 20th duty pilot to check into the squadron in France in 1918. The squadron commander, Capt Charles J. Biddle had been given the number 0.)

General Spaatz suggested we invite some of his comrades with whom he had flown in France, and we were successful in contacting eight more pilots who also attended. I was able to obtain the film, "The Lafayette Escadrille," for the event. The film described the flying of a French fighter squadron, manned mostly by American pilots who had volunteered to fly with the French in 1916, before the United States entered World War I. (As we learned last year during our 2014 reunion in Providence, Rhode Island, a major financial backer of The Lafayette Escadrille in France was American William K Vanderbilt, a prominent member of the Vanderbilt family, who developed the American railroad system.)

The 1969 reunion was held at the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, August 16-18, and was a huge success. In addition to General and Mrs. Spaatz, the eight WW I pilots and their wives, another distinguished guest was Texas Senator John G. Tower, a member (and later Chairman) of the Senate Armed Services Committee. This was not the first contact Senator Tower had had with the 13th Bomb Squadron. He had visited the Reapers at Clark AB RPI, and had flown a

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Major Bob Butterfield and General Carl Spaatz view an original "Oscar" taken from SPAD XIII of Lt. Murray Guthrie. (Office of Director of Legislative Liason, Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon. Air Force photo, 1969)

combat training mission with the 13th CO Major Floren (Nails) Nelson. Later, Senator Tower met with the 13th at DaNang, during his tour of the combat zone.

Another distinguished guest at the banquet was Mr. Vernon R Rawlings, Vice President and General Manager, Baltimore Division, of Martin-Marietta Corporation. This division fabricated and flight tested over four-hundred B-57 aircraft.

The honoree of the evening was Captain Larry B. Mason, winner of the 1966 Karen Kolligian, Jr. Outstanding Airmanship Trophy and the Air Force Cross, which had been presented to him by Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. McConnell. During a particularly dangerous mission in Laos, at the Tchepone Pass, Capt Mason’s aircraft was badly damaged, and his navigator Captain Jere Joyner was seriously wounded, to the point of not being able to eject. As pilot, Capt Mason, who had trained with the 13th before being assigned to the 8th Bomb Squadron, had to stay with his aircraft and attempt to land it, while dealing with multiple problems, including one engine out and a fire warning light on the other engine. After making a very dangerous single-engine go-around, he managed to get his plane on the runway and undoubtedly saved Jere's life. As a more personal way to honor his courage under extreme conditions, Jere named one of his twin children for his pilot. (We were delighted to have Larry speak to us again at our 2013 Association reunion in Reno.)

Also honored that evening was Senior Master Sergeant Leon E Adamson, USAF (Ret.), who on May 16, 1965, was the Maintenance Line Chief at Bien Hoa Air Base. On that

fateful day, a bomb exploded under the wing of a taxiing B-57, causing a horrendous blast on the ramp among other taxiing and parked aircraft. Sergeant Adamson conducted rescue operations during a series of explosions where he was knocked down several times, wounded by shrapnel, and severally burned. He was flown to the Air Force hospital at Clark and then to the U.S. He spent two years recovering from those wounds, and was presented with the Airman’s Medal for his bravery.

One of my favorite memories of the reunion was watching the WW I pilots commenting on the Lafayette Escadrille film. They were talking with their hands, reliving those early combat missions, and remembering the men with whom they had flown and the results they had achieved fifty years earlier. Today it is Viet Nam veterans who are looking back fifty years and recalling the missions they flew in Southeast Asia, just like those WW I warriors were doing in 1969 at the Las Vegas reunion.

Footnote: In the November 2000 Invader, General Spaatz's picture appeared on the cover, along with his biography on Page 16, and a letter of thanks from him. Also in that issue is a quote from reporter Elaine Shepard’s 1991 book The Doom Pussy II, about the Las Vegas Reunion. Elaine had been a veteran reporter sent to Vietnam by the Mutual Broadcasting System to cover the war; she spent time with the 13th and 8th squadrons, both at Clark and DaNang, and flew combat missions with Nails Nelson during her reporting assignment. Both of her books contain a great glimpse of Air Force life in the combat zone and are full of stories of the men of the 8th and 13th Bomb Squadrons.

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March 2015

13th BOMB SQUADRON REUNION September 16-20, 2015

Radisson Hotel Branson – Branson, MO (417) 335-5767 (888) 566-5290 www.radisson.com/branson-hotel-mo-65616/mobranso

Location 120 South Wildwood Drive, Branson, MO 65616 The Radisson Hotel Branson is located just off the strip and in walking distance to many attractions. The hotel is approximately 55 miles away from the Springfield Branson National Airport.

Reservation Information Call the number above and please remember to reference the 13th Bomb Squadron Association or please visit www.radisson.com/13thbsa.

Group Name: 13th Bomb Squadron Association Reunion Dates: September 16-20, 2015 Rate: $99 + tax (currently 11.6%) Rate will be offered 3 days before and 3 days after reunion dates, based on availability. Cut off Date: 08/14/15 Late reservations will be processed based on space availability at a higher rate.

Cancellation Policy: Must call 3 days prior to scheduled arrival date to cancel reservations and avoid being charged 1 nights room + tax.

Parking & Shuttle Information Hotel parking is complimentary. Four airlines (American, Allegiant, Delta, and United) service the Springfield Branson Airport. GrayLine offers service to and from the airport, current fare for one way service is $95 for 1-2 people, $115 for 3 people, and $135 for 4 people. Please call 417-334-5463 or visit www.grayline.com/things-to-do/ united-states/branson. Branson Coach also offers service to and from the airport, current fare for one-way service is $100 for 1-2 people, and $10 for each additional person.

Please call 417-339-4888 or visit www.bcnwa.net to make reservations and verify pricing.

Branson Airport, a smaller privately owned airport, uses Grayline for shuttle service to and from the airport. The cost is $25 per person one way. For questions or to make reservations, please contact Grayline at 417-334-5463 or visit www.grayline.com/things-to-do/united-states/branson.

All prices are subject to change, please call to verify pricing. Reservations need to be made twenty-four hours in advance for all shuttle services.

Wheelchair Rental ScootAround rents both manual and power wheelchairs by the day and week. Please call (888) 441-7575 or visit www. scootaround for details and to make reservations.

Wednesday, September 16

Hospitality Room Open 2:00pm-5:00pm Reunion Registration open 5:30pm Cash Bar 6:00pm Buffet Dinner 8:00pm-10:00pm Board Meeting

Thursday, September 17

Hospitality Room Open 8:30am-9:00am Reunion Registration open 9:30am-1:30pm Veterans Memorial Museum

(description follows) 5:00pm-6:00pm Reunion Registration continues 6:30pm-10:45pm “Red Shirt Night” – Dinner Cruise

(description follows)

Friday, September 18

Hospitality Room Open 9:15pm-2:00pm The Bretts Show / Lunch

(description follows) 6:15pm-10:30pm SHOJI TABUCHI THEATRE

(description follows)

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13th BOMB SQUADRON REUNION 2015 Saturday, September 19

Hospitality Room Open 9:00am-11:00am Business Meeting Free Day to explore the Branson on your own.

6:00pm Cash Bar 7:00pm Banquet is served.

Sunday, September 20 7:30am-9:00am

Farewells Breakfast Buffet

Cancellation And Refund Policy For Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. For attendees canceling reunion activities prior to the cutoff date, Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. (AFR) shall process a full refund less the non-refundable AFR registration fee ($10 per person). Attendees canceling reunion activities after the cut-off date will be refunded to the fullest extent that AFR’s vendor commitments and guarantees will allow, less the non-refundable AFR registration fee. Cancellations will only be taken Monday through Friday from 9:00am until 4:00pm Eastern Standard Time, excluding holidays.

Please call (757) 625-6401 to cancel reunion activities and obtain a cancellation code. Refunds processed 4-6 weeks after reunion. Canceling your hotel reservation does not cancel your reunion activities.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/armedforcesreunions

TOUR DESCRIPTIONS Veterans Memorial Museum Thursday, September 17 This privately owned museum contains over 2000 artifacts in ten display rooms, covering WWI through Desert Storm.

For those who lived through these times, the memories brought back are vivid and overwhelming. The hallmark of the museum is the world’s largest war memorial bronze sculpture – over seventy feet in length weighing over fifteen tons! It depicts fifty life-sized soldiers (one from each state) storming the beach. For lunch and shopping, we’ll head to Branson Landing, Branson’s premier waterfront shopping area. Stores include Bass Pro Shop and Belk anchor stores, among many other specialty shops.

You’ll have a wide variety of choices for lunch including subs, Mexican, Italian, burgers, and more.

9:30am board bus, 1:30pm back at the hotel $43/Person includes bus, escort, and admission. Lunch on your own.

Showboat Branson Belle Dinner Cruise Thursday, September 17 The Showboat Branson Belle presents an unforgettable

experience for your entire group, especially since they are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a new show and menu! Themed after the majestic showboats of the 1800s, the Showboat Branson Belle evokes the spirit of a bygone era when river boat adventure, glamorous travel and dazzling entertainment converged into what we remember as ‘Those Grand Old Showboatin’ Days!’ Your 2-hour cruise on magnificent Table Rock Lake includes a delicious 3-course meal (with roast beef and chicken) freshly prepared in the ship's galley and the exciting variety production Celebrate featuring singing, dancing, comedy, and more.

6:30pm board bus, 10:45pm back at hotel (8pm cruise) Cost is included in the package price.

The Bretts Show / Lunch Friday, September 18 Having appeared on worldwide television and in more than 3000 live performances around the globe, The Brett Family delivers high energy, high-caliber professional musical entertainment. The two-hour show mixes timeless classics, current chart-topping hits, and award-winning original music, all presented with The Bretts’ signature polish and professionalism. The Bretts Show proudly features Branson’s #1 Patriotic Tribute and also includes a host of fun surprises. After the show, enjoy lunch at the adjacent American Bandstand Grill. Details are still being worked out, but you’ll have a choice of several entrees such as sandwich/fries or salad.

9:15am board bus, 2:00pm back at the hotel $67/Person includes bus, escort, show, and lunch.

Shoji Tabuchi Theatre Friday, September 18 Branson’s hottest ticket is the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre. Shoji and his magic violin will dazzle you with practically every kind of music. Listen to country, bluegrass, Cajun, swing, jazz, and even a little Classical music. Enjoy the show that's become the "talk of the town" as one of Branson's most delightful shows. The family that plays, sings, and dances encompasses all the wholesome values of truly great family entertainment, yet the show rivals the pure excitement of Las Vegas or New York. Shoji’s wardrobe is sensational and even the restrooms are a show-stopper!

6:15pm board bus, 10:30pm back at hotel $65/Person includes bus, escort, and show.

Drive and Staff gratuities are not included in the tour prices.

Please plan to be at the bus boarding area at least five minutes prior to the scheduled time.

All trips require a minimum of thirty-five people, unless otherwise stated.

Register online and pay by credit card at www.afr-reg.com/13bs2015

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March 2015 13th BOMB SQUADRON ACTIVITY REGISTRATION FORM – SEPTEMBER 16 – 20, 2015 Listed below are all registration, tour, and meal costs for the reunion. Please enter how many people will be participating in each event and total the amount. Send that amount payable to ARMED FORCES REUNIONS, INC. in the form of check or money order or register online and pay by credit card at www.afr-reg.com/13bs2015 (3% convenience fee applied to cc charge). If a valid email address is provided, an electronic receipt will be sent. Otherwise, your cancelled check will serve as your confirmation.

Returned checks will be charged a $20 fee. All registration forms and payments must be received by August 14, 2015. After that date, reservations will be accepted on a space available basis. We suggest you make a copy of this form before mailing.

Please do not staple or tape your payment to this form. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/armedforcesreunions .

Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. 322 Madison Mews Norfolk, VA 23510 ATTN: 13th BOMB SQDN

OFFICE USE ONLY Check # _________ Date Received _________ Inputted _________ Nametag Completed _____

CUT-OFF DATE IS 8/14/15 TOURS THURSDAY, 9/17: VETERANS MEMORIAL MUSEUM FRIDAY, 9/18: THE BRETTS SHOW FRIDAY, 9/18: SHOJI TABUCHI THEATRE REGISTRATION PACKAGE COST IS $195 Includes Wednesday Buffet Dinner, Thursday “Red Shirt Night” – Dinner Cruise, Saturday Banquet, Sunday Breakfast, and Registration Fee. Please select your Saturday Banquet entrée below: Beef Medallion w/ Bordelaise Sauce Champagne Chicken Pan Seared Trout w/ Lemon-Caper Sauce Total amount due to Armed Forces Reunions, Inc.

# of people

Price per

Total

$43 $67 $65

$ $ $

$195/pkg $195/pkg $195/pkg

$ $ $ $

PLEASE PRINT NAME AS YOU WANT IT TO APPEAR ON YOUR NAMETAG: FIRST _____________________________________ LAST ____________________________________

st

1 REUNION? YES NO 

SPOUSE NAME (IF ATTENDING)____________________________________________________________________________________ GUEST NAMES__________________________________________________________________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY _____________________________ STATE ___________ ZIP _______________________________________________________ PH. NUMBER (______)_______-____________ EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________@______________. _______ DISABILITY/DIETARY RESTRICTIONS_______________________________________________________________________________ (Sleeping room requirements must be conveyed by attendee directly with hotel) MUST YOU BE LIFTED HYDRAULICALLY ONTO THE BUS WHILE SEATED IN YOUR WHEELCHAIR IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN BUS TRIPS?  YES  NO (PLEASE NOTE THAT WE CANNOT GUARANTEE AVAILABILITY).

EMERGENCY CONTACT (someone not at reunion)________________________________________ PH. NUMBER (_____)_____-________ For refunds and cancellations please refer to our policies outlined at the bottom of the reunion program. CANCELLATIONS WILL ONLY BE TAKEN MONDAY-FRIDAY 9:00am-4:00pm EASTERN TIME (excluding holidays). Call (757) 625-6401 to cancel reunion activities and obtain a cancellation code. Refunds processed 4-6 weeks after reunion.

Register online and pay by credit card at www.afr-reg.com/13bs2015

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March 2015

Deaths Not Previously Reported As of November 2014

Fitzhugh L Fulton, Jr. February 4, 2015 Pilot 1951-52 Robert E. Parker February 10, 2015 Pilot 1972 Anders E. Benander November 25, 2014 Navigator 1951 William J. Lucas October 24, 2014 Pilot 1965 William C. Dawson October 20, 2014 Personal Equipment 1950-51

Rest In Peace

Charles E. Bartels June 30, 2014 Pilot 1950 Donald G. Bunch March 21, 2010 Gunner 1950-51 Kenneth H. High January 23, 2015 Pilot 1953-54 Edward J. Silva November 18, 2014 Line Chief 1948-51

Marion A. Wise December 31, 2014 Gunner 1950-51 Charles D. Stroehl.

February 14, 2014 Crew Chief 1968-70 Maurice A. January April 28, 2013 Pilot 1944-46 John R. Power May 2, 2013 Navigator 1951 Robert L. Henry February 2, 2015 Gunner 1952-53

Dempsey D. Bankus November 20, 2014 Engineer/Gunner 1949-50

I'll Fly Away

By Albert E. Brumley

Some bright morning when this life is over I'll fly away To that home on God's celestial shore I'll fly away I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away

When the shadows of this life have gone I'll fly away Oh how glad and happy when we meet I'll fly away When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away

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Just a few more weary days and then I'll fly away To a land where joys will never end I'll fly away I'll fly away oh glory I'll fly away in the morning When I die hallelujah by and by I'll fly away I'll fly away

March 2015

The Hot SEAT Editor’s Comments

Seems like I just finished the reunion issue and

here we go again! Happy New Year Reapers, may 2015 be a good year for you and yours!

One of the first things I ever did for the 13th Bomb Squadron Association was to create a digital rendering of the WWI Oscar for Charlie Hinton.

WWI Oscar, France, 1918

Since that time I have done digital renderings of just about every version of Oscar we could find. Looking back on it all, it's a pretty amazing collection of artwork and something that shows the true independent nature of this squadron. Not willing to settle for the officially approved 1924 Oscar, each era put its own twist on Oscar.

From what I recall, to have a rendering of each version of Oscar from every era was the dream of Lucian Thomas. Working with Charlie, we started a journey that began in 1918, long before any of us were around, when the first Oscar was designed

by Lt. Earl Richards and painted on the side of Lt. Col. Biddle's SPAD fighter when he became the squadron's first Ace, right up to the present day with Oscar on the main landing gear doors of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber! Sadly, Lucian didn't get to see all the versions of Oscar that we have recreated, but I have a feeling he is buzzing around the heavens in the gunner compartment of his beloved B-26 with an ear to ear grin.

and designer. When Charlie Hinton first emailed me, I was going through a pretty traumatic transition from something I had been doing for 10 years, that I was very well schooled at and extremely competent at, into a brave new world that I was clueless about.

Don Henderson, Editor

One morning, I walked into the art studio where I had been working for 5 years to discover that my drawing board was gone and replaced by a computer desk, this strange beige box and a keyboard with a 15" monitor on top! I have to say, it was a bit intimidating, not as intimidating as climbing into the cockpit and flying off into the jaws of the Cat of Death, but intimidating all the same. Everthing I knew and was familiar with was changed, but I learned, I persevered and I actually got good at using the Apple computer and Adobe software. The whole time I was learning, I was recreating Oscar into digital vector files. It seemed like every day or two, Charlie would share with me a scan of a photo of another version of Oscar, WWI, the tweener era of the 1920s and 30s, WWII, Korea, Vietnam... and I would attempt to render it as a vector file.

At the same time, I had a friend here in Pittsburgh who was into aviation and had a photography and digital print shop. Ironically, she was a navigator who flew every year in a cross country air race for women called the Air Race Classic, and she had me doing aircraft profiles for t-shirts and one of the profiles she had me do was of a French SPAD XIII. For fun and having no idea what I was getting myself into, I put the WWI Oscar on the side of the SPAD illustration and sent it to Charlie. That got the ball rolling and the poster of the Historic Planes of the 13th Bomb Squadron was born!

When I look back and think about all the things that came into play to make this happen and lead us to where we are today, all this happened because of a WWI Ace, a WWII, Korean War & Vietnam War Aerial Combat Gunner, a Korean War navigator, a civilian woman air race navigator, an Apple Computer and a boney fellow we all affectionately Through this journey and the evolution of Oscar, I know as Oscar! have seen an evolution of myself as an illustrator Funny how things happen.

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13th Bomb Squadron Association Bob Parks 3219 Tavern Oaks St. San Antonio, TX 78247-3080 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Fitz Fulton with the SR-71 Blackbird prototype.

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID West Press 85726