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To Kevin:Here is a compilation of all of the emails I received and links that I found regarding mysearch for information about my father, your Grandpa. I know I visited hundreds of sitesand wish I had kept a log of each. Enjoy the story as it unfolds.I am so sorry that GeoCities has closed. I’ve gathered all that I have and am passing acopy to you for safekeeping. I’ll try to duplicate as much as I can remember about mytribute page and any other information I have in my head or in writing.Growing up I knew little about dad (grandpa) other than he served as a pilot in WWII, ona B-24 bomber, and that he flew in the Korean War, in a B-29, and died in a crash cominghome from a mission. Other than that, I knew very little, other than a couple of medal inthe attic, a ring in grandma’s drawer and his service cap. Grandma spoke of him, butwithout great detail. Also, back then, I didn’t know what to ask. I did see the teletypeadvising her of dad’s death and remember her saying that the chaplain who came to thehouse was a bit drunk. (Back then I couldn’t understand how a man of the cloth couldhave been drunk, but after all I have read I can now understand the painful position theymust have be given to announce the deaths, accidents, missing in action or captured.Almost 40,000 died and 100,000 wounded. I’m sure the numbers were higher as manyreports were, I am sure, lost or not written up correctly.)In WWII he was stationed in Torretta Field, Italy. From that station they would flymissions across Italy, Yugoslavia, Romania, Austria, France & Germany and bombstrategic sites as necessary. I’ve included a couple of flight plans from 1944 that mentionhis name and provide a map of the target. On the plans, top secret at the time, they outlinethe day and time of liftoff, the other planes involved and their call signs. Also shown arethe check points and alternate routes and targets. I found these very interesting. I’ve goneto many, many sites, but have come up empty handed. I know he was with the 484 BombGroup, but I don’t know the Squadron nor his plane number. A good site for the Group is15thaf.org/49

BW/484thBG. I’ve attached a couple of aerial shots of the airfield whereyou can see how the planes were parked in little groups along the runways. Almost lookslike a housing development. And that’s about as much as I know of his WWIIexperiences. I know his navigator was Ollie Glass who, with his family, became goodfriends of ours. Irene Glass, his wife lives in Florida and is in her 90’s. Grandma speaksof her from time to time. Ollie was instrumental in relocating our family to Levittown.We rented a home, as many GI families did, at the time, on 87 Sugarmaple Lane over byDivision Avenue which is next to Bally’s. He then helped grandma find and purchase theRadial Lane home. I remember spending a lot of time at their home for gatherings. Wish Iknew then what I know today and would have grilled him about dad.And then the Korean War broke out and dad was in the first wave of reservists to headover there. Just before the North Koreans stormed South Korea, dad had made somedisparaging remarks to the upper officers regarding the conditions of the old B-29 whichwere taken from mothballs to be used in the war. They didn’t like his comments and took away his flying privileges. But, just as the war broke out, they restored his status and off he went. One of the attachments is a copy of the notice of restoration. The service wasgreat. They would screw you if you spoke up and then couldn’t wait get you to the frontwhen things went wrong.

As a kid I knew very little. On the 54

anniversary of his death I was surfing the net andto my surprise found an article regarding the crash and an actual picture of the crash site.(http://www.rb-29.net/HTML/29wfw.htm) And that started my quest. From there I foundseveral sites mentioning the plane’s tail number 44-61813. That number was my primarysearch criteria. I searched and read, searched and read. Most were a duplication of the prior sites, but I pushed onward. And then I found the photographer who had actually been at the crash scene and took the only known photos. I zipped off an email to him andhe was kind enough to email me back with what he knew and saw on that fateful day. I’mattaching the photos which he sent me and a copy of his email. I was able to hook grandma and him, Wayland Mayo, so they could speak on the phone. I’m sure it wastearful on both ends. Apparently dad was in a B-29 that had been converted from a bomber to a reconnaissance plane. They were shooting pics of a prior bombing over theYalu River which borders China and North Korea. Up until this time the Russian and theChinese had stayed out of the fight. Until the beginning of November 1950. The Russianshad their fast MIG’s ready in the Chinese airfields, manned by the best pilots they hadfrom WWII, who were also called Honchos. The MIGs attached the much slower B-29and managed to disable two of he four engines on one side of the plane. During theattack, the tail gunner, Sgt. Harry Levine, was able to shoot down one of the attackers. Hewas credited with being the first enlisted man to shoot down a MIG from a B-29. Quitean accomplishment for his day as the lumbering B-29 was easily outmanned by the muchfaster and better maneuvering MIGs. By the way, a B-29 was never designed to fly withtwo engines out, especially two on one side of the aircraft. Nevertheless, they managed tocross North Korea and the Sea of Japan and returned to Johnson Air Base in Japan. Ontheir last approach they crashed short of the runway. The plane split in two and the wingassembly crashed over the cockpit killing, I believe, five that were in the cockpit. Thecrew in the rear of the plane was able to walk away from the crash. Wayland’s email pretty much gives all of the detail.Here’s a new explanation that I just discovered:“On November 9, 1950, two Soviet MiG-15s of 72nd GvIAP intercepted the 31st SRSRB-29A #44-61813 “Over Exposed” over Sinuiju, where the Soviet flight leader Major Bordun riddled the recon plane with 37 mm shells.Sgt Harry J. LeVene, gunner, received credit for the first B-29 jet victory of the KoreanWar, destroying one of the attacking MiG-15s. The RB-29 #44-61813 almost reachedJohnson AFB, crashing during the final approach. Five crewmembers died in the crash,three from the 31st SRS, Capt Robert A. Mitchell, Jr., MSgt Avery J. Green, and SSgtOrvis J. Gunhus, and two from other units, Capt Robert E. Laden, TDY from the 23rdReconnaissance Squadron, and 1Lt James M. Schooley, from the 20th Weather Squadron.”Dad’s loss was very important in the war. The brass now realized how vulnerable theaircraft were without fighter support with the MIGs entering the war.From there I was able to start putting together the Tribute page. I had a couple of picturesof dad and part of his WWII crew which included Ollie Glass and dad’s 19 year old co- pilot. What I miss most are not my words or even the pictures. What I miss the most arethe comments I received from various individuals who checked out the site and were nice

enough to leave thoughtful writings. There were soldiers who had served in Korea at thetime and later on. A couple of grandma’s friends had sent their regards an old timer fromthe diner. And then there were the children of other members of the crew. Amazingly, twoor three sons had contacted me and advised that their fathers had been on the plane, buthad survived. One son who lost an uncle also sent me an email. I have their emails, but Imiss their first contact.I was also contacted by the son of the pilot who flew the plane during WWII. Mostly, back then, it was in the Asian theater. Its name, which was shown on it’s nose art, was“Over Exposed”. But it was also used on the Pacific theater known as “Pacific Princess”.I hope I saved the pictures somewhere, but I know they are available on the net.In my search I was actually able to find the two Russian pilots names who were given thecredit for the damage which led to the crash. The Russians actually released information.