Rapid City Journal from Rapid City, South Dakota • 1

THUNDEkBIRD NOVEMBER 2, 1948 In The Beautiful, Mountainous Black Hills of South Dakota Rapid City, S. D. VOL. 2, NO. 3 War YANKS STEAL HOME WITH THE WINNING RUN ssj ssWV Jp A mm Bp? "jev JH dig 4 mmV lllkr 49 pr I mm Hfets.

mm mm HBjsjggBJ I 21 KSsSBSwSjBsssWBsswBssleaeBlssliMlsHMs 9JBS (A summary of developments on the war fronts tken from tha Daily Air Base Bulletin.) The allied armies made satisfactory gains in Italy during the first part of the week, pushing the Germans back to a defense line which has become known as the "Little Rommel" or the Mndragone-Vasto line. The British Eighth army drove toward the key junction of Isernia and made crossings ot the Trigno river. The progress of the allies is described as satisfactory, but spokesmen at allied headquarters point out that with the Germans digging in on the "Little Rommel" line the lighting tfofn now on can be expected to be increasingly bitter. During the latter part of the week bad weather grounded the American and British heavy bombers, but smaller planes are hampering German artillery positions and making sweeps over the nazi front line troops Drive From Bari? There are grow ing signs that the next big allied drive into Hitler's Europe is gathering steam at the Italian Adriatic port of Bari. where increased activity in both water and land traffic has been noted.

Unconfirmed reports trom Zurich Thee phoioi ihow highlighti in a bombing million by U. S. Flying Fortresses which blasted the important industrial town of Stuttgart, in southwestern Ger-many. From tha B-17 "Winning say tierman civilians are dead or reported missing as a result ot allied air assaults. An exchange telegraph dispatch says 7.00(1.000 nazis either have been bombed out of their homes or have evacuated them.

Other reports say widespread Column 5) i Page I 1 IKlsWisfl P' Aje wWJM Sa MHtJ i Fa Bat jfl I Bal jlvl Be a BttfcflflBJBl aS -m -M (BssssWL-J Run." tha photographer took tha photo at leit. above, showing the Dock of B-17s in full flight toward their target. As they neared it. German fighter planes went into action. In the photo at right, above, two Focke Wulfe 190 can be seen, just under the propeller hub of the "Winning Run." Her mission completed, the "Winning Run" headed tor home, her gas running dangerously low.

One motor conked out. and for two hours the flew on three engines. Another went dead as the plane came over the English Channel and the last two sputtered out just over the English coast. Tha pilot was able to make a belly-whopping landing in field 14 miles from the coast. The photo at right shows the crew of the "Winning Run" atop their plane after landing.

M-Sgt. Haggard Has Good Story Come the halcyon potl war days when men can sit and of where they've been and v. was done M-Sgt. Paul 1. Haggard of the Coyer airdrome squadron will have little competition, as his army record will be hard to outclass.

Recently promoted from staff sergeant to master sergecnt, Haggard has an enviable army record which encompasses two orld wan and a sortie into Mexico. He ha- 1 1 at service with a number of men who 'lave made military history. General Arnold Praises WAC Soldier Forgot How To Operate A Coffee Urn T-Sgt. Mickey Andrade. Rapid Ernie Pyle's Favorite Story Of War Concerns Flying Fortress Crew A tribute to the job being done by the Women's Army Corps in the army air forces has been received by Col.

Ovcla Culp Hobby, director of the WAC. from General H. Arnold, commanding general of the Missing Gunner Is Commended Starting bis career in the old 17th infantry. Haggard was with General John J. Pershing on tht puni-I tive expedition to Mexico.

When I the 17th split up he was transfer I ed to the 50th infantry and sent to I France for duty in Win id War I. While itfl that out I I Haggard was selected as one ci the guards of i honor for General Pershing hen the Keneral reviewed Pe- tain's French army Ntetz. After the troops were returned from France Haggard was sent to 'the Philippines, serving under Gen. Arthur MacArihur. fathei ol Gen.

Douglas MacArthur. Service i the Philippines was followed by his A story about a Flying Fortress is Ernie Pyle's favorite story of the war to date, he admitted in an interview published in the current issue of "Army Life," the army's recruiting magazine. The internationally famous columnist told the story, which hap-1 pened in Africa, to Fred Methoi, in the interview. S-Sgt. j.

D. Martin, a member of the Kesslcr bomb group, formerly stationed at the Rapid City army United States army air forces, the war department has announced. The commendation was received by Col. Hobby in the form of a letter from General Arnold, as follows: "I have been highly gratified with the record of the members of your command now on duty with the army air forces. "Not only have members of the Women's Army Corps made an enviable record through their work at air force installations in this country, but splendid reports have come to me on the work of the corps with the Eighth air force in the European theater of operations.

"As you know, the army air forces desire to utilize the WAC component of the army to the fullest extent. You may be assured that the air forces will do everything possible to assist in recruiting women for this important army work." The plane in question was. coin- air base according to reports, is a cidently. named "The I Prisoner of the Germans and it had a crew that wouldn't I Recently his parents. Mr.

and Mrs. give up over Tripoli when that Charles Martin, received a letter city was Rommel's best supply de- from their son's group commander, pot and when flying over il was Co1 Budd Pearlee. The letter "like a mouse attack Ins a dozen I read in part: cats, Pyle's Story Pylc tells the story as follows: 13 August. iy-K "To Staff Sergeant J. D.

Martin. '1. Although you failed to return from our last mission over Ger- transfer to the air corps, where he served with a pursuit Bquadron. M-Sgt. Haggard's specialty is tech supply, He has accumulated knowledge during his many years of experience which has proved invaluable in the efficient operation of tech supply sections at both Mc-Gowan Field.

to which Ik was assigned after his return to continental United StaUs, and the Rapid Citv armv air base. "The Thunderbird was first hit City army air base combateer, has returned from a long session of aerial battles in New Guinea. In New Guinea they don't have those beautiful chrome-plated coffee urns like they have here in the air base PX. When Andrade approached the coffee urn he fiddled with various spigots and handles and succeeded in getting nothing but hot water in his cup. Finally a PX waitress had to show him how to operate it.

Andrade explained that he hadn't seen a coffee urn for so long that he had forgotten how to operate it. The boys in his outfit are going through channels in an effort to have Andrade appointed crew chief on a coffee urn. Pilot Shot At Plane Instead Of At Target Sleeve On a typical tow-target mission in the northern part of Australia in the early part of 1942 a certain tow target mission "got plenty hot." The pilot in the tow target plane observed tracers coming mighty close to his plane. When he landed the ship he asked the gunner trainee what the Hades was the mattercouldn't he see the sleeve? To which the gunner replied: "I didn't see no sleeve, sir, I thought I was supposed to shoot at the ship." Teller of that true tale is T-Sgt. George Kendrick of the Rapid City-army air base, who has been on some hot missions himself.

Said Kendrick: "It's bad enough to have Zeros firing at you, but when you have a Flying Fortress firing at you you feel like a Jap and who wants to feel that way?" just as it dropped its bomb load. nlan-v on August 12, 1943, I take One engine went out. Then a few "reat Pleasure in being able to comminutes later the other engine on you for your meritorious the same side went out. achievement on that dale. Your per- "When both engines go out on formance of duty on that important the same side it is usually fatal.

mission was superior. In spite of Therein lies the difference between neavJ' fighter and flak opposition this feat and other instances of dam-; -vou cool'y accomplished your duties aged bombers brought home. as tail Sunner- yur skillful air-Attacked By 30 manship and courage you enabled "The Thunderbird was forced to lr 8rouP and winS to deal a vita, drop below the other Fortresses. to the enemy. 11 is through And the moment it did.

30 German such acts that we are able contin-fighters were on it like vultures to press home our to Photo Finish By S-Sgl. John S. Rush the enemy and assures us of ultimate victory. The courage, coolness and skill displayed by you reflects Our Lightning fighters escorting the Fortresses stuck by The Thunderbird and fought as long as thev creat credit upon yourself, the army could, but finally they had to leave land the squadron top-kick Opened the flap of T-Sgt. Kcndi IcVs tent.

"Hey, Kendrick this is your last mission. You're shippin' out for the states." Til lay you my goggles don't." "I'll stand pat on that." laughed the and disappeared. Kendrick could hear "Lucy" choking over her priming doses of high test gas outside the tent. "Last mission," thought Kendrick. That sounded Six'een months, ,485 combat hours, 62 mission, and Combateers agree that the most dangerous game in combat fly i.

is reconnaissance and photo-mapping over enemy territory. The photo-man on the Flying Fortress "Lucy" was T-Sgt. George Kendrick, now of the Rapid City army air base. He wears a veritable chromatic scale of decorations on his chest Silver Star and cluster. DFC and cluster, Airman's medal and two clusters and the Order of the Purple Heart.

A few minutes before "Lucy" took off on a photo-mapping mission over enemy-held Bougainville is or they wouldn't have had enough air frees the armed forces of fuel to make it home. the United States. "The last fighter left the crippled "2 as the whole nibardment Fortress about 40 miles from Tri-1 8r0UP- am proud of you for your poli. Fortunately, the swarm 0fRallant act'ons and we sincerely-German fighters began to run out hoDe that 'ou arc safe and we sha11 of fuel at the same time. be able a8ain to fl-v with yu wing "The Thunderbird flew on alone t0 wing- "Budd J.

Pearlee, Colonel, air (Page 2, Column 3) I corps, commanding" (Page 7, Column 1.