Thursday, March 14, 2013

The 68th Anniversary of the last mission of the 415th Bomb Squadron of the 98th Bomb Group

Today marks the 68th Anniversary of the
 415th Bomb Squadron of the 98th Bomb Group. 
 Their mission:  to bomb the Schwecht Oil 
Refinery in Vienna.  After successfully completing
 their mission their B-24 Bomber suffered
 heavy flak damage while over Yugoslavia. 
 After being hit in their #2 and #4 engines the
 crew was forced to bail out, and with the help
 of a small village and Marshall Tito's men,
 the crew was able to walk back over the
Alps and into Split, Yugoslavia where they
 traveled by boat across the Adriatic Sea
 back to their base in Bari, Italy.

After the war my father and his fellow crew
 members returned home to the States
 where they married, raised a family and
 began a career.   They were the lucky ones.
Over 500,000 Army Air Corp men and
 women  died in air combat during WWII, 
and with them went their untold stories
 of heroism and acts of valor.  

For over two years I have tried to relive
 their story in this blog, and I will continue
 to do so for as long as I can.   For it is in
 remembering them that we continue
to honor their devotion and commitment
 to the service of their country.

  May their story always live on in our
hearts for many, many years to come...