Irish to the end

When Bill Cramsie arrived at West Point in the summer of 1940 he was assigned to "Easy Company". Before long, a restructuring of the Corps of Cadets transferred Bill to Company G-1 the "G-Nomies" as they were referred to affectionately by their fellow cadets.  Sharing a room with cadet Cramsie was a stocky and ebullient New Orleans native Bob Rooney.  Both Cramsie and Rooney chose the Army Air Corps as their future and became pilots together as well as close friends.  Following graduation and advanced pilot training, they both were assigned to the 416th Bomb Group at Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Bill was assigned to the 671st Bomb Squadron, Bob was assigned to the 670th Bomb Squadron.   They became and remained close friends.

William Edward Cramsie

Robert John Rooney

 
As fate would have it, both were lost in combat during WWII.  Bill went down in Bradwell Bay on April 10th, 1944 (416th Mission #10).  Bob tragically died on his 65th and last required mission March 21st, 1945 (416th Mission #246).  The mission to Vreden, Germany on this day 69 years ago was successful and the aircraft were returning to base.  Bob Rooney was leading one element of A-26 Invaders.  Another element of 416th aircraft trying to join a formation ahead of Rooney was on a collision course with Rooney's flight as they flew west into the Sun low in the sky before them.  The leader of that flight, apparently blinded by the Sun, overran Rooney's plane and both ships went down with all lost except Rooney's bombardier/navigator Robert Kirk.

It was a tragedy in every sense of the word.  Rooney's friends awaited his return to celebrate his impending transfer back to the U.S.  There would be no celebration this day.  Earlier this week, my wife Doris and I visited the grave of Bob Rooney at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans.  It was a very poignant moment and we felt humbled to be in the presence of Rooney's spirit as representatives of those veterans still with us and the 416th extended family.  His memory and that of his dear friend Bill Cramsie shall not fade as long as there is breath among those who know of their deeds and dedication.  We are saddened but honored to remember both of these heroes today.

A few names that the older generation might recognize

From an anonymous email, proof that there once was a day when Hollywood did more than protest:

*       Stewart Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.

*       James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose to the rank of General.

*       Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer USS Lamberton.

*       Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1 Bird Dogs over Korea as well.)

*       Telly Savalas, US Army.

*       Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps., B-24 Radioman/Gunner and cryptographer.

*       Steve Forrest, US Army. Wounded, Battle of the Bulge.

*       Jonathan Winters, USMC. Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner, Battle of Okinawa.

*       Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman, torpedo bombers ofUSS Bunker Hill

*       Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific. Wounded in action and medically discharged.

*       Robert Mitchum, US Army.

*       Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in North Africa under Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield Commission.

*       Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee.

*       John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North Africa. Broke his back in a crash.

*       Lee Marvin US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next to Greg Boyington and Joe Louis.

*       Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach, D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life.

*       Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed seven Japanese fighters.

*       Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that launched the Doolittle Raid.

*       Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan.

*       Larry Storch. US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with Tony Curtis.

*       Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to Lieutenant.

*       Robert Montgomery, US Navy.

*       George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor, stayed in sixteen years.

*       Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star.

*       Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Medically discharged.

*       Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps.

*       DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps.

*       Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer.

*       Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

*       Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific Theater.

*       Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.

*       Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at 16. Served three years.

*       James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely wounded at Anzio, Italy.

*       Efram Zimbalist, Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe wound received at Huertgen Forest.

*       Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and later Instructor Pilot.

*       Rod Serling. US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was later wounded in Manila.

*       Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman on transports that ferried supplies over "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theater.

*       Wiliam Holden, US Army Air Corps.

*       Alan Hale Jr, US Coast Guard.

*       Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Battle of Okinawa.

*       Russell Johnson, US Army Air Corps. B-24 crewman who was awarded Purple Heart when his aircraft was shot down by the Japanese in the Philippines.

*       William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot.

*       Jack Klugman, US Army.

*       Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor.

*       Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders and flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines.

*       Tom Bosley, US Navy.

*       Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps., Burma and the Philippines.

*       Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare instructor.

*       Harry Carey Jr., US Navy.

*       Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in the Battle of the Bulge.

*       Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot.

*       Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall

*       Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman.

*       Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO.

*       Earl Holliman. US Navy. Lied about his age to enlist. Discharged after a year when they Navy found out.

*       Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines.

*       Harvey Korman, US Navy.

*       Aldo Ray. US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa.

*       Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater.

*       Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene.

*       Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in the Battle of Okinawa.

*       Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Instructor.

*       Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South Pacific.

*       Lee Van Cleef, US Navy. Served aboard a sub chaser then a mine sweeper.

*       Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

*       Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers.

*       Jack Warden, US Navy, 1938-1942, then US Army, 1942-1945. 101st Airborne Division.

*       Don Adams. US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then served as a Drill Instructor.

*       James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines.

*       Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless dive-bombers.

*       Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from pilot training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio operator.

*       Charles Durning. US Army. Landed at Normandy on D-Day. Shot multiple times. Awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Survived Malmedy Massacre.

*       Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and medically discharged.

*       Hugh O'Brian, US Marines.

*       Robert Ryan, US Marines.

*       Eddie Albert, US Coast Guard. Bronze Star with Combat V for saving several Marines under heavy fire as pilot of a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa.

*       Clark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe.

*       Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in action.

*       Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps.

*       Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner.

*       Victor Mature, US Coast Guard.

*       Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber.

*       Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer

*       Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier.

*       Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.

*       Jason Robards, US Navy. was aboard heavy cruiser USS Northampton when it was sunk off Guadalcanal. Also served on the USS Nashville during the invasion of the Philippines, surviving a kamikaze hit that caused 223 casualties.

*       Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines.

*       Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot.

*       Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot.

*       Randolph Scott. Tried to enlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War One.

*       Ronald Reagan. US Army. Was a 2nd Lt. in the Cavalry Reserves before the war. His poor eyesight kept him from being sent overseas with his unit when war came so he transferred to the Army Air Corps Public Relations Unit where he served for the duration.

*       John Wayne. Declared "4F medically unfit" due to pre-existing injuries, he nonetheless attempted to volunteer three times (Army, Navy and Film Corps.) so he gets honorable mention.

*       And of course we have Audie Murphy, America's most-decorated soldier, who became a Hollywood star as a result of his US Army service that included his being awarded the Medal of Honor.