tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50933633508058948522024-03-12T21:55:34.994-07:00First To Fall"First To Fall" is the story of one spirit lost in the maelstrom of World War II. This biography chronicles William Edward Cramsie's strong Irish values, his dedication as a West Point cadet and his heroic service with the 416th Bomb Group. In searching for facts about Cramsie's life, and his tragic death, it was my good fortune to meet and bond with many people whose paths would otherwise never have crossed mine. This blog is about that path of discovery. -- Wayne G. SaylesF2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-65968473595128305502017-04-10T15:42:00.001-07:002017-04-10T15:45:57.167-07:00A Day to Remember Everyone has days in the year that are memorable. Sometimes they are Birthdays or Anniversaries, sometimes events of significant achievement or even events of major impact—good or bad. For the family of Bill Cramsie, 10 April 1944 was a date seared with pain in their minds. Bill was one of those boys and young men that everyone loved. After a year at the West Point prep school and then three more years at the Academy, he was a man that was very widely admired and respected. He graduated from a class of heroes and was the first of that remarkable class to be killed in action.<br />
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William Edward Cramsie receiving his appointment to U.S. Army Air Corps </div>
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from General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Commander of the USAAC</div>
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At his graduation ceremonies in June of 1943, Bill and his fellow aviators received their wings and their appointments to the Army Air Corps from Hap Arnold, already a legend in military circles and in the post-war years as the "founder" of the U.S. Air Force as a separate branch of the U.S. Military Community. It was a day that Bill had dreamed about for many years and one that did not happen without a great deal of effort and perseverance. His mother Idella and sister Ruth were in the audience at scenic Trophy Point on that crowning day of achievement.</div>
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On the 10th of April 1944, less than a year later, Bill became one of those many thousands of heroes we remember and honor from World War II. He and his crew of an A-20 Havoc bomber were to become the first KIA combat casualties of the 416th Bomb Group in its distinguished service. One of many, but to those who knew him well one that touched the soul. The plane and crew were never recovered, though apparently not more that a few miles from land when they went down in Bradwell Bay. The memory of Bill Cramsie will live on for generations to come, thanks to his West Point class ring that appeared as a "message in a bottle". That was just the first of many messages to follow. One day, as technology advances, we may very well witness the discovery of 43-9699 and perhaps the remains of its crew. With the lowest seasonal tides in Bradwell Bay converging with that very date, it is a distinct possibility that the sands will eventually give up their secret. Recovering Bill Cramsie would be a day to remember for sure.</div>
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<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-21165629819531765062016-10-27T16:39:00.005-07:002016-10-27T18:18:26.182-07:00From a Ring to an ArchiveThose who have followed the First to Fall story from the beginning of this blog in 2008 will know how the West Point class ring of William Edward Cramsie inspired an international effort to learn his story and find his remains. That path has been long and winding, with moments of joy, frustration and absolute wonder. One of the highlights along that way was the founding of an Archive at Gainesville, Missouri to honor Bill Cramsie and those who served with him during World War II in the 416th Bomb Group. That Archive, in the few years since its inception, has become a serious research center—collaborating in more than a dozen ongoing projects with professional researchers in Europe and the U.S. Among these, several have produced significant journal articles and books in French, German and English that highlight the role of the 416th and share a vast array of documents and photos from the 416th Archive collection. Of equal significance is the Archive's superb <a href="http://416th.com/">416th.com</a> website developed and maintained entirely by members of the extended 416th family.<br />
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A large part of the success enjoyed by this Archive, still in its infancy, is due to the sense of ownership that surviving veterans and the families of deceased veterans have in this not-for-profit facility. Donations of original WWII records, photographs, letters, diaries and memorabilia of all sorts are literally pouring into the research center, as are offers of help from volunteers with exceptional backgrounds and dedication. All of this activity has not gone unnoticed or unheralded. At the 2016 reunion of 416th veterans, hosted by the Archive in Gainesville, Dr. Vernon L. Williams recognized the Archive and its founders with the East Anglia Air War Project's <a href="http://www.ozarkcountytimes.com/news/article_d779a842-9bbd-11e6-9af2-87be256a5c1c.html" target="_blank">George Bledsoe Preservation Award.</a> Dr. Williams is the Air War Project's Director and Professor of History at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas.<br />
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<i> Dr. Vernon Williams reads the designation of </i><br />
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<i>Doris and Wayne Sayles, founders of the 416th Bomb Group Archive </i></div>
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The Archive plays an ever-increasing role in reconsructing the life and times of those who played such a crucial role in the tactical air war over Europe in 1944 and 1945</div>
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<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-29695111988521810172016-08-02T10:46:00.001-07:002016-08-02T10:46:10.883-07:00Old Fart PrideAuthor Anonymous — but everyone in the 416th Bomb Group family knows, or knew, at least one "Old Fart".<br />
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It's not a bad thing to be called an Old Fart.<br />
Old
Farts are easy to spot at sporting events; during the National Anthem,
Old Farts remove their hats and stand at attention and sing without
embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them.<br />
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Old
Farts remember World War II, Normandy , Spitfires and Hitler. They
remember the Atomic Bomb, Vietnam , the Korean War, the Cold War, the
Moon Landing and all the Peacekeeping Missions along the way.<br />
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If
you bump into an Old Fart on the pavement, he will apologize. If you
pass an Old Fart on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady.
Old Farts trust strangers and are polite, particularly to women.<br />
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Old
Farts hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make
certain the lady is on the inside for protection. Old Farts get
embarrassed if someone swears in front of women and children and they
don't like any filthy language on TV. Old Farts have moral courage and
personal integrity. They seldom brag except about their children and
grandchildren.<br />
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It's the Old Farts who know our great
country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women
in the Air Force, Army, and Navy.<br />
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This country needs Old Farts with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.<br />
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We need them now more than ever.<br />
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Thank Goodness for Old Farts! I was taught to respect my elders. It's just getting harder to find them.<br />
<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-77989813174078266712016-05-29T21:03:00.000-07:002016-05-29T21:06:08.015-07:00Open Letter to Bill Cramsie<br />
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<b>Dear Bill;</b><br />
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I remember the moment we first met like it was yesterday. Actually, eleven years ago now—but I suppose time has little meaning for you these days. You reached out and touched my shoulder as I held your West Point ring in my hand that day. It was a mysterious and magical moment. I've told others about the feeling, but how could anyone ever really comprehend? The journey you set in motion that day, for an amazing number of people, has no parallel in the world that I know. Through meeting your relatives, friends and others like us that you've inspired, my wife Doris and I found a warm and caring 416th family that immediately took us under wing. The search to know more about you became an adventure and a common desire to honor not only your memory and sacrifice, but that of your comrades as well. <br />
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When I first saw your picture in the June-1943 West Point yearbook it was heartbreaking. What must your mom and Marnelle have felt back in Auburn when they received that dreaded telegram? Your young Godchild, Judy, was there as well—out of school for Easter vacation—and recounted the painful story for me from a child's perspective. The children of your brother Bob and sister Ruth have spoken to me often about the years of silence afterward. None could bear to talk about you without breaking down in tears.<br />
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The comments beneath your yearbook photo talked about your exceptional ability to "drag pro". I had no idea what that meant until I met your USMAY classmate and 671st squadron pal Dick Wheeler. When Dick explained that it meant to date the loveliest of the young ladies that attended Academy social events, I was not surprised. Nor was I surprised when Bob Basnett told me all about the double-dates that you and he had with Dee Rogers and Clemie Smith in New York. The wheels were turning faster than I could ever have imagined and I have little doubt that I was being spoon fed from a spiritual source. You led me to Dee shortly before she passed away and through her I learned about the love between you that had blossomed at the Academy while you were there. What a trail of broken hearts the price of freedom leaves.<br />
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In the aftermath of your tragedy, you may have wondered how so many things could have gone wrong on that fateful day. With your guiding hand, answers are now starting to surface. The 416th Bomb Group family is growing today in size and in unity while many other WWII veteran groups are disbanding. 416th veterans, living and departed, are being recognized worldwide for their wartime accomplishments. The search for 9699 is still very much alive and one day we expect to pay our respects at that war grave.<br />
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On this Memorial Day, 2016, I salute your sense of Duty, Honor and Country.<br />
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F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-34931331335251572702016-04-10T15:26:00.000-07:002016-04-10T15:26:26.194-07:00Bill Cramsie DayOn this day in 1944, Bill Cramsie climbed into the cockpit of an A-20G attack bomber (43-9699) and methodically went through the warm-up checklist. It was the 4th combat mission for this West Point graduate and already he was flying in the #3 slot of the lead box of 18 planes -- on the left wing of Major Willets, the 671st Squadron Commander. Those who knew him and survived are in agreement that he was an outstanding pilot with a promising future. They were airborne by 8:44 AM and at the scheduled target in France an hour later. Unfortunately, the cloud cover at that point was 10/10 or total. The V-1 Buzz Bomb launch site they were hopeful of destroying could not be seen.<br />
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The German antiaircraft batteries on the ground had no such disadvantage. Their radar controls told gunners exactly where the 416th planes were and the barrages they sent aloft were deadly. As the bombers made another pass over the target the flak became very intense and every plane in the 36-ship-formation suffered from flak damage. Bill Cramsie lost an engine on the first pass and stayed with the group for the second pass where he reportedly was hit again. As the lead navigator sought a suitable alternate target, the flight passed into a cloudless area to the north that happened to be above another Buzz Bomb site. The group dropped their bombs on this target of opportunity and headed home. Bill, unable to stay with the formation as his remaining engine weakened, fell out of formation. As they headed back across the English Channel, his academy classmate and friend Scotty Street also lost an engine and fell behind along with Bill who was then in sight below him. As they crossed Bradwell Bay, losing altitude, both Bill and Scotty were seeking an emergency landing strip. Both called for bearings to the RAF field nearby and received them from Air Search and Rescue. At that point, Bill dropped below the clouds at about 400 feet altitude and Scotty made a turn to the West to line up with the Bradwell Bay landing strip.<br />
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Scotty's crew bailed out over land and he crash-landed without injury, though the plane was beyond repair. Bill and his crew disappeared. A Rescue team was never dispatched. Seventy years later, Chief Inspector Ross Stewart of the British Minstry of Defense Police discovered why. The coordinates captured from radio direction finding equipment during Bill's call for help were transposed. Instead of placing his aircraft just offshore near the RAF airbase, they indicated he was some 40 miles east of there over the North Sea. Of course there was no way for boats to reach that spot in time to do any good and it seems therefore that no effort was made. Based on eye-witness reports, it is virtually certain that Bill Cramsie, his plane and his crew lie unrecovered in Bradwell Bay -- probably in very shallow water not far off shore. That realization has spurred considerable interest in generating a serious search for the A-20 and its crew. Hopefully on Bill Cramsie Day a year from now we will be able to share some more encouraging news about that search for "9699". F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-33520014677480711312015-05-23T17:02:00.002-07:002015-12-23T07:37:08.641-08:00Memorial Day 2015 <span style="font-size: large;"><b>416th Men Still Missing in Action <span style="font-size: small;">(ABMC Wall of the Missing) </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span>Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives to preserve all the things that we hold dear about life in America. There are far too many of them to even attempt to know or name them all, but we will concentrate here today on ten young men. They are the 416th Bomb Group crew members who are lost in time. Ten of the members of this Group who died in combat still do not yet have a final resting place. Six of them were lost on one tragic mission. That might seem like a small number when one contemplates the enormity of World War II, but to each of those ten families it was and remains a cross to bear. Technically, the search for these men is ongoing, but as a practical matter all have since been declared "non-recoverable" by the U.S. Government. Fortunately, there are many here and abroad who choose not to accept that finality and the search for them goes on. <br />
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Raines, Arthur A. Jr. 2Lt 669 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Bender, Glenn J. SSgt 669 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Nielsen, Jack O. SSgt 669 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Cramsie, William E. 1Lt 671 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Henshaw, Charles R. SSgt 671 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Steward, Jack SSgt 671 10Apr44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Cruze, Raymond K. 1Lt 668 18Jul44 ABMC Cambridge Wall <br />
Murphy, Thomas A. 1Lt 670 1 Jan 45 ABMC Ardennes Wall <br />
Kiker, Charles M. Sgt 669 14Jan45 ABMC Lorraine Wall <br />
Griffith, John J. Jr. Sgt 668 18Mar45 ABMC Lorraine Wall <br />
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<b><br />1Lt Arthur A. Raines, Jr.: </b> 416th Bomb Group Mission 10, on 10 April 1944, was designed to destroy a V-1 Buzz Bomb site at Bois des Huit Rues, France. It was the day after Easter. Cloud cover at the target area caused a change of plan and disastrous consequences as the formation struggled through one flak field after another in search of an alternate. Three planes never made it back to Wethersfield and a fourth was totally destroyed on landing at the base. Every plane sustained battle damage. The A-20 flown by Lt. Raines was seriously damaged by flak before reaching the target area and either crashed in France or went down in the English Channel in an attempt to get back home. Neither the plane nor crew were ever located. Lt. Raines was from Bakersfield, California.<br />
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<b>SSgt Jack O. Nielsen</b> was flying with Lt. Raines on Mission 10 as armorer/gunner. The entire crew was lost without a trace. Staff Sergeant Nielsen, 19 years old, was raised in Oakland, California—living alone with his father Otto Nielsen. Otto was Born in Nebraska and worked as manager of the Clay-Ten Hotel in Oakland at the corner of Clay street and 10th Avenue. Jack enlisted in the Army at San Francisco in the fall of 1942 at the age of 17.<br />
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<b>SSgt Glenn J. Bender</b> was flying with Lt. Raines and SSgt Nielsen on Mission 10. Staff Sergeant Bender was 20 years old. He was born in Missouri and resided in San Gabriel, California at the time of his enlistment.<br />
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<b><br />1Lt William E. Cramsie</b> was flying his fourth mission on April 10, 1944. Bill Cramsie was a rising star in the Group and on a fast track to promotion and a leadership position. His plane was hit by flak on the first bomb run and lost an engine. He stayed with the Group for a second pass at the target and was hit again. After releasing bombs, he dropped out of formation and fell behind as his remaining engine withered. Losing altitude as he followed the formation back toward England, the ship was only minutes from land and the safety of an airfield when it could go no further. They went down in Bradwell Bay and are yet to be found—though in this case at least the search goes on. Lt. Cramsie was from Auburn, California and a graduate of West Point.<br />
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<b><br />SSgt Charles R. Henshaw</b> was flying with Lt. Cramsie on Mission 10. He was 31 years old, single, from Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Though his remains were never recovered, a memorial stone was placed at Fairview Cemetery in Phillipsburg by his mother Rose. His father, Clayton Henry Henshaw died in 1930 when Charles was just 17. Rose died in 1986 at the age of 98.<br />
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<b><br />SSgt Jack Steward</b> was flying with Lt. Cramsie on Mission 10 and was not recovered. He was 22 years old, born in Missouri, and resided in Phoenix, Arizona at the time of his enlistment. Jack was the youngest of six children identified as living at home with their father at Phoenix in the 1940 U.S. Census.<br />
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<b>1Lt Raymond K. Cruze:</b> On 18 July 1944 (Mission 101), Lt. Raymond Cruze, with gunners SSgt Samuel H. Geisy and SSgt F.E. Cherry was assigned to a mission against Glos-sur-Risle railroad junction—a secondary target in the Pont-Authou region of Normandy, France. It was the 43rd mission for Lt. Cruze. Their aircraft was badly damaged by flak over the target and Cruze was forced to ditch in the English Channel on the return. Air-Sea Rescue was available and all three crew members escaped from the plane. SSgt Geisy was badly injured but survived. SSgt Cherry was found but drowned in the recovery attempt. The body of Lt. Cruze was never recovered. Raymond Cruze was from Wellington, Kansas.<br />
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<b>Sgt Charles M. Kiker</b> was assigned to Mission 185, a road junction at Schleiden, Germany, on 14 January 1945. On takeoff, the A-26 piloted by 1Lt George C. Van Meter could not gain altitude due to icing or engine failure and crashed north of the runway at Melun. The plane exploded and both crew members were killed. The body of Sergeant Kiker was not found in the wreckage. Sergeant Kiker was 24 years old and single. He was not a U.S. citizen, he enlisted as a Puerto Rican living in Steuben County, New York, but his home of record is Philadelphia, PA.<br />
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<b><br />1Lt Thomas A. Murphy:</b> On New Years Day, 1945, Lt. Murphy was tasked with an unusual mission consisting of six aircraft. The target was a Command Post and German Corps Headquarters at Mont Le Ban, Belgium. Flying with him was SSgt Lawrence W. O'Connell. The flight made three runs under intense antiaircraft fire. Murphy's plane was hit by a burst of flak and was seen going down under control. One parachute was seen leaving the plane. What happened to Murphy? His best friend Harry Popeny tells us in <i>Unsung Eagles</i> by jay Stout: "During the attack, he took a hit in the cockpit. He opened the bomb-bay and screamed for his gunner, Larry O'Connell to get out. O'Connell wanted to climb up into the cockpit to help him but Murphy was cursing at him to get out—he was blind and couldn't see to fly. He managed to pull up and O'Connell bailed out at a pretty low altitude, then Murph just flipped over and split-S'd into the ground." O'Connell was taken prisoner and related the facts to Popeny after the war. Lt. Murphy was from Maryland.<br />
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<b> Sgt John J. Griffith, Jr.</b> was flying with 2Lt Clifford J. Vars, on 18 March 1945 (Mission 239) to attack a Communications Center at Worms, Germany. Flak hit the bomb bay gas tank over the target severing the left wing and causing the plane to go down in flames. Lt. Vars was unable to contact Griffith and assumed that he was hit. Lt. Vars bailed out, was captured, and hospitalized in serious condition. He was released at the end of the war. The remains of Sgt. Griffith were not been recovered. John J. Griffith, Jr. entered the service from New Jersey. <br />
<br />
The sacrifice of these young men is a source of pride and honor to the
416th family. We can never repay them, but we can certainly harbor in
our hearts an appreciation for what they and their fellow patriots did.
We will forever remember them and continue to seek some sense of
closure for each of them.<br />
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<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-68073214019044892062015-04-10T15:23:00.000-07:002015-04-13T15:48:11.074-07:00Remembering William Edward Cramsie<br />
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There
are a number of days on the calendar that have special meaning to each
of us. Some have special meaning to most of us. One of those days with
special meaning to me personally is April 10th. It was on this day in
1944 that William Edward Cramsie died in a valliant fight to defend
freedom. I didn't even know his name until 2005 when by chance I became
the steward of Bill Cramsie's West Point class ring. That is an
interesting story in itself, but not for this post. What is important
on this day is that we remember those brilliant young men who had their
whole lives before them and willingly gave them up in defense of
Freedom. There is no way to place a value on that. Since 2005, I have
come to love Bill Cramsie for what he stood for. It is a great honor
for me to mention his name and to talk with those who knew him
personally. Humanity is challenged almost daily, and maybe even moreso
now than then, by one scourge or another. in the face of that, we need
to be true to our principles like Bill was. It isn't always easy but it
is necessary.<br />
<br />
Bill Cramsie grew up in the foothills of
the mountains dividing California from Nevada. he was a leader from
day one. His dream was to become an aviator and to attend West Point.
He did that. Everyone that I have met who knew Bill Cramsie, and there
have been more than a few, had the same opinion of him. Bill was a
friendly, easy going and conscientious young man. He made friends
without even trying. He graduated from West Point in the top 10% of his
class, but never was pretentious or ostentatious to those he served
with, especially not to the enlisted personnel who worked with him.<br />
<br />
We
might all model our lives after that of Bill Cramsie and think about
the effect that we have on the world around us. If we do nothing but
satisfy our own needs, we are the enemy of civilization. We cannot all
be heroes, like Bill, but we can all do our best to make the world a
better place to live.<br />
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Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery in England</div>
<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-29617882235332287292014-05-25T20:15:00.000-07:002014-05-25T20:15:46.115-07:00<h3 class="null" style="color: #ffedb0; display: block; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; text-align: left;">
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those who died in service<br />
to our country.</strong></span></h3>
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<em>Memorial Day 2014</em></h1>
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Let
us pause for a moment to consider the significance of this day — set
aside to honor those who have fallen in combat to preserve the freedoms
that we still enjoy. Nearly 100 members of the 416th Bomb Group lost
their lives in combat. Some were repatriated to the United States for
burial, others were interred in American Battlefield Monument Cemeteries
throughout Europe and Great Britain. We could never do justice to all
of them in a short message like this, but we will at least pay humble
tribute to one, in memory of all.</h2>
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Francis
W. DeMand grew up in Wichita, Kansas, the son of a country doctor who
died of pneumonia in 1926 while Francis was just a young boy. He and
his two sisters were raised by their mother, Martha, who ran a rooming
house during the depression years. Francis graduated from high school
with war on the horizon and joined the Army with four of his high school
buddies. They all were enlisted at the same time, took flight training
together and earned commissions as pilots in the Army Air Corps.
Lieutenants DeMand, Merchant, Morton, McDonald and Ritter all became
A-20 Havoc pilots and were part of the initial cadre that joined the
416th Bomb Group at Oklahoma City. </h2>
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Lt.
Robert Morton died in an aircraft training accident at Vinton, LA in
1943 and Lt. Arthur McDonald was killed when his plane crashed near
London, England in April of 1944. Lt. Ritter was transferred to the
South Pacific, but survived the war and returned to Wichita, as did Lt.
William Merchant, DeMand's closest friend and fellow pilot in the
671st. In the photo below, Francis and Lt. Merchant stand before the
A-20 "Uncle Bob" flown by DeMand.</h2>
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Lt.
DeMand was leading Box II, Flight 3 on September 29, 1944 in an attack
on the railroad marshalling yards at Julich, Germany. Lt. Dave Andrews
was flying on DeMand's left wing, only a few yards away. Dave recalls
the event with absolute clarity in a <a href="http://www.witnesstowar.org/content/view.php?g=e&c=NI&v=2413" style="color: #a99e93; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">"Witness to War"</a>
video seventy years after the fact. An artillery barrage destroyed
DeMand's plane in a direct hit, killing all but Ssgt Middleton, one of
the gunners, who was blown clear of the plane by the explosion.
Originally buried in Germany, the remains of Lt. DeMand and of his
Bombardier/Navigator Alwin Burns, were transferred after the war to the
ABMC cemetery at Margraten, Netherlands. The family of nearby resident
Ron Wintjens has adopted the Grave of Francis and honors his memory on
special occasions like this. DeMand's gunner, Ssgt Reuben Troyer is
buried at the ABMC cemetery in Ardennes. </h2>
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Ron Wintjens family (above) pays respects to Francis DeMand Grave at Margraten ABMC Cemetery. Thanks
to the generosity of Rick Greer, a nephew of this hero, the 416th
Archive now has a rich collection of photos and documents about his life
and service. We are proud to honor Francis DeMand this Memorial Day
as we remember all those who died in service to their country.</h2>
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F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-3587113004265116462014-04-10T11:07:00.000-07:002014-04-10T11:10:23.570-07:00Seventy Years Later - Still Missing<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_h2c4XJLPJY/U0bYQq2PgAI/AAAAAAAAAKE/C7WFmi_Whzo/s1600/43-9699overFrance(2).JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_h2c4XJLPJY/U0bYQq2PgAI/AAAAAAAAAKE/C7WFmi_Whzo/s1600/43-9699overFrance(2).JPEG" height="186" width="320" /></a><br />
On April 10, 1944—the day after Easter—1Lt William Edward Cramsie awoke before dawn and dressed in his flight suit for what were still very cold conditions at 12,000 feet with no cabin heater. Following a quick breakfast and a mission briefing at the 416th Bomb Group operations center, a pre-fab Nissen Hut near the Wethersfield flight line, Bill caught a ride out to the hardstand in the back of a canvas covered weapons carrier. The mood was light as this would be the first combat mission flown by the group since March 26th. The A-20 Havoc crews were anxious to get back into the air. They had been socked-in by miserable weather in England for two weeks and wanted to get back to business. As the "taxi" dropped Bill off at an awesome new "G" model, he noted the tail number 39699 and wondered why they left off the 4? Not that it really mattered. The fuselage code "5C" for 671st Bomb Squadron and individual identifier "I" were more important. Pilots and crews of the planes normally referred to their aircraft only by the last three digits anyway. At "699", Bill met Staff Sergeants Charles Henshaw and Jack Steward. They would be the turret and tunnel gunners flying with him on this mission—his fourth combat sortie.<br />
<br />
The early enthusiasm was short lived. As the flights approached France, bound for the V-1 launch site at Bois des Huit Rues, they were met with 10/10 cloud cover—solid overcast. While Peter Royalty, the lead bombardier/navigator, searched fruitlessly for their assigned target the German anti-aircraft batteries with their radar controlled firing centers had no visual impediment. Flak was intense as multiple passes over the target area gave the enemy ample opportunity to zero in on them. The result was devastating. Every ship in the formation sustained battle damage, three were lost. Arthur Raines was the first to go down somewhere near Hazebrouck. Bill's plane was hit on the first pass and lost an engine, but stayed with the formation for a second pass. This required that the remaining engine be pushed to its limits in order to keep in position. He was hit again on the second pass. With the cloud cover abating somewhat to the north, the formation eventually bombed a target of opportunity about 18 miles northwest of its primary target. As they headed back to England, Bill's West Point classmate and friend Scotty Street was also hit and lost an engine. Both of them fell out of the formation and started losing altitude. Lt. Street was able to make an emergency crash landing at RAF Bradwell Bay after his gunners bailed out. Bill Cramsie was heard contacting the same field and receiving a bearing to base. He never made it. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3331woyjm4Q/U0ba5eNvpgI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/aPy5rNq1MJQ/s1600/Dee3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3331woyjm4Q/U0ba5eNvpgI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/aPy5rNq1MJQ/s1600/Dee3.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a>And so began the first day of a seventy-year-long Homeric tale that has yet to see its final chapter. Like Protesilaus, the first Greek killed in the Trojan War, Bill Cramsie was the first member of his West Point graduating class (June, 1943) to die in combat—the First to Fall. The similarities are not merely poetic. Protesilaus was a suitor of Helen, considered in Greek myth to be the most beautiful woman in the world. At the academy, Bill met and fell in love with Dee Rogers. The Irish reincarnation, without a doubt, of Helen. <br />
Protesilaus was from coastal Antron, a land described by Homer as "deep in grass". Bill's grandfather came to America from county Antrim in Ireland, a land famous for its green Glens. History did little to preserve the memory of Protesilaus or of Bill Cramsie, they both are remembered because of the irony and tragedy of their death and the remarkable endurance of their spirit. At the British Museum in London is one of the few surviving representations of Protesilaus, a Roman stone torso. Also in Britain, on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery (Madingley), is engraved in stone one of the few public memorials to Bill Cramsie.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMxfMlRIkrA/U0bcwz6HoeI/AAAAAAAAAKc/eNJyH_yoKmw/s1600/RossStewart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oMxfMlRIkrA/U0bcwz6HoeI/AAAAAAAAAKc/eNJyH_yoKmw/s1600/RossStewart.JPG" height="320" width="241" /></a></div>
<br />
The search for Bill and his crew did not really begin until about three years ago when Ross Stewart, <br />
at the time a Ministry of Defence Police inspector at Wethersfield, accepted the challenge of finding "699". In studying the Missing Air Crew Report, Individual Deceased Personnel Files, and other documents, the law enforcement training of Ross became an important asset. He identified a transposition of numbers in the original reported position of Bill and crew. What could only have been a last known position of one degree, 05 minutes longitude was formally recorded as one degree, 50 minutes. The difference amounts to about 40 miles and placed "699" well into the North Sea instead of very close to land in Bradwell Bay. Consequently, no search was initiated at the time. This and other corroborating evidence would place the last known position of "699" on or near Buxey Sand, merely a few miles from the point on which the RAF base was located. Two visits by Ross and local volunteers to this shallow sand bank have identified WWII aircraft wreckage, but have not been able to confirm any of it yet as that of an A-20 Havoc.<br />
<br />
As we mark this 70th year since the loss of Bill and crew, we remain hopeful that new technologies and continued research will one day lead us to whatever remains of this heroic but virtually unheralded crew and will provide the long awaited and much deserved closure for all those who care.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-25622985736343606612014-03-21T19:08:00.001-07:002014-03-21T19:08:48.798-07:00Irish to the endWhen 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.<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOd6jPKlf5k/UyzquOKd-sI/AAAAAAAAAJA/bk4sgE0WfS0/s1600/bill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOd6jPKlf5k/UyzquOKd-sI/AAAAAAAAAJA/bk4sgE0WfS0/s1600/bill.jpg" height="320" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Edward Cramsie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XrGbxwWF4ZM/UyzrQoD0ZrI/AAAAAAAAAJI/lMnBCQ37Xlo/s1600/RobertJ.Rooney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XrGbxwWF4ZM/UyzrQoD0ZrI/AAAAAAAAAJI/lMnBCQ37Xlo/s1600/RobertJ.Rooney.jpg" height="320" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert John Rooney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As fate would have it, both were lost in combat during WWII. Bill went down in Bradwell Bay on April 10th, 1944 (416th Mission <a href="http://www.416th.com/missions/mission10.html" target="_blank">#10</a>). Bob tragically died on his 65th and last required mission March 21st, 1945 (416th Mission <a href="http://www.416th.com/missions/mission246.html" target="_blank">#246</a>). 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.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Fd6bQw4lUU/UyzpZPAIIEI/AAAAAAAAAIw/f6502YtLNog/s1600/RooneyMarker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Fd6bQw4lUU/UyzpZPAIIEI/AAAAAAAAAIw/f6502YtLNog/s1600/RooneyMarker.jpg" height="200" width="110" /></a>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.<br />
<br />
<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-88858405739423191702014-03-01T13:56:00.000-08:002014-03-01T13:56:11.876-08:00A few names that the older generation might recognizeFrom an anonymous email, proof that there once was a day when Hollywood did more than protest:<br />
<br />* Stewart Hayden, US Marines and OSS. Smuggled guns into Yugoslavia and parachuted into Croatia.<br />
* James Stewart, US Army Air Corps. Bomber pilot who rose to the rank of General. <br />
* Ernest Borgnine, US Navy. Gunners Mate 1c, destroyer USS Lamberton. <br />
* Ed McMahon, US Marines. Fighter Pilot. (Flew OE-1 Bird Dogs over Korea as well.) <br />
* Telly Savalas, US Army.<br />
* Walter Matthau, US Army Air Corps., B-24 Radioman/Gunner and cryptographer. <br />
* Steve Forrest, US Army. Wounded, Battle of the Bulge. <br />
* Jonathan Winters, USMC. Battleship USS Wisconsin and Carrier USS Bon Homme Richard. Anti-aircraft gunner, Battle of Okinawa.<br />
* Paul Newman, US Navy Rear seat gunner/radioman, torpedo bombers ofUSS Bunker Hill <br />
* Kirk Douglas, US Navy. Sub-chaser in the Pacific. Wounded in action and medically discharged. <br />
* Robert Mitchum, US Army. <br />
* Dale Robertson, US Army. Tank Commander in North Africa under Patton. Wounded twice. Battlefield Commission. <br />
* Henry Fonda, US Navy. Destroyer USS Satterlee. <br />
* John Carroll, US Army Air Corps. Pilot in North Africa. Broke his back in a crash. <br />
* Lee Marvin US Marines. Sniper. Wounded in action on Saipan. Buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Sec. 7A next to Greg Boyington and Joe Louis. <br />
* Art Carney, US Army. Wounded on Normandy beach, D-Day. Limped for the rest of his life. <br />
* Wayne Morris, US Navy fighter pilot, USS Essex. Downed seven Japanese fighters. <br />
* Rod Steiger, US Navy. Was aboard one of the ships that launched the Doolittle Raid. <br />
* Tony Curtis, US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus. In Tokyo Bay for the surrender of Japan. <br />
* Larry Storch. US Navy. Sub tender USS Proteus with Tony Curtis. <br />
* Forrest Tucker, US Army. Enlisted as a private, rose to Lieutenant. <br />
* Robert Montgomery, US Navy. <br />
* George Kennedy, US Army. Enlisted after Pearl Harbor, stayed in sixteen years. <br />
* Mickey Rooney, US Army under Patton. Bronze Star. <br />
* Denver Pyle, US Navy. Wounded in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Medically discharged. <br />
* Burgess Meredith, US Army Air Corps. <br />
* DeForest Kelley, US Army Air Corps. <br />
* Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Officer. <br />
* Neville Brand, US Army, Europe. Was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart. <br />
* Tyrone Power, US Marines. Transport pilot in the Pacific Theater. <br />
* Charlton Heston, US Army Air Corps. Radio operator and aerial gunner on a B-25, Aleutians.<br />
* Danny Aiello, US Army. Lied about his age to enlist at 16. Served three years. <br />
* James Arness, US Army. As an infantryman, he was severely wounded at Anzio, Italy. <br />
* Efram Zimbalist, Jr., US Army. Purple Heart for a severe wound received at Huertgen Forest. <br />
* Mickey Spillane, US Army Air Corps, Fighter Pilot and later Instructor Pilot. <br />
* Rod Serling. US Army. 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific. He jumped at Tagaytay in the Philippines and was later wounded in Manila.<br />
* Gene Autry, US Army Air Corps. Crewman on transports that ferried supplies over "The Hump" in the China-Burma-India Theater. <br />
* Wiliam Holden, US Army Air Corps. <br />
* Alan Hale Jr, US Coast Guard. <br />
* Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Battle of Okinawa. <br />
* 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. <br />
* William Conrad, US Army Air Corps. Fighter Pilot. <br />
* Jack Klugman, US Army. <br />
* Frank Sutton, US Army. Took part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan and Corregidor. <br />
* Jackie Coogan, US Army Air Corps. Volunteered for gliders and flew troops and materials into Burma behind enemy lines. <br />
* Tom Bosley, US Navy. <br />
* Claude Akins, US Army. Signal Corps., Burma and the Philippines. <br />
* Chuck Connors, US Army. Tank-warfare instructor. <br />
* Harry Carey Jr., US Navy. <br />
* Mel Brooks, US Army. Combat Engineer. Saw action in the Battle of the Bulge. <br />
* Robert Altman, US Army Air Corps. B-24 Co-Pilot. <br />
* Pat Hingle, US Navy. Destroyer USS Marshall <br />
* Fred Gwynne, US Navy. Radioman. <br />
* Karl Malden, US Army Air Corps. 8th Air Force, NCO. <br />
* Earl Holliman. US Navy. Lied about his age to enlist. Discharged after a year when they Navy found out. <br />
* Rock Hudson, US Navy. Aircraft mechanic, the Philippines. <br />
* Harvey Korman, US Navy. <br />
* Aldo Ray. US Navy. UDT frogman, Okinawa. <br />
* Don Knotts, US Army, Pacific Theater. <br />
* Don Rickles, US Navy aboard USS Cyrene. <br />
* Harry Dean Stanton, US Navy. Served aboard an LST in the Battle of Okinawa. <br />
* Robert Stack, US Navy. Gunnery Instructor. <br />
* Soupy Sales, US Navy. Served on USS Randall in the South Pacific. <br />
* Lee Van Cleef, US Navy. Served aboard a sub chaser then a mine sweeper. <br />
* Clifton James, US Army, South Pacific. Was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. <br />
* Ted Knight, US Army, Combat Engineers. <br />
* Jack Warden, US Navy, 1938-1942, then US Army, 1942-1945. 101st Airborne Division. <br />
* Don Adams. US Marines. Wounded on Guadalcanal, then served as a Drill Instructor. <br />
* James Gregory, US Navy and US Marines. <br />
* Brian Keith, US Marines. Radioman/Gunner in Dauntless dive-bombers.<br />
* Fess Parker, US Navy and US Marines. Booted from pilot training for being too tall, joined Marines as a radio operator. <br />
* 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. <br />
* Raymond Burr, US Navy. Shot in the stomach on Okinawa and medically discharged. <br />
* Hugh O'Brian, US Marines.<br />
* Robert Ryan, US Marines.<br />
* 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. <br />
* Clark Gable, US Army Air Corps. B-17 gunner over Europe. <br />
* Charles Bronson, US Army Air Corps. B-29 gunner, wounded in action. <br />
* Peter Graves, US Army Air Corps. <br />
* Buddy Hackett, US Army anti-aircraft gunner. <br />
* Victor Mature, US Coast Guard. <br />
* Jack Palance, US Army Air Corps. Severely injured bailing out of a burning B-24 bomber. <br />
* Robert Preston, US Army Air Corps. Intelligence Officer <br />
* Cesar Romero, US Coast Guard. Coast Guard. Participated in the invasions of Tinian and Saipan on the assault transport USS Cavalier. <br />
* Norman Fell, US Army Air Corps., Tail Gunner, Pacific Theater.<br />
* 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. <br />
* Steve Reeves, US Army, Philippines. <br />
* Dennis Weaver, US Navy. Pilot. <br />
* Robert Taylor, US Navy. Instructor Pilot. <br />
* Randolph Scott. Tried to enlist in the Marines but was rejected due to injuries sustained in US Army, World War One. <br />
* 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. <br />
* 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. <br />
* 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.<br /><br />
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-85955748304194297412013-07-21T10:14:00.001-07:002014-03-01T14:02:29.293-08:00Lessons of life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3tgBUl_-_I/UewVT96WCiI/AAAAAAAAAIc/tiuamImkblM/s1600/pasha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o3tgBUl_-_I/UewVT96WCiI/AAAAAAAAAIc/tiuamImkblM/s320/pasha.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Over the past decade, I have not only become a "Senior Citizen" and a
septuagenarian but intuitively I sense that I may be a more sensitive
person than I was in years past. The very fact that I put that
observation on the public table here is probably evidence in itself. I'm not
sure whether it's a good thing or just an inevitable reaction to
aging, but it clearly is an observation that those close to me might
have seen even before I did — at least one would hope so. That sensitivity was brought home in a
poignant way this weekend as we lost a very close and dear companion.<br />
<br />
On
Easter weekend of 1998, an emaciated and tick-ridden puppy wandered
into our lives. Only a few months old, she staggered into our carport
and decided that was the place she would die. Doris and I were not
ready to introduce a dog into our world, but neither were we willing to
ignore the needs of an animal in distress. To make a long story short,
we nursed her, nurtured her and ultimately fell in love with her.
Little did we anticipate that her choice would become reality or the
pain that her departure would leave in our hearts.<br />
<br />
She
was a pure-bred Portuguese Water Dog, a rare breed in the U.S. and not
the sort of dog that people generally abandon on a lonely country road.
We named her Pasha, after the high born Turkish rulers of the Ottoman
era. It is impossible to describe the disposition of this remarkable
creature. She embodied all of the positive and lovable traits that one
might put on a wish list. It is claimed that dogs do not "love", but this one most certainly did and it was contagious. We were a family that traveled
often in those early years and Pasha went everywhere with us. A more
congenial and obedient dog has never been born. To avoid submitting her
to the unpleasantness of a dog kennel, we purchased a motorhome and it
became our mobile kennel on many trips across the country—including five 416th Bomb Group reunions. About five
years ago, Pasha became the big sister to a bundle of dynamite that we
named Ghazi. She handled the task well. When Doris and I went to
Ireland a few years ago, our dear friend Norrie Rawdon came all the way from Texas to sit with Pasha and Ghazi at our home in Missouri. Few dogs have had life better, but even fewer dogs have given so much in return.<br />
<br />
Pasha was nearly 16 years old when she passed away quietly at home in the arms of
those she loved and who loved her beyond measure in return. She is
interred near the base of a vibrant pear tree here at the place she
chose to die. We are ever so grateful she made that choice and for the many
years that we had with her between then and now. Her life was more
than an appendage to our own, it was a lesson that we needed to absorb
in our own lives. I believe that has been the case and we will remember
her always with gratitude for it.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-23570765092006414372013-05-26T09:14:00.000-07:002013-05-26T09:28:15.926-07:00"This land was your land, this land was my land…"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t99FvvHKrJc/UaI0QLzyN4I/AAAAAAAAAIM/CSZb4_X-5tQ/s1600/cramsie-cambridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t99FvvHKrJc/UaI0QLzyN4I/AAAAAAAAAIM/CSZb4_X-5tQ/s320/cramsie-cambridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall of the Missing - ABMC Cemetery, Cambridge, England</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Woody Guthrie would roll over in his grave if he could see his endless skyway and golden valley today. Guthrie was an idealist who influenced a pivotal generation in America. He died in 1967, at what some might consider the beginning of the New Depression. Raised during the Great Depression of the Thirties, Guthrie reacted to economic and political crises in his popular Folk Music. By contrast, the Depression that has overwhelmed America since then is one of spirit. With few exceptions, the trauma of the 1960s has divided and scarred American society in ways too momentous to recount. The roller coaster of economic prosperity these past 50 years is easily tracked on charts and graphs, but less measurable and certainly more insidious is the steady degradation of the ideals that Americans shared during World War II— ideals and initiatives that led to America becoming the pre-eminent world power that we precariously enjoy to this day.<br />
<br />
The pace of life in the 21st century is governed by the technology explosion, but society is not as readily adaptable to change as technology is. The way people lived and coped with life 50 years ago was far different than it is today. That's not because the problems faced then were any more, nor less, pressing. It seems that the prevailing attitudes, about many things, were different and that there was indeed a prevailing attitude. Not least of the many changes has been our national unity of belief. During WWII, Americans shared a common purpose and resolve. Today, the country is split almost equally between two diametrically opposed views. The old jokes about gridlock in Washington are no longer funny. Gridlock has become a way of life and more people than ever in America lack faith in almost every facet of their existence. For most, it is enough to simply make it through the day. One of the real tragedies of this New Depression is that we have abandoned the traditions and social institutions that made America great. Government is rarely viewed these days as a friend, much less a protector. Industry and labor are seldom rewarded and entitlement has replaced ambition. <br />
<br />
In our post "sixties" zeal for political correctness, we have gradually whittled away the foundations upon which this nation was built. One of the many examples lies before us today. As we prepare to celebrate "Memorial Day" it would be hard to find any unity of view on what the day even represents. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs well knows that "Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces." Not veterans who served in war, or peace, but those who "died" serving. This day of remembrance originated after the Civil War, when 600,000 died, and was called "Decoration Day" until 1882. For more than a century, Americans made visits on this day to decorate the graves of those fallen warriors, with flags and flowers, to single them out for their gallantry and devotion. All other veterans are honored on "Veterans Day" in November. <br />
<br />
This day of remembrance was initially established as May 30th, but Congress changed the date in 1971 to the last Monday in May in order to create an annual three-day weekend. The Veterans of Foreign Wars still oppose this change, arguing that it undermines the very meaning of the day and pointing to the consequent nonchalance of the public about observing traditional ceremonies. It would be hard to argue that Memorial Day means the same thing to Americans today as it did in 1945. The three-day weekend is now the most anticipated aspect and is punctuated by auto racing and golf events in addition to a plethora of holiday shopper sales—more like May Day. The visitation of graves and placing of flowers is still fairly common, but even that has become a generic family activity for many—associated with remembrance of all who have died, not just those who died in service to their country. While the remembrance of ancestors is an important family activity, the fact that it merges so indiscriminately with Memorial Day is another reason for the vanishing significance of this particular day. <br />
<br />
On this Memorial Day, I personally will be honored to pay my respects to those fallen members of the 416th Bomb Group who, like Bill Cramsie, died between 1943 and 1945 in service to our country. They were among the best of America's youth and they left us a tremendous gift. We should take this occasion to rededicate ourselves to making a difference in the future of this country so that it will continue to be "my land and your land" and will lead the free world by example as those before us so admirably did. It is our duty and our privilege to preserve, protect and nurture their legacy.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-90022395572081127772013-05-23T10:13:00.000-07:002013-05-23T10:13:55.816-07:00And the wheel goes round and round<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I woke up this morning at 9:00 AM when the cell phone rang six inches from my ear and Ghazi jumped over top of me landing on the floor with a thud. It's not that I'm an especially late sleeper, but somehow the curtain of bliss had blessed me with an extra couple hours. Ghazi, a young and aptly named Black Lab / Border Collie mix, wasted no time heading for the front door as dogs are prone to do. That caught the eye of Pasha, our 16-year-old Portuguese Water Dog who is hard of hearing, sees poorly and barks loudly when reminded that the world is still turning. I expected the call to be from my wife Doris, who is on her way back home from a family emergency in Arkansas. Instead, it was someone else near and dear to my heart—the IRS. The potential for bliss to turn on a dime into chaos was definitely there. Maybe it was just the startled awakening, but I thought I heard a deep soothing voice saying "It is not your time". The call was from my IRS advocate. Yes, I am awake now and yes I do have an advocate at the IRS. Never heard of such a thing? Neither had I until I was assigned one. Ironically, the U.S. Government employs a corps of agents to advocate for citizens who have found the IRS to be overly complex or unresponsive. I don't know how many of these advocates are on the payroll, but I do know that they are well schooled in the nuances of bureaucracy—and dealing with the public. <br /><br />Seven years ago, Doris and I were introduced to (and embraced by) the remarkable extended family of the 416th Bomb Group. The veterans of this WWII combat unit have held annual reunions in one form or another virtually since the war ended. We hosted a couple of these reunions at Branson, Missouri and will host the 2013 reunion in Gainesville, Missouri this coming October. At one of the Branson reunions the topic of historical preservation came up. There really was not any active repository for the treasured memories and memorabilia of these veterans. The issue had become pressing due to the fact that many of those veterans had passed on and their spouses sometimes were faced with difficult choices about disposing of photos, documents, letters, diaries, etc. As an interim measure, we agreed to store any of these objects that families were not prepared to retain themselves. <br /><br />Not too long after that, the local "City Hall" in Gainesville was listed for sale when the city government moved into larger quarters. The old facility was built from hand-cut limestone in 1935 in the style of many WPA buildings of that era. Doris and I purchased the building and began an extensive remodel and restoration. Although privately owned, this building soon became the home of the 416th Bomb Group Archive. The Archive has been registered with the State of Missouri as a non-profit corporation with a Board of Directors and survivorship provisions. In October of 2012, the Archive filed an application form (and $400 fee) for 501c3 tax exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service. The form instructions optimistically tell the filer to call the IRS if a response is not received within 30 days. The time passed and the call was made. The IRS agent contacted was polite but seemingly unconcerned. He stated that the application was being held up because more information was needed. When asked what information was required, he could not provide that information. When asked who could provide that information, he stated that the application had been assigned to "someone" who would contact us in this matter. The winter came and went and the IRS remained silent. <br /><br />After several months had passed, we appealed to Senator Blunt's office for assistance in resolving the issue with IRS. It was because of this appeal to the Senator that the IRS assigned an Advocate to us. Since this application is really a formality, and there is no significant monetary impact on the U.S. revenue system, one would think that it would be less expensive to find the paperwork and approve it than to hire an advocate and perpetuate the paper trail with added human resources and further delays. Instead, the advocate asked that we provide essentially the same justification that we did in the initial application as well as income/expense statements and impact statements—which we did. The purpose of the call from our advocate this morning was to advise that our information had been received and would be forwarded to the IRS department responsible, but that "Expedited" action by the IRS was not likely. Say What? The U.S. government has been sitting on this application for seven months and it would take "Expedited" action to approve it? My blood pressure was beginning to rise, but the disarming nature of the Advocate diffused what could easily have become a melt-down (not that a melt-down would have done any good).<br /><br />The whole point of requesting 501c3 status is to facilitate federal tax deductions for donations made to the Archive. Since the Archive pays no rent, has no paid employees, no compensation for directors and no expense accounts for managers, there can be little confusion about where the income from donations goes. It is used entirely for operational support. The Archive website at http://416th.com is one of the most comprehensive resources and valuable online research tools of any WWII combat unit. The Archive Facebook page has drawn together 416th family and friends from across the country and even from England and Europe. The Archive video taping program has preserved more than 50 hours of interviews with 416th veterans. The black granite Wall of Honor at the Archive has some sixty names of veterans already engraved and more to come. The Archive digital and original copy files already include tens of thousands of pages of directly related historical documents and new accessions are constantly adding to that resource.<br /><br />When will the IRS see fit to approve the 416th Bomb Group Application? That's a question for the ages. Rest assured it will not be this week as everyone is on holiday celebrating the contributions of these same veterans. It reminds me of the old folk song about the "Man who never returned". Meanwhile, the uncertainty does little to encourage growth and the window for capturing memories of these WWII veterans is rapidly closing. Fortunately, we have an advocate on our side. What might the situation be without this government generosity?<br /><br />Have to run now, the dogs are at the door barking to get back in.<br /><br /><br /><br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-53279987085753300792012-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:002012-07-28T09:24:36.064-07:00The Clock of LifeThe following text, the author of which is unfortunately lost in an endless loop of email forwards, is to me a powerful message about life and purpose. I hope readers of this blog will agree and that anyone who knows the source will add it in a comment below:<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>STORY NUMBER ONE</b><br />
<br />
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.<br />
<br />
To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well.. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.<br />
<br />
One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.<br />
<br />
The poem read:<br />
<br />
"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."<br />
<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>STORY NUMBER TWO</b><br />
<br />
<br />
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.<br />
<br />
As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent.<br />
<br />
Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.<br />
<br />
This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.<br />
<br />
<b>SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?</b><br />
<br />
Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.<br />
<br />
<br />
Postscript: Snopes.com confirms much of the above as fact and rejects some details as apocryphal. Whatever the actual facts may be, the story is clearly inspirational and compelling as testimony to human experience on a broad scale and its message has considerable value - WGS<br />
<br />
<br />F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-49741697120468650132012-06-17T17:47:00.001-07:002012-06-17T17:47:21.798-07:00To the Colors<br />
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<br />
If a picture is worth a thousand words, how can we measure the worth of a
poignant video? I was touched several years ago by the Ford commercial
of a young veteran returning home from Iraq. You'll find that one in
the archived posts of this blog. The video embedded here, titled
"Reveille" is not new, but it's worth watching every now and then just
to help us keep things in perspective. I hope you find it as
inspirational and thought provoking as I did.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-69581260274785320772012-05-27T19:18:00.001-07:002012-05-27T19:36:01.163-07:00Never ForgottenThe <i>raison de'être</i> of Memorial Day is our universal hope and
pledge that those who lost their lives in the cause of freedom will
never be forgotten. This weekend, Americans from coast to coast will
spend time reflecting on past events that took some of our brightest
minds and strongest spirits. That is a cost of war that's impossible to
measure. The effect of their sacrifice is that others could survive
and prevail in the name of Liberty. Our reflection today, well
intentioned as it is, seems so trivial in comparison to their deeds.
Sadly, many of those heroes are not remembered at all—lost in time and
space. We can only think of them today in the abstract. There is a
modern tendency to honor all of our military on this day, though I
personally still consider it a day of tribute to those who died in the
line of duty.<br />
<br />
Last night I returned home from the Ninth
Air Force Association reunion in Columbia, South Carolina. It was a
bitter-sweet experience. The association was founded by, and its
membership consists mainly of, veterans from World War II. These hardy
and intrepid souls are nearly all in the 90+ age group and they have
been reuniting for 67 years. They come from all parts of the country
and relive the times that were so important in their lives. Although my
own service in the 9th AF was 20 years after WWII ended, I have very
much appreciated the camaraderie of their reunions. Simply being a part
of their group made me feel more closely connected to the days when I
was just an infant and they were locked in mortal combat with a fierce
enemy of Democracy. The bitter part of this reunion is that it was to
be the last of a long and memorable tradition. The years have finally
taken their toll and like many other veteran groups, this one can no
longer defy the transition that eventually comes to all of us. Helping
to make this final reunion memorable, the current IXth AF Commander,
Major General Larry Wells and his wife Kathy hosted the group for an
exciting tour of the facilities and aircraft at Shaw Air Force Base.
Their personal attention and hospitality was extraordinary. General
Wells was also the keynote speaker at the reunion banquet and shared his
vision of the Air Force of the future—never losing sight of the fact
that it rests on the foundation built by the veterans of WWII. <br />
<br />
My
personal thoughts on Memorial Day will of course include Bill Cramsie,
who might as well have been kin to me. I wish that I could report on
this occasion that the plane flown by Bill has been found, but that was
not to be. The wreckage that might have been his turned out to be an
unrecorded German aircraft shot down during WWII. The search for
43-9699 continues. Also in my thoughts will be my maternal
grandmother's brother Melvin Roberts who died in a Japanese POW Camp in
Formosa only a few months before the end of the war.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-eCxdNrQgI/T8LTmSaMlYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/oKOn1YYcL18/s1600/melvinroberts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0-eCxdNrQgI/T8LTmSaMlYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/oKOn1YYcL18/s1600/melvinroberts.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Melvin Roberts </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>7 Jun 1908 - 29 May 1945</b> </div>
<br />
Melvin
was a robust French Canadian from the north woods of Wisconsin. He
worked for a time in the maritime industry on the Great Lakes and
joined the Army in 1938 at the age of 30. He served as a private in Company C, 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Division and was stationed in the Philippines at the time
of the Pearl Harbor attack and America's entry into WWII. <br />
<br />
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<b>Hokusen Maru - 1945</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
After
surviving the Bataan Death March, the horrendous conditions at
Cabanatuan, the wretched hell-ship Hokusen Maru, and the constant
forced labor, Melvin could not conquer the beriberi that years of
malnutrition had vested upon him. He died on May 29, 1945. In 1949, as
part of the effort of the American Graves Registration Service, his
remains were recovered from the grave at Shirakawa in Formosa and
transferred to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Honolulu
where they remain today. As a youngster, I heard many loving tales
about Melvin and even then realized how much his loss was felt by those
who loved him.</div>
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<br /></div>F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-28980983704293636412012-04-10T11:26:00.002-07:002012-04-10T13:13:21.664-07:00Cramsie Day 2012Bill Cramsie and 43-9699 continue to make news as we mark today the 67th Anniversary of the day that he and his gunners Charles Henshaw and Jack Steward disappeared without a trace. Those who are familiar with the story will know that Bill has not rested in peace during that time. In fact, he has pulled, pushed, cajoled and clawed his way into the hearts and minds of scores of people from California to the U.K. The search for Bill Cramsie began seven years ago. It should have begun sixty years earlier, but a tiny human foible precluded that. <br />
<br />
Readers of this blog will know about "First to Fall" and about Ross Stewart. Some will know that Ross discovered an anomaly in the records that may well lead to closure on this search. As Lt. Cramsie was flying alone at 400 feet above Bradwell Bay, he made a call for a bearing to the RAF base there. His hope was to make an emergency landing before the overburdened left engine of his A-20 Havoc failed completely. He had lost the other engine much earlier due to intense flak over France. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The call was heard by his friend, classmate and fellow pilot Marion S. (Scotty) Street, who was also flying on one engine and could see Cramsie below him. Street was within sight of the main flight as they crossed the English Channel and entered Bradwell Bay. They were on a direct course from just east of Dunkirk to their home station at Wethersfield. The call for a bearing was heard and acknowledged by the ground station and a determination of Cramsie's position was made by triangulation of the radio signal. That location was logged at latitude and longitude coordinates that placed Cramsie at 40 miles east of the station at Bradwell Bay and actually in the North Sea. The Missing Air Crew Report includes a map with that location marked by an "X" and an arrow showing the coordinate he was advised to follow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This reported location has always been at odds with common sense and the official reports of pilots who saw Cramsie's plane below them on the return from France to England. Ross Stewart astutely realized that the reported longitude must contain a number inversion. Plotting the corrected coordinates put this position precisely on the line and at the proper distance from land that all contemporary reports of pilot would suggest. Ross also discovered through an internet charting resource that there is an unidentified aircraft wreck at this very spot, which happens to be a large sand bank that is partially exposed at the lowest tides. He then located a 35-year-old British aerial survey photo that showed a twin-engined aircraft at that spot. The photo was taken from 26,000 feet and detail was insufficient for positive identification, but it looked very much like the profile of an A-20 Havoc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As Ross expanded his search for information to local divers and fishermen, he met Roger Gaspar an expert in these waters and a man with extraordinary background and skills. On Easter Sunday morning, the two of them coordinated a trip to the site with the help of Alan Bird, an Oyster boat's captain, to determine if that wreck was still to be found. Why on Easter? It has to do with the Spring tides being at their lowest point of the year for a couple days and that bad weather was forecast for the following days. These intrepid explorers boarded the waiting craft at 4:00 AM and anchored off the sand bank in the early AM, approaching it with a dinghy as the tide receded. Their effort was well rewarded. At precisely the coordinates expected, they did find the wreckage of an aircraft and some indications that it may be an A-20. Further examination of the wreckage is presently underway and it is hopeful that a solid identification will soon be possible.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E-79-dYOaqU/T4R1f7t5m6I/AAAAAAAAAHc/a85BMCcCncM/s1600/1061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E-79-dYOaqU/T4R1f7t5m6I/AAAAAAAAAHc/a85BMCcCncM/s640/1061.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHjH-7lYEIQ/T4R12InGSGI/AAAAAAAAAHk/73ueP86eRvM/s1600/1111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NHjH-7lYEIQ/T4R12InGSGI/AAAAAAAAAHk/73ueP86eRvM/s640/1111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>The main part of the aircraft which was visible in the 1970s aerial survey is apparently now covered with sand, but is likely in the immediate vicinity of the tail sections and main landing gear shown in the photos above.<br />
<br />
The story of Bill Cramsie and "9699" has always seemed to write itself and to lead people to the place they need to go. I feel comforted in the fact that it happens to others, not just to me. There are a lot of people with the desire to see closure on this long episode and obviously a lot of will to prevail in that quest.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-20934989880209736852011-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:002011-12-13T12:34:31.233-08:00Project 9699 in the News<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}"></h6>The current issue of British Ministry of Defence Police magazine "Talk Through" has a wonderful centerfold article by Chief Inspector Ross Stewart about Project 9699, the search for 671st Bomb Sq. pilot William Edward Cramsie and crew lost in Bradwell Bay, England on 10 April 1944. Click on the link below to download a pdf file of the issue and then scroll to pages 17 through 19.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://tiny.cc/dx7jk">http://tiny.cc/dx7jk</a></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://tiny.cc/dx7jk" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mugIGRmB2lg/TuezhZsskcI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Ow9jMCyftFs/s400/TT2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://tiny.cc/dx7jk"></a>F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-49811817079858918102011-11-25T15:41:00.000-08:002011-11-29T17:20:50.071-08:00Carving Up the PromiseThose who are offended by political statements should stop reading here and go to a more comfortable place in cyberspace. What I am going to discuss is political and may offend some readers.<br />
<br />
As a Life Member of the Military Officers Association of America, I keep up to date on military issues through the organization's monthly magazine and its <a href="http://www.moaa.org/" target="_blank">website</a>. In the December 2011 issue of <i>Military Officer</i>, one will find an article titled "Et Tu, SASC? This headline caught my attention immediately, being that I have long been a student of Roman history. It is a play on the last words of Julius Caesar as he was assassinated at the Roman Senate on the Ides of March, 44 BC, "Et tu Brute" or "you too Brutus?". It was a statement that would become immortal as a synonym for betrayal as Brutus thrust his dagger into the withering body of Caesar. Why would the MOAA head their discussion of military health issues with such a graphic and volatile reference? Perhaps because the situation demanded it.<br />
<br />
The managers of our trust, the government of the United States of America, have failed pitifully and have squandered the tremendous gift that "the greatest generation" gave to us — a nation virtually independent of foreign influence. Today, we are becoming mere pawns on the world stage being sucked dry of our vastly accumulated wealth through a sea of errant thinking and mismanagement. We have become a reactive nation rather than a noble leader in virtually all areas other than military. We still possess the most effective fighting force the world has ever seen—what a shame that our diplomatic and economic skills are not up to that level. The former Captains of Industry are seen as plunderers in the New World Order and it's a blessing to them that they all died long ago. Most of their profit making ventures have been driven offshore by a national mentality where consumption trumps production, legitimate profit is assailed as social corruption and incentives to work are replaced by incentives not to work. Those of us still dealing in Horatio Alger fashion with the idiocy of life simply get to stand by and watch our legacy vanish through self indulgence in the name of egalitarianism.<br />
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The socialistic largesse of government has buried us so far in debt that the wolves are at the door baying for lunch, and that is what the MOAA article is all about. It is a synopsis of Washington infighting over the military budget and nothing is so sacred these days as to escape being offered as a sacrificial cow to the gods of finance. One of the most sacred promises that the U.S. Government made to all career military personnel was a retirement system that promised health care for life. There were no caveates or warnings that this was a tentative offer, it was an outright promise that the sort of health care that we received while on active duty would be provided for us in our retirement years. Now, the Senate Armed Services Committee is playing the part of Brutus, standing in the Senate hall with a dagger about to draw blood from an old friend and indeed its mentor. The committee is recommending that the military retirement system should be more like civilian retirement plans—in particular concerning healthcare. Of course everyone knows what great shape the civilian retirement health care plans are in.<br />
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That train wreck notwithstanding, it might seem that this would be an improvement over the current Tri-Care system. Tri-Care is so pathetic in its ratio of approved payments versus billed services that a frightening number of health care providers will not accept Tri-Care patients. For those living in rural America, the nearest provider that accepts Tri-Care may be hours away from where one lives and choice is a pipe dream. One is lucky to have coverage at all. I actually wrote to one of my Senators about this problem and it was forwarded to the Pentagon's chief of health care services. Springfield, Missouri is the nearest large city to our home (90 miles) and there are three major hospitals there. All three have rejected Tri-Care coverage. The letter I received in reply from the Pentagon was a curt admonition to stop complaining. No great surprise I suppose.<br />
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Unfortunately, the net result of the Senate committee recommendation would be added cost to the military member and a further erosion of the promise. It gets even worse when a retired military member turns 65. Part of my military retirement package was medical care for life for myself and for my spouse during my lifetime. The provider was "Tri-Care". Over time, the government added a provision that when a retiree turns 65, the primary provider shifts from Tri-Care to Medicare. That didn't seem so bad, since the coverage was similar, but they also started deducting nearly $100 per month from my Social Security check to pay for the Medicare premium. So much for the free medical promise. Now, they are raising the per month fee over the next couple years to some uncertain level (but certainly more). While the actual premium that will be paid in 2014 is a matter of debate, and will undoubtedly be less than the $247 claimed by ultra-conservatives, there is little doubt that I will be paying more per year for my "free" medical coverage and we will soon have to pay double that per year to retain coverage on my spouse who currently is free under my retirement plan. And, we have no choice in the matter -- the switch from Tri-Care to Medicare is mandatory. That, in my estimation, is a broken promise. This may seem like sour grapes, but all the years that I served in the military they factored in my retirement health care benefit as a part of my total compensation and paid me less because of it. In other words, they treated it like cash in my pocket. Now they are stealing the cash that I worked for and banked as retirement compensation. <br />
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As military retirees were nostalgically carving Turkey this week in Thanksgiving, our elected officials were busy carving up the promises made decades ago. In that light, how can any of us really have faith in the promises made today?F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-34068498951185873992011-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:002011-10-30T14:21:19.225-07:00God Bless John Culberson<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbTbtNvoAo8/Tq2zHx6IqgI/AAAAAAAAAG8/H0H8C2AQaJs/s1600/John_Culberson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbTbtNvoAo8/Tq2zHx6IqgI/AAAAAAAAAG8/H0H8C2AQaJs/s1600/John_Culberson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Culberson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>An editorial in the <i>Washington Post</i> of October 28 caught my eye with the headline: <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/28/veterans-allowed-to-rest-in-peace/">"Veterans allowed to rest in peace."</a> At first, I thought it was a story about repatriation of recently recovered remains of veterans lost during combat. There are thousands of these cases still being worked by the Joint Prisoners of War, Missing in Action Accounting Command (JPAC), including the case on William Edward Cramsie. But, no, this was about something even more head-turning. It really is a little mind numbing and heart warming at the same time.<br />
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A couple months back, I received an email forwarded from a friend. It was a report about the Obama Administration forbidding prayer and other religious references at VA Cemetery services. Not only that, there were reports of veteran groups like VFW and American Legion getting hassled by a VA Cemetery manager and threatened with expulsion for using a reference to God in what they said during presentations to a widow. I thought this so bizarre that I immediately put it in the category of skinhead propaganda and hit the delete button. When I realized that this <i>Post</i> editorial was about that very topic, I was shocked back to reality. I know that the Post is sometimes a bit biased, though in my personal view with some justification, but I could not believe that they would have bought into something like this without confirmation. <br />
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As I read on, it became obvious that the story was true. Now, I'm not saying that I believe everything that I read in the media, I'm just a tad less gullible than that. What sealed the veracity for me was the report of John Culberson's involvement. I happen to know and trust Mr. Culberson through my work with a non-profit advocacy group. Representative Culberson (TX-7) has helped us on many occasions and is one of an honored few who have been recognized with our highest "Friend" award. That aside, I read with considerable interest how he jousted with the Administration to change VA policy back to the sane traditional path that it had followed for as far back as my memory reaches, and that's getting to be a far reach. I won't go into the details because the <i>Post</i> article is linked above and all can read it for themselves. However, I did want to say here that its refreshing when a legislator has the will to engage and the audacity to demand redress of government excess. This was not about religion it was about liberty. We have become far too PC in America and are throwing out the baby with the bath water. I wish we had more leaders who respect and tolerate personal rights and freedoms and less who insist on defining and enforcing a uniform code of existence.<br />
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God Bless John Culberson!F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-58227273217094124652011-05-30T12:13:00.000-07:002013-11-19T18:30:36.306-08:00In Memory - an ArchiveMemorial Day seems an appropriate time to report the growth of an activity that honors the service of those who served and those who died serving during WWII. Two years ago, at the 416th Bomb Group reunion in Branson, Missouri, a topic arose that had been on the minds of many veterans and their kin in recent years. The tangible links that many of us who served keep squirreled away in a chest (personnel records, photos, military orders and the like) tend to disappear at the end of our tenure here. To those who hold these sorts of items dear, it is a tragedy. We find it hard to imagine that a younger generation might not find some or all of these remembrances important enough to preserve. Yet, every day, somewhere in America, history is destroyed in a burn barrel along with the kitchen trash. As a nation, we go to great lengths to preserve the smallest of objects from antiquity, but seem oblivious to the monumental importance of objects nearer to us in time.<br />
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Shortly after that 2009 reunion, I was copied on an email from a veteran's spouse that went out to several of the organizers of the very informal 416th Bomb Group Association. The message reinforced what had been discussed earlier. This spouse had numerous records and photos that belonged to her husband, a member of the 416th Headquarters staff from the earliest days to the end of the war. There apparently was marginal interest in this material among the surviving family members and it needed to be cleared to make space in a downsizing operation. After a round of email exchanges, I rather reluctantly volunteered to serve as a repository for this information until a suitable permanent home could be identified. It was a selection pool of one. Thus was born the 416th Bomb Group Archive and the loosely defined title "Archivist".<br />
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Since that day, the amount of information about the 416th Bomb Group that has come to light has been absolutely staggering. The discovery and sharing of the personal photo collection of Capt. Francis J. Cachat, the 416th photographer, has added well over 900 hitherto unknown photographs of 416th personnel and equipment. A windfall of data was added to the Archive through the thoughtfulness of an Air Force Historical Research Agency employee who made digital copies of wartime 416th records available. Also enriching the Archive were donations of material from several veterans and/or their families. This latter group shed considerable light on the history of squadron and group reunions dating back to 1946.<br />
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In addition to the preservation of primary sources, the Archive includes significant research tools. Among the most important of these is the <a href="http://416th.com/">416th.com</a> website, which has been very greatly expanded and is growing almost daily due to the dedicated effort of Rick Prucha, the son of a 416th pilot. Relational databases have also been created to record details of unit personnel (currently recording 2,460 officers and enlisted members) and 310 unit aircraft (181 A-20s and 129 A-26s to date). Both of these databases continue to grow as additional records or photos are analyzed and new verifiable information becomes available.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orNfklOCAZ0/TePjmLZKgqI/AAAAAAAAAG4/bwmIAYiI8ZY/s1600/anri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orNfklOCAZ0/TePjmLZKgqI/AAAAAAAAAG4/bwmIAYiI8ZY/s400/anri.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>New Home of the 416th Bomb Group Archive</b></td></tr>
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The primary purpose of any archive is to safely store material for research. Obviously, that means a place to store and a place to work. An opportunity recently presented itself for my wife Doris and I to purchase what was formerly the Gainesville, Missouri City Hall. It's an historic WPA building built in 1935 as a Community Center just off the town square. Gainesville is nestled in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks, about 50 miles east of Branson, MO. Our intention is to restore the building to something approximating its original state. A dedicated area within this building will house the 416th Archive. Also within the building will be a library and educational center for the study of historical objects from an earlier era.<br />
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Eventually, the Archive will need a permanent home. With limited and shrinking budgets (and staff), the academic repositories that once would have been likely candidates are overwhelmed by the amount of material that has emerged as WWII veterans are leaving us at an accelerating pace. By holding, organizing and preserving this information about the 416th, one small but important unit in the great war effort of almost 70 years ago, we can improve the viability of this archive complementing that of a more enduring institution in years to come.<br />
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416th veterans, family, or friends with items to donate or copies to share may telephone 417-499-9831 or write to Wayne G. Sayles, 416th Bomb Group Archive, P.O. Box 911, Gainesville, MO 65655F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-2063141159963001912011-05-28T21:50:00.000-07:002011-05-28T22:09:29.407-07:00Wethersfield Revisited<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Yesterday, I wrote about our trip to Ballymoney, the ancestral home of Bill Cramsie. During this ten-day trip to Ireland, we took a couple days to fly over to Wethersfield, Essex, where Bill had been stationed at the time of his death. I had been to Wethersfield in March of 2010 and wrote about that visit </span></span><a href="http://cramsie.blogspot.com/2010/05/wethersfield.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">. Thanks to the perceptive intuition of Sally Stewart, one of the employees that I met in the site Administration building, I was able also to meet her husband Ross who is a Chief Inspector in the Ministry of Defense Police (MDP) at this base. Ross has been studying the history and evolution of the base for many years. He subsequently purchased a copy of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">First to Fall</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> on </span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1879080060"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Amazon.com</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> and we became well acquainted through a regular flow of emails. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The reason for the visit this year was to meet with Ross and discuss progress on a project that he is shepherding. During my visit last year, I left a copy of First to Fall with the personal secretary to the facility commander. The book caught the attention of MDP senior management and before long Ross was tasked to conduct a feasibility study into the possibility of finding and, if possible, recovering 43-9699 and its crew. One of the first tasks under this order was to brief the US Air Force contingent in Britain, as well as teleconferenced individuals at the Pentagon. This was done with aplomb and before long the Department of Defense showed active interest in the project that Ross had dubbed "9699". Meanwhile, Ross selected a small team of interested staff to gather and evaluate data related to the mission of April 10, 1944. I was fortunate to meet two additional team members during this visit.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">During the past five months, I've been in close touch with the "9699" team at Wethersfield and have assisted whenever possible by searching for and studying available mission records and related facts that may shed light on the precise location where Bill Cramsie's plane went down. It has been an exciting time and I was delighted by the opportunity to see Ross again and to expand my personal knowledge of the base. As guests of Ross and Sally Stewart, Doris and I were allowed to stay in former military quarters on the base. From our window, we could see the bronze 416th Bomb Group plaque that Frank Basford had installed adjacent to the chapel many years ago. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The MDP at Wethersfield made Doris and I feel like very special guests and the personal attention paid to us by the Stewart family was absolutely extraordinary. Through their kind hospitality, we were able to meet their daughter Sarah, just days after presenting Ross and Sally with their first grandchild. We also were able to spend a little time with Richard and Susan Clubley of Church Hill House at Wethersfield, friends with whom I stayed during the 2010 visit. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exoUTmA1Q3Q/TeHJ1BfwzmI/AAAAAAAAAGs/4xbGpeOd4Oc/s1600/Doris%253ARoss%253AWayne%253ASally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-exoUTmA1Q3Q/TeHJ1BfwzmI/AAAAAAAAAGs/4xbGpeOd4Oc/s400/Doris%253ARoss%253AWayne%253ASally.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Doris Sayles, Ross Stewart, Wayne Sayles, Sally Stewart</span></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">With the help of Ross, who is intimately familiar with the buildings, roads, and structures on the base, I became much better acquainted with the nature of this facility during WWII. We visited the area where the 671st Bomb Squadron was quartered and marveled at the way nature has reclaimed that piece of land in the past 67 years. All that remains of the once booming compound are a series of air raid shelters, some concrete foundations for Nissen Huts and the remnants of communal toilets/showers. The interconnecting concrete sidewalks also remain. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fdJkSd6JNmY/TeHNNQFsKaI/AAAAAAAAAGw/FoIhIXVheUI/s1600/IMG_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fdJkSd6JNmY/TeHNNQFsKaI/AAAAAAAAAGw/FoIhIXVheUI/s400/IMG_0400.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Air Raid Shelter in the 671st Bomb Sq. quarters area remains intact</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">In the 668th squadron quarters area, there are still a few Nissen Huts standing. There are also several buildings near the flight line that were in use during the 416th tenure at Wethersfield.</span></span></span></b><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stohVzQIHnQ/TeHOpy44DAI/AAAAAAAAAG0/RLdHmy2q5x4/s1600/IMG_0450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stohVzQIHnQ/TeHOpy44DAI/AAAAAAAAAG0/RLdHmy2q5x4/s400/IMG_0450.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Surviving Nissen Hut in the 668th Bomb Sq. living area</span></b></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The trip to Wethersfield was a great success and I'm pleased to report that "Project 9699" is very much alive and well, with a strong commitment on both sides of the Atlantic. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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</div>F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-50730578715184591322011-05-27T17:18:00.000-07:002011-05-28T16:56:49.148-07:00A Visit to BallymoneyOn May 6, 2011 my wife Doris and I visited Ballymoney, Country Antrim, Ireland the ancestral home of William Edward Cramsie. Ballymoney, in the Irish tongue, means city by the marsh. It's a small and quaint but bustling little village in the north of Ireland about a one hour train ride northwest from Belfast. Ballymoney rests within one of the famous Glens of Antrim. A Glen, we learned, is a long valley that leads all the way to the sea. The scenery and atmosphere are remarkable.<br />
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Our primary purpose in this visit was to determine if any relatives of Bill Cramsie might be interred at this place where his grandfather was born. The first and most important clue was that the family was Irish Catholic, which is not the dominant persuasion in Ulster now and was not during the lifetime of Bill's grandfather and great grandfather. In fact, there was at that time a Protestant branch of the Cramsie family living in Ballymoney as well. There is, however, in this place a Roman Catholic Church with deep roots. It is the church of Our Lady and St. Patrick. Adjacent to the church is a cemetery divided into three parts, mostly by chronology. Within the oldest of these sections we located the graves of what we feel must be at least three members of Bill Cramsie's family. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXbLWYR-D4/TeA0achaPWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/3XqiAMjkgjw/s1600/IMG_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KmXbLWYR-D4/TeA0achaPWI/AAAAAAAAAGU/3XqiAMjkgjw/s400/IMG_0155.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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When we arrived at the train station in Ballymoney, we asked if there was a civic information center. It turns out that there is and it is also the home of a local museum, which we enjoyed very much. The local historical society shares space in this building and the keeper kindly unlocked the cabinets with genealogical information. We perused the many documents there with great interest.<br />
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Locating the Roman Catholic Church was relatively easy and it took only minutes for us to review all of the marked graves in the old section. We located one grave belonging to a Patrick Cramsie who died in 1832 at age 57. This same stone mentions an Edward Cramsie who died in 1886 at the age of 60 years. This Edward would have been from the same generation as William Cramsie the grandfather of Bill.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Of0r25pZuXw/TeA1PCez8GI/AAAAAAAAAGY/SmPmv4pbYi4/s1600/IMG_0171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Of0r25pZuXw/TeA1PCez8GI/AAAAAAAAAGY/SmPmv4pbYi4/s640/IMG_0171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Immediately adjacent to that grave was one of a John Cramsie who died in 1884 at the age of 84 years. The headstone also mentions his son Edward (different from above) who was born in 1860. It seems likely that this John Cramsie was perhaps an uncle to the William Cramsie who migrated to the gold fields of California in the 1850s<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yet a third stone mentions another member of the Cramsie family named John, who was apparently married to an Isabella McNeill. The names Patrick, Edward and John are very common within Bill Cramsie's family and coupled with the Roman Catholic connection, there would seem to be little doubt that these are the graves of relatives.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The West Point ring of Bill Cramsie made this journey with us and I couldn't resist the impulse to introduce Bill to these early Ballymoney relatives. The ring has always accompanied me on all of the related excursions from 416th Bomb Group reunions to New York, to West Point to Wethersfield and now to Ireland and many other places along the way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The church of Our Lady and St. Patrick is currently undergoing extensive renovation and is surrounded by scaffolding. It is a beautiful church in an idyllic rural setting—a fitting resting place and a direct link to the past. In the foreground here are the first two headstones mentioned above.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>This phase of our trip was all that it could possibly have been. But that is not all of the story. We flew from Ireland to the RAF Wethersfield base (now MOD Police) for a brief visit and I will share some aspects of that interesting visit soon.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5093363350805894852.post-28282615557407186482011-04-10T12:08:00.000-07:002011-05-29T11:58:20.380-07:00Bill Cramsie DayApril 10, 1944 was perhaps not exceptional in the wider course of human events, but it was a day of huge loss and great tragedy for the 416th Bomb Group. What should have been a routine mission to wipe out a V-1 Buzz Bomb site in northern France turned into a nightmare for the 36 ships and crews that participated. Two crews were lost and never recovered. Their names are engraved on the Wall of the Missing at Madingley Cemetery (the American Battlefield Monuments Commission cemetery near Cambridge, England).<br />
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1/Lt William E. Cramsie<br />
S/Sgt Charles R. Henshaw<br />
S/Sgt Jack Steward<br />
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1/Lt Arthur A. Raines<br />
S/Sgt Glenn J. Bender<br />
S/Sgt Jack O. Nielson<br />
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Virtually every A-20 Havoc participating in that mission received battle damage due to the intense flak encountered in three deadly passes over the target at Bois des Huit Rues.<br />
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Bill Cramsie is of course the subject of this blog and of the biography <i>First to Fall.</i> I have no doubt in my mind that he would object to being singled out for distinction today. Every comment that I have ever read or heard about Bill reveals a person of genuine humility and loyalty. He was also a person of intense dedication with a strong sense of duty. <br />
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Recently, I received a photograph from Francis J. Cachat that I'm pleased to share here. Fran was the 416th Bomb Group photographer at RAF Wethersfield during the time that Bill was there. Easter fell on the 9th of April in 1944 and Fran photographed Easter Mass at the Catholic Chapel on base. Like many of the buildings of that period, the chapel was a large Nissen shelter, known commonly to Americans as a "Quonset Hut". In Fran's photo, Bill Cramsie kneels before the altar receiving communion from Chaplain Penticoff. It seems a fitting prelude for this devout Irish Catholic's impending trials only a day later.<br />
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Today, it is fitting that we remember the life and devotion of William Edward Cramsie and those fellow members of the 416th that fell victim to the guns of Bois des Huit Rues. It is a very small act on our part to recognize the sacrifice that they and their families made in the cause of a free world.F2Fhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15947934521308527167noreply@blogger.com0