Personnel

CREW



LT JOHN T. RAY                P KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

LT RICHARD H. REED          CP  KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

LT  DAVID I. DUNNING     NAV KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

T/SGT ALEXANDER DEC           KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

T/SGT LLOYD L. BALL            KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

S/SGT MILTON D. JOHNSON, JR  KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

S/SGT WILLMER C. FANKHANEL   KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

S/SGT JOSEPH F. PERKINS        KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS

S/SGT CLAUDE W. SEIFERT       KIC 20 FEB 43 WALLA WALLA, WS



351ST SQDN…..THIS CREW WAS KILLED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT AT WALL WALLA.  IT WAS THE ONLY FATALITIES THE 100TH EXPERIENCED ON TRAINING PEROID. (NEARLY SIX MONTHS)



VANCE R. BOSWELL, THE REGULAR BOMBARDIER, HAD A COLD ON 20 FEB 43 AND DID NOT FLY. LT BOSWELL JOINED THE CREW OF SAM TURNER AND WAS INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND..





 a message dated 2/10/2009 8:53:04 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, perkins1b@charter.net writes:

My brother, S/SGT Joseph F. Perkins, waist gunner, was killed, along with all the crew in a training accident flying out of Walla Walla, February 20, 1943.  He was my oldest brother.  I was 5 years old at the time.  The bombardier on that training crew,  Vance Boswell, had a cold and couldn't fly.  He went on to fly in Europe with quite a history himself.  I am enclosing a picture of my brother, Joe, and a picture of the Vance Boswell crew.  I don't know where either of these pictures were taken.



Thank you



David Perkins

Fort Worth, Texas

LT John Thomas Ray

BIRTH	19 Jun 1915

DEATH	11 Feb 1943 (aged 27)

Columbia County, Washington, USA

BURIAL	

Riverview Abbey Mausoleum and Crematory

Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA

PLOT	Azalea Corridor, North Wall, Tier 3

MEMORIAL ID	77875732 ·