Personnel

CREW



2nd Lt.Gerald R. Putnam   POW  3/3/44 (with crew of R.H. Lohof while serving as the Command Pilot on the 03 March 44 Berlin Mission) Taps: 18 JUNE 1994  -- Highly respected and universally admired 100th Pilot who became the Operations Officer of the 349th Squadron. 



2nd Lt Gerald R. Putnam             P      POW  3/3/44  BERLIN     sn# 0-792348

2nd Lt William A.Donelan, Jr       CP     CPT                               sn# 0-684298

2nd Lt.Donald M.Gilzinger        NAV     CPT                               sn# 0-682319

2nd Lt Paul A.Levy                 BOM     CPT  13/4/44 AUGSBURG sn# 0-676306

T/Sgt Nicholas F.O'Connor       TTE     CPT                               sn# 32551147

T/Sgt John E. Callahan, Jr       ROG     CPT                                sn#31164984  Taps  2 November 1970

S/Sgt George E.Gunther        RWG     CPT                                sn#36361894

S/Sgt Sidney P. Atherton         TG     CPT                                 sn# 6910597  Taps 28 March 1985

S/Sgt Richard A.Corcoran       LWG     CPT                                 sn# 11038415  Taps 22 June 1974

S/Sgt Robert D.Turcotte        BTG     WIA  30/11/43 SOLINGEN  sn# 11085297



The crew as above arrived at Thorpe Abbott in Oct 1943 and were assigned to the 349th Sqdn. See correspondence from

O'Connor's son-in-law,Col.Terry Carlson (Jan.l990)



It appears from records that this crew was assigned to two previous Bomb Groups prior to being assigned to the 100th BG.  Records dated 23 Sep. 1943 that this crew was assigned to the 96th BG at Snetterton Heath.  On 26 Septmeber 1943 we have the Putnam Crew being transferred to the 100th BG (but I believe they were sent to the 94th BG at Bury St. Edmunds due to next order).  On 13 October 1943 Lt Putnam's Crew was transferred from the 94th BG to the 100th BG. This would be a permenant change of Station.



After about 20 missions,Putnam made Operations Officer of the 349th.



Name of their aircraft was "Murderer's Row"  (named by Putnam for the batting order of the New York Yankee's). This ship flown by R.D.Vollmer when lost on 3/3/44  (Berlin)



JANUARY 25, 1944.  LT GERALD PUTNAM WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN-PULLED FROM PILOTING MISSIONS TO TRAIN FOR  SQUADRON AND GROUP LEAD POSTIONS.  EIGHT MEMBERS OF CAPTAIN PUTNAMS ORIGINAL "MURDERER'S ROW" CREW COMPLETED THEIR 25 MISSIONS WITH OTHER CREWS AND WENT HOME.  ROBERT TRUCOTTE, SEVERELY INJURED ON THE 8TH MISSION, REMAINED HOSPITALIZED FOR MONTHS AND EVENTUALLY RETURNED HOME WITHOUT FURTHER MISSIONS.  SIDNEY ATHERTON WENT AWOL IN THE EARLY DAYS AT THORPE ABBOTTS.



Missions of Capt. Gerald R. Putnam (supplied by Nancy Putnam) mpf 2001





1. 03/11/43 WILHEMSHAVEN SUB SHIPYARDS: ON PATHFINDER-POS, #2, SECOND ELEMENT HIGH SQUADRON.  LIGHT FLAK, NO FIGHTER

                      OPPOSTION-MILK RUN

2. 05/11/43 GELSENKIRCHEN OIL REFINERIES. PATHFINDER-OVERCAST-POS #3, LEAD ELEMENT, LOW SQUADRON-HEAVY FLAK, LIGHT

                     FIGHTER OPPOSITON-#3 FUEL LINES HIT BY FLAK & ENGINE FEATHERED. RETURNED WITH GROUP TO DUTCH

                     COAST & THEN ALONE-TOUGH

3. 13/11/43 BREMEN  RR MARSHALLING YARD.  PATHFINDER WENT OUT, DON'T KNOW WHERE WENT, THINK KIEL-MODERAT FLAK

                      40-50 FIGHTERS-NO ATTACKS- B-24'S TAKE BEATING- "FUBAR"

4. 16/11/43 RJUKAN, NORWAY HYDROELECTIC PLANT (PART OF GERMANY'S HEAVY WATER PRODUCTION EFFORT TO DEVELOP ATOMIC

                      WEAPONS).  SINGLE GROUP-VISUAL BOMBING, TARGET DEMOLISHED BY 100TH 1st-NO FLAK OR FIGHTERS MILK RUN

5. 19/11/43 ZUTPHEN  TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY DUE TO WEATHER OBSCURING PRIMARY TARGET, GELSENKIRCHEN.  PATHFINDER

                      ABORTED AT IP, #2 & #4 OIL LINE BUCKS-MODERATE TO HEAVY FLAK-HEAVY ICING IN CLOUDS PREVENT 

                      FIGHTER INTERCEPTION- FUBAR

6. 26/11/43 PARIS   BALL BEARING FACTORY.  VISUAL-CLOUD COVER OVER TARGET-NO BOMBS DROPPED-SEVERAL FIGHTER 

                      ATTACKS- LT G. FORD KNOCKED DOWN-SKIRTED FLAK AREAS. (GEORGE FORD AND FOUR OF HIS CREW

                      BECAME POW's, THREE BECAME EVADEES AND TWO WERE KIA.)

7. 29/11/43 BREMEN  INDUSTRIAL WORKS. PFF-NO FIND TARGET AGAIN-BOMBS DROPPED SOMEWHERE-NO FLAK FIVE FIGHTERS-NO 

                      DAMAGE. "FUBAR"

8. 30/11/43 SOLINGEN  INDUSTRIAL WORKS.  PFF-FOR ONCE IT WORKED-100TH HAD TROUBLE RENDEZVOUSING.  FLEW IN LOW

                     SQUADRON OF 95TH BG, HIT BY FLAK OVER TARGET.  TURCOTTE (BTG) HIT AND STILL IN VERY BAD SHAPE

                    #3 OUT BUT CAN'T FEATHER, #1  TURBOS & #4 PROP RUN AWAY-HEAD BACK ALONE AS USUAL-HIT

                    EVERY LITTLE FLAK AREA ON WAY OUT-FINALLY MAKE IT AFTER MUCH SWEATING-DAWSON (TG) CLAIMS ME109-TOUGH

9. 05/12/43 BORDEAUX  MERIGNAC AIRFIELD.  VISUAL BUT CLOUDS OBSCURE TARGET-NO BOMBS DROPPED, JUST FLEW, NO

                     POSTION-LOST #4 ON WAY BACK, LITTLE FLAK, NO FIGHTERS".

10. 11/12/43 EMDEN   SUB SHIPYARDS. VISUAL-MISSED TARGET BY 4 MILES BUT REST OF FORCE PLASTERED IT. PLENTY

                     FIGHTERS BUT FEW ATTACKS ON US.  390TH BG CATCHES HELL-NO FLAK ON US.

11. 13/12/43 KIEL   SUB SHIPYARDS. PFF-BELIEVE HIT TARGET-FLEW THROUGH HEAVY FLAK-NO FIGHTERS ON US-CLIMB & CRUISE 

                    LOUSY.  DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN POSITION.

12. 16/12/43 BREMEN  CITY.  PFF-HIT TARGET-HEAVY FLAK BUT FEW FIGHTERS-MISSION SUCCESSFUL-GERMANS ADMIT TARGET

                     HIT BEFORE USAAF DOES.  FLEW BETWEEN HILLS OF FLAK-ESCORT LATE-FLEW WITH 95TH BG-ENGLAND CLOSED IN ON 

                     RETURN.

13. 20/12/43 BREMEN  CITY. PFF-AREA WIDE OPEN-BOMB FROM 28,000, HAVING TO CLIMB TO 29,500 TO GET OVER CLOUDS-TARGET

                     ON FIRE AND BLASTED-USUAL BREMEN FLAK BUT NO DAMAGE-FEW FIGHTERS-OUR ESCORT GOOD-MISSION SUCCESSFUL.

14. 22/12/43 MUNSTER  RR MARSHALLING YARDS.  PFF-CLOUD BROKEN BUT TARGET CLOSED-LIGHT FLAK AND NO FIGHTERS

                     BEAUTIFUL ESCORT.

15. 24/12/43 ST JOSEPH au BOIS PAS de CALAIS COAST.  LAUNCH SITES FOR V-1 ROCKETS AIMED AT ENGLAND.  VISUAL FROM 12,000

                     FLEW WITH 390TH BG-WHOLE AREA PLASTERED AND COMPLETE MISSION A SUCCESS-COMPLETE MASTERY OF AIR BY ALLIES.

16. 30/12/43 LUDWIGSHAVEN CHEMICAL WORKS.  PFF-VISUAL UNTIL NEAR TARGET AREA-HEAVY CONCENTRATION OF FLAK FOR  

                     SEVERAL MINUTES OVER TARGET-GROUP HIT BY FW 190's & LOSE TW PLANES-FIGHTER COVER POOR.  FLAK IN SEVERAL 

                     PLACES ON WAY OUT-LONG & FAIRLY ROUGH-LITTLE DAMAGE-HIT TARGET.

17. 04/01/44 KIEL   SUB SHIPYARDS.  PFF-ABOUT 8/10 OVER TARGET BUT TARGET OBSCURRED-FLAK INACCURATE OVER TARGET

                     DUE TO CHAFF & CARPETS-NO FIGHTER ATTACKS OR COVER-LEAD LOW SQUADRON-HIT IN TARGET AREA.

18. 07/01/44 LUDWIGSHAVEN CHEMICAL WORKS.  (LAST MISSION WITH REGULAR CREW)

                    PFF-OVERCAST MOST OF WAY-TARGET OBSCURRED BUT HIT IN TARGET AREA-FLAK HEAVY BUT NOT TOO ACCURATE DUE TO

                    CHAFF & CARPET-NO FIGHTER

19. 20/02/44 BRUNSWICK  CITY.  "DEPUTY GROUP LEAD ON (MAJ. BUCKY) ELTON-BOMBED TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY-FAIR RESULTS 

                     ON DUMMY AIRDROME.

20. 24/02/44 ROSTOCK  TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY-"DEPUTY DIVISION LEAD"-WITH DAVE MINER, TARGET OBSCURED (POSEN),

                     BOMBED S.T. (ROSTOCK)-PFF.  LITTLE FLAK, SOME FIGHTERS-12 HOUR FLIGHT.

21. 03/03/44 BERLIN   "NOTHING NEED BE SAID".  THREE B-17'S WITH CAPTAIN PUTNAM AS COMMAND PILOT DID NOT RECEIVE 

                     RADIO RECALL.  



"MARCH 3 WAS THE DATE, BERLIN THE TARGET.  AS MENTIONED AT THE IN YOUR CHAPTER ON JOHN BENNETT, THE 100TH LOST 3 CREWS THAT DAY-PUTNAM/LOHOF, GOSSAGE, VOLLMER.  I REMEMBER THE OCCASION WELL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SERVED AS ACTING COMMAND PILOT AS GROUP LEADER-HAVING FLOWN DEPUTY LEAD ON TWO OCCASIONS PRIOR TO MARCH 3.  WE WERE LEADING THE 13TH COMBAT WING THAT DAY IN  A BRAND NEW PLANE WITH THE LATEST ELECTRONIC AND BOMBSIGHT EQUIPMENT BUT A VERY DEFECTIVE RADIO.  WHEN THE RECALL WENT OUT, WE DID NOT RECEIVE IT AND VERY SHORTLY FOUND OURSELVES  IN THICK SOUP OVER GERMANY.  AFRAID TO TURN THE GROUP BACK INTO THE FOLLOWING WAVES, WE DECIDED TO CLIMB ON COURSE FOR TEN MINUTES BEFORE TURNING AND HEADING BACK.  BY THAT TIME, WE HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH ALL EXCEPT OUR WINGMEN-GOSSAGE AND VOLLMER.  BEFORE THE 10 MINUTES WERE UP, WE STARTED BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS, JUST IN TIME TO BE MET BY THREE FW-190's COMING AT US FROM THE SUN.  NUFF SAID, THE REST IS HISTORY"

                                                                                      (LETTER FROM GERALD PUTNAM TO HARRY CROSBY JULY 28, 1993)



RECOLLECTIONS OF SIDNEY GOLDENBERG (TTE ON LOHOF CREW)…"THE PILOT ANNOUNCED WE WERE TURNING BACK, SO I DISCONNECTED FROM MY OXYGEN AND WENT TO CHECK ON FUEL.  I HEARD GUNFIRE…PILOT CAME ON INTERCOM AND SAID 'WE'RE HIT, WE'RE GOING DOWN, BAIL OUT!  THERE WERE INJURIES.  I HAD TO PUSH THE BOMBARDIER OUT OF THE HATCH.  WE WERE IN CLOUDS, DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IF WE WERE OVER LAND OR WATER.  IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY , DIFFICULT TO BREATH OR SEE.  COULD SEE LAND JUST BEFORE HITTING GROUND, WAS MET BY ANGRY CIVILIANS.  DURING INTEROGATION THER GERMANS TOLD ME THAT THE WHOLE CREW WAS CAPTURED, THAT THEY KNEW CAPT. PUTNAM WAS NOT MY REGULAR PILOT… I ACTED AS IF I DID NOT KNOW HIM"



Crew on the 3 Mar 44 Berlin mission (The 100th lost 3 A/C)



 Capt Robert H. Lohof                      P POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN TAPS: 28 OCT 1985

 Capt Gerald R. Putnam               COM P POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

          1st Lt Robert L. Phillips, Jr       CP CPT    4 MAR 44 BERLIN  (with Lt William B. Murray Crew, see below)

          1st Lt William E. Vaden         NAV POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

          1st Lt Paul T. Davis              BOM POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

          T/Sgt Guy L. Brown             ROG POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

          T/Sgt Sidney A. Goldenberg  TTE POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

         S/Sgt Vern R. Lines               BTG POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

         S/Sgt Richard L. David           RWG POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

         S/Sgt James M. Butler           LWG POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

         S/Sgt George W. Briggs           TG POW  3 MAR 44 BERLIN

                       (G.W.Briggs died 11 Apr 45 -see POW Dr report below)

         

349th Sqdn.  Arrived at 100th Bomb Group in September 1943.  This crew was on it's 24th mission.  

See lost crews (J.G. Gossage & R.D.Vollmer) of 3 Mar 44 for more information on loss of this aircraft.  

MACR # 3022, Microfiche # 1022  A/C #42-31970

Lt Phillips was bumped off the mission because Capt. Putnam flew as Command Pilot. Lt Phillips flew final two mission with Lt William B. Murray Crew.



All ten men on the Putnam/Lohof Crew safely parachuted into northern Germany and were taken prisoner.  George Briggs the tail gunner died while in captivity.  LT Vollmer was on his 14th mission, flying Capt. Putnams original "Murderers Row".  Five men on this crew were KIA, Vollmer and four others were taken POW.

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According to Dr. Leslie Caplan's M. D.* sworn affadavit  in Minneaplos,MN on Dec 48 & Jan 49, he reports:



At 0200 on April 9, l945 at a barn in Wohlen, Germany, S/Sgt George W. Briggs (Ser #39 193 615, TG of the Capt Robert H. Lohof crew, 

(which crashed March 3, l944 @ Berlin), was suddenly overcome by violent shaking of the entire body & soon went into a coma.  



This patient was sent tp a German hospital. We were under the jurisdiction of POW Camp Stalag IIB & they voluntarily sent this patient to a hospital.  This is in marked contrast to the treatment received when we were under the jurisidiction of Stalag Luft 4 when every hopitalization was either refused or granted after a long series of waiting for gaurds, waiting for permission to see Capt Weinert and awaiting his decision. In spite of the prompt hospitalization, this patient died on April 11, 1945. No doubt this death was largely caused by being weakened on the first march while under the jurisdiction of Stalag 4.



*Dr. Leslier Caplan continued to help ex-prisoners of war until his

death.



National Medial Research Committee

American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc.

1410 Adler Road

Marshfield, WI 54449



AMBC;



S/Sgt George W. Briggs, US Army Air Force, Service #39193615,  

349th Bomb Sqdn, 100th Bomb Group. Entered the service from: Washington.

Buried at Row 37 Grave 12, Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium.

His awards are: The Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.



Hope this helps. Regards

Ken McPherson 8 th AFHS.



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Information from Lt Vollmer to Tim Lohof (Capt Lohof's Son Jan 2002 mpf) 



The other night I called up Robert Vollmer and talked with him for a while. He provided some interesting info for the story of their collective shootdown. He confirmed they were the very tip of the spear that day--nothing but the enemy ahead of them, the entire 8th AirForce behind them. As for the recall of the mission, Vollmer, of course, had received the call, but Capt Lohoh/ Capt Putnam did not. Intent on maintaining radio silence, Vollmer attempted to communicate the fact of the recall to dad/Putnam using what he called a "code gun" aka a "blinker," even now so many years later still showing slight frustration over why they didn't pickup the recall message and why they could not understand his attempts. He had not known that their radio was faulty (per Putnam's letter to Crosby).Neither had he known that they had determined to turn back anyway, first with an initial slight 5-10 degree left course change and climb to get on top of the weather into clear sky. Once clear, they would then complete the turn back and head for home. Of course, no sooner did they finally climbout of the clouds, than they were shot down. Anyway, I attach my quickrecap of my phone conversation with him (filed in Lt Lohof Photo file in Photos 2).



Below you also note George Briggs' death in April 1945. Sid Goldenberg told me one account; I've discovered another differing one in the CasualtyReports completed after liberation by my dad Capt. Lohof and his copilot William Vaden.Goldenberg (and Nancy Putnam, who first related it to me) explained thatafter the SS took over the POW camps from the Luftwaffe in late 1944, things got very serious and tensions built rapidly on both sides. It seems that during a curfew Briggs was sighted outside the barracks and shot by a guard. He died some days later of an infection that had set in. The CasualtyReports, however, have it entirely differently. They indicate that during a forced march Briggs collapsed in an epileptic-type fit and died on a roadsomewhere. Hopefully, I might nail down which is fact as I interview the remaining crew members.





An Account of the Downing and Capture of Capt. Robert Lohof, USAAF, 3 March 1944, Target: BERLIN (by Tim Lohof) mpf 2002



 By February 1944, the 100th Bomb Group's heavy losses had earned it the moniker "Bloody Hundredth" and along with rotations of the few completing their 25 missions-the Lucky Bastards club-had established Dad as the senior crew of the groups 349th Bomb Squadron.  As such, dad and his crew led the way in the #1 postiion of the lead element of the lead squadron (the349th) for the 8th Air Forces first real attemp at a daylight bombing of Berlin on 3 March 1944.  It was Capt Lohof's 23rd mission over enemy territory.  Weather and a tremendous cloud build -up enroute over the North Sea caused the Division leader to finally abort the mission over the Schleswig-Holstein coast.  Dad's radio operator, however, never received the call.  Despite his wingmen's attempts to convince him of the abort, (Gossage in the #2 postion and Vollmer in the #3, both of whom had heard the abort call) and otherwise reluctant to turn back in the weather with the rest of the squadron, group, and armada behind him, Capt Lohof insisted on pressing on with the mission. (note: believe Capt Putnam would have made this decision since he was Command Pilot that day. Mpf) 



 Shortly after Dad's lead element disappeared into the cloud bank that had risen up, other pilots witnessed the bright flash of an explosion and later reported their belief that Dad and Vollmer had collided and debris so damaged Gossage's plane that he, after a radio call to the effect, intended to make an emergency landing in Sweden (he eventually landed in Denmark, believing it was Sweden).  In fact, they had not collided but rather successfully climbed above the clouds to 31,000 feet.  Unfortunately, 6 FW 190's soon spotted the lone trio and in a single pass, raked across the three plane formation to immediately down two B-17's, including Capt Lohof and Vollmer.  Crossing from 8 to 2 O'Clock, the fighters knocked out dad's two starboard engines, causeing the plane to quickly rool over and plumet back into the clouds.  Dad struggled to finally regain control around 19,000 feet and ordered "Bail Out"!  With all apparently out of the plane, he recalled just before going out the cockpit hatch, locking eyes down the passage way with his good friend Wiliam Vaden (Nav) who was standing ready to jump out the open Bomb Bay.  They gave thumbs up to each other and jumped, not knowing the next time they would meet would be 32 years later in 1976 at the 100th BG reunion in Colorado Springs.



 Dad's free-fall lasted for some time, he recalled the absolutely freezing conditions as he fell blindly through constant cloud while delaying deploying his chute at such high altitude.  Finally, anxiety overcame him in the long white out and he pulled his cord, feeling his chute open just as he fell out the bottom of the overcast at only 2000 feet AGL.  He knew he'd already been spotted coming down as he hit the ground somewhere near Bremen.  Ironically, no more than 100 miles east of the Dutch town his father left some forty years before to emigrate to the USA.  He had no time to gather and hide his chute, which othewise blended somewhat well with the patchy snow cover.  He knew too, that he didn't have the heart to shoot anyone with his service revolver in such circumstances and so buried it under dirt and leaves in a hedge. Successfully evading civilian search parties for over 2 hours, he was finally cornered by German farmers, who took him prisoner at the tip of pitchforks.  Back at one farmers house, a call was made for German soldiers to come retrive him. But during the 2+ hour wait, the farmer treated Dad well and took great joy showing him around the farm after learning he had grown up on a Montana/Wyoming sugar beet farm.

 Soldiers at last picket up Capt. Lohof, taking him to Stuttgart for around 1 week's interrogation. Finally told, "for you the war is over", he ended up in Stalag Luft 1 near Barth, Germany, on the Baltic sea coast, where he spent the last fifteen months of the war.  He delighted in recalling that the German s there finally stopped taking American out to the work fields , as invariably half -unlike the other nationalities-would be found missing at day's end trying to escape.  Advancing Russians freed the camp in May 1945.

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Taps

GERALD R. PUTNAM, 349th Dept. Operations Officer 18 June, 1994, of cancer. On the 3 March, 1944, mission to Berlin his twenty-third, Gerry was shot down over Germany and held as a POW for fourteen months. A graduate of Princeton University, Gerry became an advertising and insurance executive in New York City after the war, serving for a time on the staff of McCall's "We served together from the time I enlisted as an aviation cadet on 2 January 1942, until we became members of the 100th Bomb Group. He was an outstanding pilot and one of the brightest people I ever knew. He was a joy to be with and my dear friend. His family and friends shall  miss him dearly." (Bob Rosenthal to Splasher Six)



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S/Sgt Richard L. David

100th BG / 349th BS

 

b. Nov. 18, 1920 - d. Mar. 4 2013 

 

69 years and 1 day after being shot down in Germany over Berlin and being held prisoner for 11 months. 

 He was part of Capt. Robert Lohof's crew on A/C # 42-31970 when they where shot down on a mission to Berlin.

 You may find it interesting to know that I have a letter from my grandfather to my great-grandmother dated November 3, 1943 detailing that he was on the original crew of "Ol' DAD" A/C # 42-3534.  In the letter, my grandfather states that their "Ship" was a B-17G and that the nicknames of the crew were painted in their positions. My grandfather was the RWG. His nickname was "Dick".  He names the pilot as "Crash".  The copilot as "Jockey". Tailgunner "Gramps". Navigator "Foparty". Bombardier, Andy J. "Melonhead". And LWG as "Hoboken.

 

In his letter, he also describes the nose art as a "raunchy character holding a mug of beer".

 

I have searched and searched for information about the original crew of "Ol' DAD" and her artwork, but have yet to come up with anything except the crash and her crew at the time, which my grandfather was not on.  

 

At the time of the crash of "Ol' DAD" (April 1944) my grandfather had already been in a "Luftwaffe hospital near the North Sea" sent to several other p.o.w. camps until ending up in Stalag IVD. (Anneburg near Leipzig). I have a separate letter written by my grandfather detailing the accounts of what happened after his crash in A/C # 42-31970 also.

 

Here is a link to his obituary:

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/obituary/3418306 

 

I thank you for your time.  I know that there are fewer and fewer of these heroes with us everyday and how important it is that they are remembered.

 

God Bless,

Simon Smith

simple0315@aol.com

POW/KIA notes: Was serving as Command Pilot.



Next up, memory of Rosie introducing me to 100th BG vets in late 1990s and early 2000s, by explaining his wartime relationship with my dad.. (Capt Gerald Putnam )..

This happened maybe maybe 5 times over several reunions in late 1990s and early 2000s. The words varied, but message was always the same - if Gerry could be lost, then really for the first time Rosie knew he could be lost, too, that his luck would run out.  Rosie would place a hand on my shoulder and guide me to whoever the vet was that he wanted to introduce. One was definitely John Gibbons, but I can only guess at who others might have been. Rosie, in typical measured language (I can hear the cadence), would start like this: "I want you to meet Nancy Putnam, the daughter of a dear friend of mine who has since passed away... Her father, Gerry Putnam, and I were best friends - we went through training together, flew overseas together and both assigned to the 100th... We had been through it all together. When Gerry was lost, I was truly distraught - if Gerry could be lost, then I could be lost too I was at the Officers Club that evening, to hear about the day's mission, and reports were that Gerry's lead plane was in a mid-air collision, there were no survivors. Death was all around us, but until Gerry was lost, I believed it would always be the "other" guy..."  Rosie would usually point out that it was months before he learned that Dad was a POW and not dead. Rosie a few times made reference to wanting a drink to drown his sorrows, but this was more vague and probably a way of Rosie expressing how upset the news made him. "Gerry was different than the others who had been lost," Gerry is the one who Rosie had been with since day 1 of training in 1941 so it was like losing his brother....Nancy Putnam.