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11/9/2009: October 2009 National Reunion a Huge Success!
Read all about it in the Oct 2009 Newsletter
3/2/2009: 90th Bomb Group 2009 Annual Reunion
Dayton, Ohio
Oct 28-Nov 1, 2009
Details of the National Reunion are coming together!
We have worked hard to ensure this reunion has the right balance of fun activities and relaxation and we’re sure everyone will have a great time. Read all about it in the 90th Bomb Group Associations, Feb 2009 Newsletter. Available online.
10/24/2008: A GREAT REUNION!!!
2008 NATIONAL REUNION
OCTOBER 15th Through 18th
Alexandria, Virginia The size of the turnout was quite unexpected immediately after the May, 2008 was published. The Eastern and Western minis had little res-ponse and those who did attend the Eastern mini seemed exhausted by the experience despite a fine program. Bob Ford withdrew his offer to host the 2009 reunion in San Antonio thinking that the minis were forecasting similar results for both the 2008 and 2009 reunions. He is seldom wrong in his assessments. But similar things did not happen at the 2008 national reunion. He was not the only one taken by surprise. Read about the reunion and more in the
90th Bomb Group Association's October 2008 News Letter
8/22/2008: Selvin Fox's 47 Mission Diary
Between Oct 1944 and May 1945 Peter J. Soltis, gunner on Edward Lloyd crew, recorded 47 missions; Mission 1 Wewak, New Giunea 10-21-44 We took off 11:15 loaded with 8x1000 bombs and our target was Jap personnel, ammo, and gas dumps. Read more...
6/6/2007: 90th Bomb Group Assoc 2008 News Letter
Now available online!
Feb 2008, Jolly Rogers News Letter Published by the 90th Bomb Group Association. Archives:
May 2007 Jolly Rogers News Letter
5/27/2007: NEW! Updated Airmen Section
With nearly 5000 names on "The Jolly Rogers Who's Who" it's difficult to find out what has changed. NOT ANY MORE! With this new feature it's easy. From the UPDATED AIRMEN list the newest updates are just a click away.
5/26/2007: Wreck of the B-24D
Pilot Lt. Norman R. Crosson (rescued December 15, 1942)
Co-Pilot Lt. J Dyer (KIA February 9, 1943)
Crew Lt. Wilson (rescued December 15, 1942)
Crew Lt McKeon (KIA December 3, 1942)
Crew Lt Hilton (KIA December 3, 1942)
Crew Clp Gurdas (KIA December 3, 1942)
Crew Lt. Workman (KIA December 3, 1942)
Crew Lt. Speltic (KIA February 24, 1943
Crew Lt. Grimes (KIA aprox. December 25, 1942)
Ball Turret Grady Gaston (rescued March 23, 1943)
Crashed December 3, 1942 Full article http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/41-23762.html
5/26/2007: Kenneth Newton Walker Citation
Kenneth N. Walker
Brigadier General, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # 0-012510
Headquarters, V Bomber Command
Entered the Service from: Colorado
Died: 12-Dec-45
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery
Manila, Philippines
Awards: Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart Read the entire citation article here; Kenneth N Walker Citation
5/25/2007: World War II bombers on new tour of duty
By Jason Green
MediaNews
Article Launched: 05/18/2007 01:43:57 AM PDT For 86-year-old Bill Hodges, seeing the massive olive-green World War II bomber on the Hollister Airport tarmac was like running into an old friend. Was the former B-24 Liberator pilot ready for another flight in the workhorse that helped turn the tide of World War II? "Hell, yeah," he said softly. Hodges, along with Women Airforce Service Pilots veteran Barbara Squire, rode aboard the B-24 to Moffett Field on Wednesday. The last-of-its-kind Liberator was accompanied by a B-17 Flying Fortress and B-25 Mitchell bomber. Read the full article here
5/10/2007: Helenga Crew Updated
5/9/2007: Texas Terror Crew Info Updated
USAAF B-24 Liberator, #41-23825, known as "Texas Terror", of the 400th Bomb Squadron of the 90th Bomb Group, crashed into the southern side of Mount Straloch on Hinchinbrook Island on 18 December 1942 during a violent storm. It was being flown from Amberley to Iron Range by 1st Lieutenant James Gumaer for delivery to the 90th Bombardment Group. Gumaer and his eleven passengers were all killed in the crash. 1st Lt. Gumaer and his 4 crewman had picked up 7 passengers at Garbutt airfield in Townsville on their way to Iron Range.
Full article at... Peter Dunn's "Australia at War"
4/11/2007: Nine servicemen, members of the 63rd Bombardment Squadron, 43 Bombardment Group, missing in action from World War II have been identified and are being returned for burial with full military honors.
read the full story here... The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that nine servicemen missing in action from World War II have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are First Lieutnant William M. Hafner, Norfolk, Virginia; Second Lieutenant Arthur C. Armacost, III, Cincinnati, Ohio; Second Lieutenant David R. Eppright, Warrensburg, Missouri; Second Lieutenant Charles F. Feucht, Reynoldsburg, Ohio; Technical Sergeant Raymond S. Cisneros, San Antonio, Texas; Technical Sergeant Alfred W. Hill, Temple, Oklahoma; Technical Sergeant James G. Lascelles, New York, New York; Staff Sergeant William C. Cameron, Los Angeles, California; and Staff Sergeant Wilburn W. Rozzell, Duncan, Oklahoma. All were members of the 63rd Bombardment Squadron, 43 Bombardment Group.
4/5/2007: Long lost diary provides connection to 90 BG
While looking for information on the 90th Bombardment Group for their reunion, a 90th Space Wing historian, found what he called The Holy Grail.
"As soon as I opened up the folder I realized I'd discovered a treasure," said Staff Sgt. Michael Abrams, 90 SW assistant historian. "The folder itself has a tab on it that's simply marked *'Ben Sheats, Col.' There was no inkling looking on the outside of the folder what was inside."
*note: Col Ben Sheats was the younger brother of T/Sgt Jack L Sheats
read the complete article here...
2/14/2007: Happy Anniversary Honey
Okay... I wouldn't normally be posting personal info here but in this case
I make an exception. Yesterday, I received a parcel from a very special person.
Opening the parcel I found myself holding a very special book and staring at
the Masthead of this website.
 Familiar
to some JR family members this is a beautiful reproduction of one of the 90th BG's
original unit books. Published by Schiffer Publishing, the book is available
to buy online. [ISBN:
0-7643-0258-2]
THANKS HONEY!
1/21/2007: Photo Gallery Goes Live
It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of a long overdue
Photo Gallery here on "The Jolly Rogers Who's Who"
Since
beginning this project in 1999, I have recieved the most wonderful collection
of photos and memoirs from JR's, JR family members and JR well wishers from
all over the world. I am not complaining. keep 'em coming!.
However, as anyone who maintains a site like this will tell you, the only thing more difficult than creating a Photo Gallery is maintaining a Photo Gallery!
 Due in part to the site hosting move to Godaddy.com the
difficulties of both creating and maintaining a gallery have been greatly reduced.
So expect to see the Photo Gallery to grow rapidly.
So... what's next? An Event Calender for
reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Pilot/Crew Pages linking
the airmen more closely to one another and the aircraft they flew. An update
to the aircraft database and that is only the start.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have contributed
photos, stories and lists to the site. So please... come back often and watch
us grow!
Sincerely, John Barrett
Webmaster; JollyRogersWeb.com and
a Jolly Rogers son
1/15/2007: Jolly Rogers Who's Who Returns to the Web
On Jan 15, 2007 the Jolly Rogers Who's Who returned to the internet. Now hosted on Godaddy.com, we look forward to delivering new and improved features like; the airmen "NAME SEARCH" feature. Watch for many new features, including a photo gallery and calendar, over the coming months.
9/1/2006: Drewelow Crew Returned for Burial
B-24D-135-CO "Ready, Willing & Able" Serial Number 42-41135 The remains of a ten-man U.S. Army Air Corps bomber crew, missing in action from World War II, have been recovered, identified and returned to their families in the United States. The crew members of the B-24D Liberator are identified as: 2nd Lieutenants Raymond J. Drewelow, Waterloo, Iowa; Edward M. Sparks, Alton, Kan.; James H. Nelson, Tallulah, La.; George R. Ellison, Danville, Va. Also, Staff Sergeants Joel G. Williams, Meadows of Dan, Va.; Salvatore J. Elhai, Brooklyn, N.Y.; William E. Van Camp, South Bend, Ind.; Arthur J. Swartz Jr., Aurora, Ill.; Sergeants Gilbert F. Smith, Princeton, Ind.; and Anthony G. Scaccia, New Orleans, La. On March 5, 1944, Drewelow was piloting the B-24 on a bombing mission against Japanese targets over the Hansa Bay area of Papua New Guinea. The aircraft and crew disappeared on that mission in heavy thunderstorms. No radio transmissions were ever received from the crew, and subsequent searches did not locate them. After the war, U.S. Army graves registration teams conducted wide searches in New Guinea without success. In early 1989, the former curator [ Bruce Hoy] of the Air War Museum in Port Moresby, New Guinea, notified the U.S. Army Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii (CILHI), that wreckage of a B-24 had been located in Tauta, Madang Province. Between July 1989 and August 1990, three CILHI teams located, investigated and excavated the site, recovering remains and artifacts associated with the crash. The remains were transported to CILHI where the forensic process included the use of mitochondrial DNA to confirm the identification of each of the crewmembers. Of the more than 88,000 American service members still missing in action from all conflicts, 78,000 are from World War II. December 7, 2001
World War II Bomber Crew Buried In Arlington The 10-man crew of a long-missing bomber from World War II was laid to rest yesterday at Arlington National Cemetery, closing the final chapter of a 57-year-old mystery. About 75 of the crew's relatives 97 many of whom were not yet born when the servicemen died 97 attended a somber funeral at Fort Myer. Only one widow of a member of the crew was present, Violet Mertz, 84, of Salina, Kansas. She was given the folded flag from the casket containing the remains of Army Second Lieutenant Edward M. Sparks, of Alton, Kansas. Their son, Douglas Sparks, 57, of Littleton, Colorado, placed a hand on her shoulder in consolation. Mrs. Mertz remarried after Lieutenant Sparks was declared dead in 1946. The remains of the other Army Air Corps soldiers were interred together in another casket. Nine soldiers in full-dress uniforms formally presented flags to their next of kin. Other crew members were Second Lieutenant Raymond J. Drewelow, of Waterloo, Iowa; Second Lieutenant James H. Nelson, of Tallulah, Louisiana; Staff Sergeant Arthur J. Swartz Jr., of Aurora, Illinois; Staff Sergeant Joel G. Williams, of Danville, Virginia; Sergeant Anthony G. Scaccia, of New Orleans; Sergeant William E. Van Camp, of South Bend, Indiana; Staff Sergeant Salvatore J. Elhai, of Brooklyn, New York; Second Lieutenant George R. Ellison, of Danville, Virginia.; and Sergeant Gilbert F. Smith, of Princeton, Indiana. The soldiers served on a B-24D Liberator bomber nicknamed "Ready, Willing and Able," which disappeared in a thunderstorm March 5, 1944, over Papua New Guinea. Piloted by Lieutenant Dremelow, the bomber had taken off with a squadron at 11:17 p.m. from Nadzab, Papua New Guinea, on a mission to bomb Japanese targets in the Hansa Bay area of Papua New Guinea. No one heard from Ready, Willing and Able again. After World War II ended in 1945, a U.S. graves registration unit searched for a crash site or graves of the bomber crew and found nothing. The men were declared dead January 25, 1946. Forty-three years later, European tourists trekking over a mountain range in the Mandang province of New Guinea saw the tail of an old bomber sticking up in the brush. The tail number was that of Ready, Willing and Able. Roger Shortridge of Atlanta yesterday said the wreckage was about 100 feet below the top of the mountain, an indication the bomber was flying too low on that rainy night. Mr. Shortridge's wife, Sandra, is a niece of the crew's bombardier, Lieutenant Ellison. "All we know, he didn't come back," Jeff Elhai, 49, of Richmond, said of his uncle, Sergeant Elhai. Although officials were certain the bomber's tail was that of the missing aircraft, the Army waited until it was certain of the remains and that all crew members were in the wreckage. Between July 1989 and August 1990, three teams of the Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii located, investigated and excavated the site. The remains were transported to Hawaii, where DNA testing confirmed the identity of each crew member. More than 260,000 people, most from wars fought by Americans, are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. About 3,800 of the graves are for former slaves from the Civil War. About 78,000 service members are still listed as missing from World War II. DREWELOW, RAYMOND J
2ND LT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 03/06/1919
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 NELSON, JAMES H
2ND LT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 04/09/1917
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 SMITH, GILBERT F
SGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 03/31/1921
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 SWARTZ, ARTHUR J
SSGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 06/12/1921
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 ELLISON, GEORGE R
2ND LT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/03/1918
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 SCACCIA, ANTHONY G
SGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 07/14/1917
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 SPARKS, EDWARD M
2ND LT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/07/1916
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 WILLIAMS, JOEL G
SSGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 08/27/1921
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 VAN CAMP, WILLIAM E
SGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 10/05/1924
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017 ELHAI, JOSHUA SALVATORE
SSGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 11/18/1916
DATE OF DEATH: 03/05/1944
BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 8017
Posted: 23 January 2002 Updated: 7 June 2004 Updated: 1 September 2006 |
5/7/2003: Roarin' Rosie Crew; James Case and Ray Smeltzer Recieve Silver Stars
May 7, 2003: James Case and Ray Smeltzer awarded Silver Stars.
Two determined teenagers fight to have two War World II veterans awarded Silver Stars that were 50 years overdue.
For Charles and Vicki Gaylord, their most memorable civics lesson didn’t involve a textbook or a classroom. It was taught through a friendship forged by modern technology, a 60-year-old air battle, and a determination that resulted in Silver Star medals for two World War II veterans. Read the complete article "Silver
Stars" by Karen Combs, at Kentucky Living online magazine.
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