After months of training, the 354th Fighter Group arrived in England in the fall of 1943. The pilots were eager and confident. It was evening by the time we arrived at our first base where an equally eager commander of the Ninth Fighter Command, General Pete Quesada, met us. We were the first fighter group of the Ninth Air Force. The 90+ pilots and hundreds of auxiliary personnel listened to the General the following morning.
"You are a well-trained group and we expect great things from you", said the General. His next comment caught our attention. "Not all of you will make it". The General was right as evidenced by this section. Still, in the next year and a half, not one pilot asked out. Replacements absorbed the confidence of veterans so that morale stayed high. This is a long list, but it was tempered by our success of victories in a 5 to 1 ratio to losses.
We were the leading group in the European Theater in aerial victories.
The brave men on this list paid the ultimate price in earning the
Final Victory!
We shall never forget them!
S/Sgt Claude F. Anderson
1st Lt. John E.Bakalar
2nd Lt. Ray Basham
Maj. Don M. Beerbower
1st Lt. George H. Birkner
Pfc Merle R. Bittner
F.O. Robert J. Black
2nd Lt. Richard J. Boes
2nd Lt. William E. Boyden
1st Lt. Benjamin Q. Bredehop
2nd Lt. Billy B. Bronston
2nd Lt. John V. Brown
Capt. Richard H. Brown
2nd Lt. Fred G. Buckner
2nd Lt. William H. Bush
2nd Lt.James B. Campbell
2nd Lt. John D. Carpenter, Jr.
2nd Lt. Jack H. Carr
2nd Lt. Gordon W. Chapman
Cpl. William S. Collins
2nd Lt. Alfred C. Cooper
2nd Lt. John M. Cortright, Jr.
2nd Lt. Rudolph A.Daudert
Capt. Clifford H.Davis
2nd Lt. Yong M. Davis, Jr.
2nd Lt. Frank D. Davy
1st Lt. Theodore Dichter
Cpl. Reynold J. Difilipe
1st Lt. Alfred J. Disiere, Jr.
2nd Lt. Theodore E. Ditewig
2nd Lt. Edward B. Dixon
Pvt. Thomas Dooley
2nd Lt. Jim E. Duncan
1st Lt. Alexander B. Durkee
2nd Lt. William T. Elrod
Capt. Wallace N. Emmer
1st Lt. Russell W. Erb, Jr.
1st Lt. Joseph E. Fisher, Jr.
2nd Lt. Edward F. Fox
2nd Lt. Harold L. Gray
2nd Lt. Alvin E. Gronbach
1st Lt. Charles, F. Gumm, Jr.
2nd Lt. Dan J. Haas
Sgt. Max A. Hail
2nd Lt. James D. Harbers
Capt. William G. Hargis
2nd Lt. William F. Harker
1st Lt. Billie D. Harris
1st Lt. Robert B. Harrison
2nd Lt. Vincent J. Hart
2nd Lt. Kenneth J. Herman
1st Lt. Norman E. Hill
2nd Lt. Joseph R. Holcomb
2nd Lt. Phillip J. Holmberg
1st Lt. Donald K. Hopkin
1st Lt. Leon A.C. Huffman
1st Lt. Richard C. Hughes
Capt. Edward E. Hunt
Capt. Charles C. Johnson III
2nd Lt. Alexander Johnston
2nd Lt. Stewart J. Jones
2nd Lt. Paul W. Kallas
2nd Lt. James W. Kerley
2nd Lt. Wah K. Kong
2nd Lt. Billy J. Lamb
2nd Lt. Paul A. Leydens
2nd Lt. Carl A. Lind
2nd Lt. Joseph W. Litherlard, Jr.
2nd Lt. Nevatt G. Logan
2nd Lt. Harry L. Lordi, Jr.
2nd Lt. Frank J. Lutomski
1st Lt. Arthur V. Mares
2nd Lt. Earl H. Marshall
2nd Lt. James D. Mason
1st Lt. Norman B. Mayse
1st Lt. Don McDowell
Capt. Stewart L. Mims, Jr.
1st Lt. Charles W. Moore
2nd lt. Patrick E. Moran
2nd Lt. Donald J. Murger
1st Lt. John B. Nall, Jr.
1st Lt. George J. New
Capt. Orville Oldham, Jr.
2nd Lt. Robert A. Park
2nd Lt. Robert M. Parkins
1st Lt. James J. Parson
2nd Lt. Frank J. Pavelik
2nd Lt. Ernest H. Pearson
1st Lt. William R. Perkins
2nd lt. Richard Peterson
2nd Lt. Edward E. Phillips
1st Lt. Edwin H. Pinkerton
2nd Lt. Robert K. Porter
2nd Lt. John W. Postle
2nd Lt. Harold S. Price
2nd Lt. Rene J. Ramos
2nd Lt. Verne W. Rhing
F.O. Daniel L. Richards
1st Lt. John Rody
1st Lt. Edward H. Rushmore
1st Lt. Edward R. Ryan
2nd Lt. John P. Ryan, Jr.
2nd Lt. Charles W. Ryland
2nd Lt. James A. Scarboro
Sgt. Harold B. Schmidt
Maj. Owen M. Seaman
2nd Lt. Marvin J. Shavlan
2nd Lt. Robert G. Silva
1st Lt. William J. Simmons
S/Sgt. Gerhart M. Sogge
2nd Lt. Richard A. Stayton
2nd Lt. Douglas E. Stearns
1st Lt. Walter H.Steiner, Jr.
2nd Lt. Clarence H. Stewart
1st Lt. Melvin E. Thayer
2nd Lt. Jack B. Turk
1st Lt. Ralph J. Tyler
1st Lt. Mark 0. Tyner
Sgt. Francis J. Vacirca
1st Lt. William J. Walbrecker
1st Lt.Calvin S. Walker
2nd Lt. Robert B. Warner
2nd Lt. Frank E. Weber
2nd Lt. Russell R. Weldon, Jr.
2nd Lt. Charles F. Whalen
2nd Lt. Ernest J.A. Widlund
High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth. Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung. High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air ....
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue. I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod.
The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
John Gillespie Magee, Jr., American Volunteer RCAF, KIA, 11 December 1941