I'm working on a 4 foot X 6 foot poster for the Air Museum of Kentucky. I'm taking the 15th AAF Organizational Chart, blowing it up and adding color pictures of the most representative plane and person/crew.

So,

1. Who is the most famous/recognized person/crew of the 454th?
 
2. What is the most recognized/famous plane of the 454th?


Examples:

For my dad's group, the 97th B.G.:

1. Paul Tibbets, Jr.

2. The "All American"

For the 332 F.G. (Redtails):

1. Benjamin O. Davis

2. "By Request"

John

_________________________________________

Son of Herman E. "Ed" Croft,
T/Sgt. Flt. Engineer of Nick Kantar crew # 90
342nd Sqdn., 97th BG (H)
Amendola Airfield Foggia, Italy
9 Oct. ’44 - May 25, ‘45

How about Lt. Col. James A Gunn.  He was Deputy Commander of the 454th BG. Shot down over Ploesti and imprisoned in Bucharest with 1,101 downed airmen. When Romania switched to Allied side, Gunn secured their release with the help of Romania's leading ace fighter pilot and a German Me 109, painted with a large US flag painted on its fuselage and white stars on the wings. Gunn, traveled from Romania to the 15 AF HQ in Italy, crammed inside the radio compartment of the 109. 38 Flying Fortresses were dispatched to Bucharest and took the 1,100+ airmen and returned them to Italy.
There were 6 100+ mission B-24's in the group:
Miss America '44 (42-52312) - 133
Buzz-Job (42-24967 ?) - 126
Dina-mite (42-64466) - 124
Club 400 (41-28808) - 117
Dragon Lady (42-51290) - 116
Easy Take-off (42-78377) - 101

Thanks Jason,

If you had to pick, which of the planes I can find a picture for would you say the guys of the 454th would identify with the most? 

John

_________________________________________

Son of Herman E. "Ed" Croft,
T/Sgt. Flt. Engineer of Nick Kantar crew # 90
342nd Sqdn., 97th BG (H)
Amendola Airfield Foggia, Italy
9 Oct. ’44 - May 25, ‘45

John
Miss America 1944 was one of the original b24's to arrive at San Giovanni AFB. Its the only bomber to be described in any detail in "The Flight of the Liberators" the 454th's book.  However, Winged Victory (42-52300) is described as "one of the group's most celebrated bombers" but no details are provided.
Waist gunner John McGinley is quoted as muttering "God, I miss America already" over the South American jungles of Brazil on the bomber's flight to Italy, Miss America stuck and the bomber christened as such late in on the eve of Dec. 31 1943 with a Varga girl painted by the bombardier.
Unfortunately I don't have any real stories to go with MA 44 or WV maybe someone else can provide some details?
Jason

Thanks Jason!

John

_________________________________________

Son of Herman E. "Ed" Croft,
T/Sgt. Flt. Engineer of Nick Kantar crew # 90
342nd Sqdn., 97th BG (H)
Amendola Airfield Foggia, Italy
9 Oct. ’44 - May 25, ‘45

Thanks Jason! That's plenty good.

John

_________________________________________

Son of Herman E. "Ed" Croft,
T/Sgt. Flt. Engineer of Nick Kantar crew # 90
342nd Sqdn., 97th BG (H)
Amendola Airfield Foggia, Italy
9 Oct. ’44 - May 25, ‘45

My uncle, Charles Schulz, was a member of the crew of Winged Victory - 42-52300 part of the 454th Bomb Group, 739th Bomb Squadron.  The plane was shot down over Bruck, Austria on  Feb.  25, 1944.   I have the  Missing Plane report which gives quite a bit of detail about their last flight.  The crew is listed as Terrence Breidenstein, John Mortenson, Robert Harvey, Joseph Markley,Vernon Cox, Charles Schulz, Michael Zsolcsak, Edward Loftus, Henry Kiesel, Leon Chagnon, and Ross Klinger.  The missing plane report shows that Briedenstein, Mortenson, Loftus and Schulz died in the crash.  They were buried temporarily in Hollenstein, Austria.  They were disinterred in 1946 when the British and American occupation troops came through the region.  The rest of the crew were taken prisoners.

In December of 1943, the crew met the cast of "Winged Victory" which was a play being done in New York at that time and had a chance to see the play.  The crew was scheduled to tour with the play around the country when they returned from overseas.  I have a letter from my uncle telling about their exciting time in New York.