Lt. Dan W. Means 853rd Sq, 491st BG, killed Oct. 2, 1944

I would love to find out more information about my uncle Lt. Dan W. Means 853rd Sq, 491st Bomber Group.  He was a 22 year old pilot when he was killed over Hamm, Germany on Oct. 2, 1944.  My daughter will be visiting his grave at Ardennes American Cemetery, in Belguim in April.  Thanks for any help.  MindyK

2Lt Dan W. Means was the pilot of 42-95104 T8 - (no name listed)  when it failed to return due to flak and crashed at Hamm, Germany.  A free copy of the MACR 9427 is available by contacting Lynn.Gamma@MAXWELL.AF.MIL 
Crew list:
2Lt Dan W. Means (P) KIA
2Lt John L. Clark (CP) KIA
2Lt Edward M. Ainsworth  (B) POW
S/Sgt Lincoln S. Ricker (NT) KIA
T/Sgt Raymond R. Rhodes (TT) KIA
T/Sgt Robert P. Lyons (RO) POW
 S/Sgt Maurice W. Finnegan (LW) KIA
S/Sgt George J. Nimmer (RW) KIA
S/Sgt Britt D. Maxwell Jr (TG) KIA
 
Are you aware that relatives visiting graves in ABMC cemeteries can get a reduction in the cost of their passports? Worth checking  on. Your daughter will certainly come back with a great sense of appreciation for the way Ardennes Cemetery is kept in such immaculate condition. She can check with the ABMC about her visit and can expect kind treatment, as well. If she is going to be there when there is a special event going on, she will be given a seat of honor and recognized also.
 
Have yuo tried to contact the two survivors? If they are still alive, I am sure they would be glad to speak to you about Lt Means. They might be listed in www.whitepages.com although neither name is relatively uncommon, which might lead to many hits. You might check with the 491st BG Association to see if they might be members. Look for a post about Website, Association and Reunions for contacts and links.
 
Vic

Thanks to all of you for this information.  I have several letters written to my grandmother, Dan's Mother from Mrs. Edward M. Ainsworth.  She wanted to know if she had heard from Dan starting Oct. 6, 1944.  The last one was dated Nov. 28 after she had heard the news that Dan was killed.  She still didn't know at that time that her husband was a POW.  I just found his death notice online yesterday.  He died Feb. 26, 2006 at age 85.  It said in the notice that he had been a POW for 13 months.  It would have been wonderful to have talked with him.
 
It was so painful the family never asked for many details, in fact, I had always heard that all of the others had gotten out of the plane but Dan.  This was a shock to find out this was not true.  We had two other names of Lt. Frank Back and Lt. Tanner H. Freeman but they were not on the plane.  Tanner wrote to Grandma for many years but he said it was too hard to talk about, maybe someday he said,  but that day never came.  I will now try to find Sgt. Robert P. Lyons the other POW.
 
I'm sure Dan must not have been over there long, he had been training in Texas.  I wonder where I can find information on other missions he might have flown.  Also in a couple of places I have found him listed as Daniel W. Means.  This is wrong and I will try to get it corrected, he was Dan not Daniel.  Grandma didn't like nicknames so she named him Dan.  I have so many questions and you have given me some great ideas, I'll follow.
 
It is also wonderful to know that my daughter will be treated  kindly at the cemetery.  She is going to go at Eastertime and will take a tiny bit of Kansas soil so Dan will be a little nearer home after all these years.  We will both be doing more research.
 
Thanks again,
Mindy 

Mindy,
There is a publication named "The Ringmasters, 491st Bombardment Group." It is a large unit history book that has day by day mission write ups.  There is one for October 2, 1944 that mentions the Means crew.  If you will send me your e-mail address I will copy that page and send it directly to you.
 
George Painter, Nephew of  Sammy T. Rowan, 853rd, 491st. BG.  Co-Pilot, Lucky Penny.  grpainter@comcast.net

I wanted to share this with all of you who have been so helped getting me information about Dan W. Means.
I had been contacted by a young family from The Netherlands who offered me help.  I got another email from them this morning.  They called the Ardennes Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium yesterday and have arranged to adopt my uncle's grave site.  Not only did they do this for Dan but also for two other members of his crew who are buried there.
 
T/Sgt Raymond R. Rhodes (TT) KIA
S/Sgt Britt D. Maxwell Jr (TG) KIA
A third, S/Sgt Lincoln S. Ricker (NT) KIA , had already been cared for but they are going to find out more about this.  I feel so honored that they are doing this for someone they had not even heard about a few short days ago.  They tell me Dan already has a special place in their hearts.
 
It looks like they may be able to meet with my daughter when she visits the cemetery in April, what an amazing blessing this would be.
 
Mindy Kettner
 
 
 

Mindy - I am so pleased that your search has been so successful and so rewarding. The wonderfull reaction of the Belgian people reminded me of a short piece I included in the 491st History. It is reproduced below.
 
Al Blue
 
 

Update
 
When I posted this question back in Feburary, I could have never imaged what a wonderful outcome it would have.  My daughter has just returned from her visit to her great Uncle Dan's grave in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.  She was the first family member to make this trip so we knew it would be very special.  Not only did she visit Dan's cross but she met with the family from the Netherlands who have adopted his grave.  This amazing young couple have now adopted the other three crew members from the Means crew who are buried there.  Also though their research we now have contact with family members of these men and they can know how they are being honored.
 
What a day Megan had.  When a family member visits the cemetery everything is ready for them. They carefully rub sand into the letters of the white crosses so that they can take photos.  The sand that they use comes from the beaches of Normandy!  They had the flags of the USA and Belgium on their graves and as Megan walked through the beautiful grounds and stood by Dan's cross, they played our National Anthem and Taps from the bell tower.  What a moment that was for my daughter.  Then Mike Green who is in charge of the cemetery, appeared in full uniform to present her with a final salute and flags to bring home to me.  This was his day off but because he knew Megan was coming, he made a special point to be there.  She said she felt like visiting royalty, it was so very special.
 
As a little gift Megan took along caps for Dennis and Gerda.  We picked out white to match the crosses and we had a B-24 stitched on the front, on the sides we placed the 491st and Dan W. Means.  We know they will wear them with pride as they return to this spot to lay flowers for each man. I will try to post a photo.
 
In all of this, I think the thing that touched my heart the most, was when Megan told me "Mom, Dan is in the right place."  I had always felt sad that Dan was so far from his Kansas home and that no one from the family had ever seen his grave.  Now I know how cared for he has been all these years and how he wasn't alone.  He's been with his brave crew these last 65 years and the wonderful people of the Netherlands and Belgium have not forgotten them.
 
Thanks to the others on this site who have helped in all of this.
 
Blessings,
Mindy Means Kettner
 

I have a question and I hope somebody here can help me.
Dan W Means was awarded with the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Is there a place or something/one were I can find out why they have been awarded with these awards?
Also we are looking for this information of his crewmembers:
Lincoln S Ricker who was awarded with the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Raymond R Rhodes who was awarded with the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Britt D Maxwell Jr who was awarded with the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
We have the MACR information and their personal information, but this information about their awards we don't know, hope someone can help us.
 
Dennis

Thank you Al.
 
Dennis

Is there anybody who can help us, maybe with an obituary or so.
We have contact with 5 families of the crew, but still looking for the other families of the 4 names above.
We have made it that the other families are in touch with each other, now our goal is bring them all together.
Hope that somebody can help us.
Thank you for your help.