My Grandfather received B-25 combat training at Columbia Air Base, SC.  He joined the 310th Bombing Group on December 20, 1943.  From January through July of 1944 he apparently operated and commanded a crew of 26 aircrafts and flew a total of 70 combat missions.  After 4 months of combat (around April) he was given a pass to the Island of Capri.  His second break, to Cairo, Egypt, came after another 59 missions.  His Flight Surgeon was Captain John R. Mangum.  That is about all I know, except that he went on to be a pilot instructor, and later an OSI agent.  I don't know what specific squadron he was in, but I am interested in knowing if anyone out there knew him.  Pictures of his squadron or other knowledge would be wonderful treasures as well.  I followed in his AF footsteps, and currently work for the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks City Base in San Antonio.  Thanks for your time! 

Greetings, D.G.!
Although the official 57th Bomb Wing Association roster does not list your grandfather, it does contain a J. Robert Mangum Sr., who served in the 428th Squadron of the 310th Bomb Group. Regretfully, our records indicate that Mr Mangum passed away on 21-Nov-96. Maxwell Air Force Base has microfiche files that will more than likely contain some information about your grandfather. The folks at Maxwell are presently working on converting the microfiche cartridges into CDs, but I am unsure of their progress. In the meantime, I recommend that you join and post messages to the 57th Bomb Wing List Server at:

http://lists.northrock.bm/read/?forum=57th
 
I also recommend that you join the 57th Bomb Wing Association, where you will meet an incredible group of folks that will welcome you into the family. The Men of the 57th quarterly newsletter is the glue that holds the 57th BWA together. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Take care and best regards,
VJ White
 
 

http://57thBombWing.com
http://vjwhite.com/JPWhite