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#12
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Thanks for the story Art, my father-in-law was an engineer/gunner in
the 397thBG and it is impossible to get him to talk about his experiences God Bless all that have given so much. Jim Walker MSgt ret USAF On 02 Feb 2004 01:33:56 GMT, (ArtKramr) wrote: He went down on this mornings mission. He won't be back. When Paul, Bob and I arrived at the 344th we were assigned to the 494th squadron and given separate quarters along the squadron street. I entered mine and dumped my stuff on the one empty bunk there. I unpacked my B-4 bag, hung up my uniforms and put stuff on the shelf including personal photographs and shaving stuff. Then I went to the officers mess where I was supposed to meet Bob and Paul for evening chow. Bob showed up. We waited for Paul then decided to go ahead knowing he would be along soon, It took quite a while. When he showed up he was white as a ghost and obviously shaken. Bob and I looked at each other and finally asked Paul what happened. Paul just shook his head, obviously quite sad and unhappy. He then told us the story of what had happened when he entered his quarters. When he went in there were 4 bunks, but all were neatly made up with clothes, foot lockers and personal effects such as photographs of family. Paul thought he was in the wrong place since there were no empty bunks. Just as he was leaving one of the guys in there said, "C'mon back Lieutenant, you are in right place." Paul said that there were no empty bunks. The guy said "That one over there is yours. The guy who was sleeping there went down on this mornings mission. He won't be back. The Padre and the Officer of the guard will be here soon to collect his stuff. You can have his bunk as soon as it is cleared out." We understood Paul's sadness. We were sad too. We flew our first mission the next morning, but never, to this day ever forgot that bunk with family snapshots and personal efects that wasn't cleared out. And there would be more as the war went on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer |
#13
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Subject: He went down on this mornings mission he won't be back.
From: Jim Walker Date: 3/31/04 10:56 AM Pacific Standard Time Message-id: Thanks for the story Art, my father-in-law was an engineer/gunner in the 397thBG and it is impossible to get him to talk about his experiences God Bless all that have given so much. Jim Walker MSgt ret USAF On 02 Feb 2004 01:33:56 GMT, (ArtKramr) wrote: He went down on this mornings mission. He won't be back. When Paul, Bob and I arrived at the 344th we were assigned to the 494th squadron and given separate quarters along the squadron street. I entered mine and dumped my stuff on the one empty bunk there. I unpacked my B-4 bag, hung up my uniforms and put stuff on the shelf including personal photographs and shaving stuff. Then I went to the officers mess where I was supposed to meet Bob and Paul for evening chow. Bob showed up. We waited for Paul then decided to go ahead knowing he would be along soon, It took quite a while. When he showed up he was white as a ghost and obviously shaken. Bob and I looked at each other and finally asked Paul what happened. Paul just shook his head, obviously quite sad and unhappy. He then told us the story of what had happened when he entered his quarters. When he went in there were 4 bunks, but all were neatly made up with clothes, foot lockers and personal effects such as photographs of family. Paul thought he was in the wrong place since there were no empty bunks. Just as he was leaving one of the guys in there said, "C'mon back Lieutenant, you are in right place." Paul said that there were no empty bunks. The guy said "That one over there is yours. The guy who was sleeping there went down on this mornings mission. He won't be back. The Padre and the Officer of the guard will be here soon to collect his stuff. You can have his bunk as soon as it is cleared out." We understood Paul's sadness. We were sad too. We flew our first mission the next morning, but never, to this day ever forgot that bunk with family snapshots and personal efects that wasn't cleared out. And there would be more as the war went on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer The men who can't talk about it have never resolved their trauma in combat. Talking about it helps to resolve it. But it takes years. Sometimes decades. Those who have written books about their experiences have resolved it all quite well. Arthur Kramer 344th BG 494th BS England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany Visit my WW II B-26 website at: http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer |
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