He went down on this mornings mission he won't be back.

Subject: He went down on this mornings mission he won't be back.
From: "Tarver Engineering"
Date: 2/2/04 4:08 PM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:


"S. Sampson" wrote in message
news:XYATb.15799$Q_4.4790@okepread03...
"Ed Rasimus" wrote
(ArtKramr) wrote:

He went down on this mornings mission. He won't be back.

Poignant story and it happens in combat more than most people imagine.
I got a "warm bunk" when I arrived at Korat in May of '66 for my F-105
tour and got a "warm bunk" again at Korat in June of '72 for the F-4
tour.

I heard about bunks, but being an enlisted man I got to use my sleeping
bag
and an air mattress :-)

God bless America.



DAMN RIGHT !


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

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

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