Excellent photos!

According to O. Dene Fahey’s book “79th. Fighter Squadron – Tiger History (1943-1976”, the third photo was taken while the squadron were flying close support for US Marines at Camp Pendleton, California. Squadron Commander Maj. Walter Overstreet is third from left, standing. At that time the pilots were acting as their own mechanics. A different though very similar photo appears in the aforementioned book.

I don’t have any information about Slocumb’s time in the 79th. but he did indeed fly with the 16th. Fighter Squadron in the CBI and scored 1 confirmed aerial and 3 confirmed ground victories. He was later the CO of the 366th. Fighter Bomber Wing in the mid 50’s.

Do you know Miller personally?

Thank you, Martin. I know in 2001 a group went over the crash site and a few fragments of the aircraft were found as well as the sole of a shoe and a few other small items.

The memorial to the 21 men who died was erected a few years ago, I haven’t seen it yet but I’ll be headed to Yeager Airport Nov. 15th. and 19th. so I’ll have plenty of chances to check it out. I am also hoping to visit Crites’ gravesite during one of those two days, he’s buried in nearby St. Albans, West Virginia.

Another sad fact to this story is Crites’ brother, Ardith, died in a crash while training to be a bomber crewman in Florida in the fall of 1942.

Does the book have any photos with Crites in them?

Very much appreciated Martin and Mike, this is one of the greatest forums I have ever been assocaited with! 🙂

It is indeed amazing how small the internet has made this world, here I am getting information from Switzerland about something that happened right up the road from me! Thanks for the info, Martin, I’ll send you some pictures of “Wham Bam” once I get them taken.

Now you have me interested in trying to figure out what wartime units the other five officers killed aboard the C-47 had been part of. Guess I will have to wait until I get up there and get their names off the memorial for starters.

Martin. I’m not familiar with who Michaelson was, can you enlighten me? Also, as an aside the Silver Bridge, mentioned on the second link, collaspsed less than a mile from my residence.