It has been the priviledge of a lifetime to be legion brothers with two B-17 drivers.
One flew some missions before being shot down over France. He spent a year making his way through the German lines to the Allied lines. Then the Army air corp decided to make him a trainer.
He wrote a book about his ww2 career from start to finish. He flew a refurbished B-17 in a traveling ww2 aircraft show...along with Jack Rousch.
He passed this past year.
The other..a local native who still is healthy enough to snatch up one his grown sons if he needs to...got shot down over France..made his way back to friendly lines...got another plane and went back at it....4 or 5 times in a viscious cycle of badass. No one is sure exact details...because he refuses to say himself. He is pissed they named a local overpass in his honor because “IT’s a DAMN WASTE OF F’in tax money”.
His sons heard of his “actions” in Europe from pilots, ground crew, and others who served with their dad..and visited over the years. His “actions” are quietly shared legend at the Legion...very quietly.
I built a model of the Memphis Bell at age 8....I’ve always wanted to meet an actual B-17 pilot....all respect to Pappy Boyington and his F-4U corsairs. The last few years have granted me this wish....and I treasure every moment I spent with both.
Capt. Jay Zeamer’s remarkable crew was the most highly-decorated aircrew in history. Zeamer and the bombardier, 2nd Lt. Joseph Sarnoski, received the Medal of Honor, while seven other members of the crew were awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Nation's second highest honor. Nearly all received the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat.
In the spring of 1943, a 43rd Bomb Group crew headed by Zeamer salvaged a wrecked and bullet-ridden B-17E and fitted it with extra machine guns — 19 in all. Zeamer and his crew regularly volunteered to take their B-17E “Old 666” on the most dangerous of missions, including a seemingly impossible one on June 16, 1943.
In preparation for a planned major amphibious landing, they flew “Old 666” some 600 miles unescorted over open sea to photograph Buka and Bougainville islands. While passing over Buka, about 17 to 20 Japanese fighters took off to intercept the lone bomber. Rather than break off the mission, Zeamer continued on. As the crew finished the photo run down the coast of Bougainville, the first of several vicious, coordinated attacks began. Zeamer and his crew desperately fought against overwhelming odds to bring back their B-17 and its precious reconnaissance film.
During the first attack, the bombardier, Sarnoski, shot down a Japanese fighter, but he was knocked back by cannon fire. Although mortally wounded, he crawled back to his gun position and shot down another Japanese fighter before collapsing. He had been scheduled to go home just a few days later.
Zeamer maneuvered the B-17 to shoot down a fighter with a fixed gun in the B-17’s nose, but cannon fire shattered his left knee, paralyzed his legs, and caused profuse bleeding. Enemy fire also shot the rudder pedals away, started a fire, and disabled the hydraulic, oxygen, and interphone systems. Zeamer refused medical attention, and continued to forcefully maneuver the aircraft while the crew, many of whom were also wounded, fought back.
Finally, after 40 to 60 minutes of continuous combat, several Japanese aircraft had been shot down, and the attacks ceased. For the rest of the flight, Zeamer passed in and out of consciousness from blood loss. The B-17 had received nearly 200 machine gun and five cannon hits. The flaps and brakes were inoperable, but Zeamer managed to land the aircraft at Dobodura, New Guinea, without further injury. With about 120 metal fragments in his body, Zeamer’s life hung in the balance for several days, but in the end, he survived.
Medal of Honor to:
ZEAMER, JAY JR.
(Air Mission)
Rank and organization: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps. Place and date: Over Buka area, Solomon Islands, 16 June 1943. Entered service at: Machias, Maine. Birth: Carlisle, Pa. G.O. No.: 1, 4 January 1944.
Citation:
On 16 June 1943, Maj. Zeamer (then Capt.) volunteered as pilot of a bomber on an important photographic mapping mission covering the formidably defended area in the vicinity of Buka, Solomon Islands. While photographing the Buka airdrome. his crew observed about 20 enemy fighters on the field, many of them taking off. Despite the certainty of a dangerous attack by this strong force, Maj. Zeamer proceeded with his mapping run, even after the enemy attack began. In the ensuing engagement, Maj. Zeamer sustained gunshot wounds in both arms and legs, 1 leg being broken. Despite his injuries, he maneuvered the damaged plane so skillfully that his gunners were able to fight off the enemy during a running fight which lasted 40 minutes. The crew destroyed at least 5 hostile planes, of which Maj. Zeamer himself shot down 1. Although weak from loss of blood, he refused medical aid until the enemy had broken combat. He then turned over the controls, but continued to exercise command despite lapses into unconsciousness, and directed the flight to a base 580 miles away. In this voluntary action, Maj. Zeamer, with superb skill, resolution, and courage, accomplished a mission of great value.
One of my neighbors (he passed away several years ago) was a waist gunner on a B-17 over Europe. He and the nose gunner combined to down an Me-262. Unfortunately, on their next mission another 262 got them.
Len and the rest of the crew managed to bail out over Holland, where they were found by the local resistance, who helped get them back to friendly lines two days later.