|
Posted on 07/14/2004 12:01:11 AM PDT by SAMWolf
|
|
 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
|
| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.
Where the Freeper Foxhole introduces a different veteran each Wednesday. The "ordinary" Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine who participated in the events in our Country's history. We hope to present events as seen through their eyes. To give you a glimpse into the life of those who sacrificed for all of us - Our Veterans.
|
|
A Point of Honor The battle-scarred B-17 circled its base in the UK with wounded aboard and no pilot to land it.  8th Air Force Lt. Gen. Carl "Tooey" Spaatz, commander of US Strategic Air Forces in Europe, knew that a sustained, all-out attack on Nazi Germany's aircraft industry must be launched--and quickly. At last, after an agonizingly slow buildup, he had the bombers to do the job and enough long-range fighters to escort them to their targets. A strategic bombing campaign, which was code-named Argument, was worked out in meticulous detail by the operations staffs of Spaatz's headquarters, the Eighth Air Force, VIII Fighter Command, and Ninth Air Force, which provided additional fighters. Spaatz also needed a week of weather good enough for visual bombing if those small targets were to be hit. That was a long time in coming.  351st Bombardment Group Finally, after several postponements due to bad weather, Argument got under way on Feb. 20, 1944--the start of the Big Week that was to break the back of the Luftwaffe. Before dawn on that day, more than 1,000 heavy bombers escorted by some 900 US and RAF fighters climbed through a heavy overcast and icing to attack aircraft factories in eastern Germany and Poland. It was the largest Eighth Air Force bombing raid up to that time. The 351st Bombardment Group, based at Polebrook in the UK, was assigned a target in the heavily defended Leipzig area, about 100 miles southwest of Berlin. This was going to be a long, tough mission, especially for 2d Lt. Walter E. Truemper, a young navigator, and engineer Sgt. Archibald Mathies, members of the 351st crew and both on their second mission.  510th Bombardment Squadron In a running battle near the target, the 351st was attacked by a squadron of Luftwaffe fighters. The B-17 crewed by Truemper and Mathies took direct hits in the cockpit that killed the copilot and left the pilot bleeding and unconscious. As the B-17 fell, out of control, crew members dragged the copilot's body out of the right seat. Truemper, with no experience as a pilot, took over the controls , and pulled the bomber out of its dive. Although the cockpit was badly smashed and some of the instruments shot out, he managed, with Mathies's help, to fly back to his base at Polebrook, contact the control tower, and describe the condition of the plane and crew. Truemper reported that he and Mathies would try to land the plane after other crew members had bailed out. The group commander, Col. Eugene Romig, and his Operations Officer, Col. Robert W. Burns, checked the condition of the plane and judged that it could not be landed by an untrained pilot. Truemper was told to put the unconscious pilot in a chute and drop him out of the plane. He replied that the pilot couldn't be moved and that he and Mathies would not abandon the wounded man. Under these circumstances, they were reluctantly cleared to attempt a landing.  Burns, now a retired major general, recalls what happened as he and Romig flew alongside the damaged bomber, its cockpit windows blackened and its windshield shattered. Two men with no pilot experience had only a slim chance of landing the crippled plane. Nevertheless, the navigator and engineer were determined to save the life of their pilot, and with luck perhaps they could. Truemper was instructed to follow Burns and Romig, who would lead them to a landing on the runway. Because of inexperience, battle damage, or both, Truemper wasn't able to slow the B-17 enough to stay with the lead plane, or to get his bomber on the ground. Climbing back to traffic altitude, they again attempted a landing, without success.  "Ten Horsepower" is shown in the company of a second B-17, piloted by Major Elzia Ledoux, who took to the air in a desperate effort to assist the crippled aircraft during her final moments. The stricken B-17's two-man crew decided they could not land on the runway, but might get down safely with gear retracted in an open field near the base. About 45 minutes after arriving at Polebrook, they came in over the field, cut the engines, touched down, and slid straight ahead on the plane's belly. It looked as though they had won their gamble. Then the plane hit an obstruction and disintegrated. There were no survivors.  Lt. Walter Truemper and Sgt. Archibald Mathies could have abandoned the critically wounded pilot and lived, but as courageous and honorable men, they saw no alternative to their desperate and almost successful attempt to save his life. Both men were awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for their gallantry on that bleak February day in 1944.
|
He departed the United States on 8 December 1943 and arrived in England on 16 December 1943. Upon his arrival, he was assigned to the 8th Air Force Replacement Depot Casual Pool and was subsequently attached to the 1st Replacement and Training Squadron until 18 January 1944. On 19 January 1944, he was assigned to the 510th Bombardment Squadron, 351st Bombardment Group, and served with that organization as an Engineer-Gunner until 20 February 1944.
On his second mission, 20 February 1944, Sergeant Mathies participated in a heavy bombardment attack on enemy installations at Leipzig, Germany. During this raid his ship was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters, and he was killed in action. For his heroism and devotion to his comrades on that date, he was awarded the nation's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
www.wpafb.af.mil
www.medalofhonor.com
www.brooksart.com
www.donnan.com
www.valka.cz
www.homeofheroes.com
for Sergeant Archibald Mathies Rank and organization: Sergeant, U .S. Army Air Corps, 510th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Europe, 20 February 1944. Entered service at: Pittsburgh, Pa. Born: 3 June 1918, Scotland. G.O. No.: 52, 22 June 1944.  Sergeant Archibald Mathies' Medal of honor is presented to his mother Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which Sgt. Mathies was serving as engineer and ball turret gunner was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged. Nevertheless, Sgt. Mathies and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. Sgt. Mathies and the navigator volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving Sgt. Mathies and the navigator aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, Sgt. Mathies' commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, Sgt. Mathies and the navigator replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After two unsuccessful efforts, the plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. Sgt. Mathies, the navigator, and the wounded pilot were killed. for Walter E. Truemper Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 510th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group. Place and date: Over Europe, 20 February 1944. Entered service at: Aurora, Ill. Born: 31 October 1918, Aurora, Ill. G.O. No.: 52, 22 June 1944.  Lt. Walter E. Truemper's Medal of honor is presented to his mother Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which 2d Lt. Truemper was serving as navigator was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded and the plane severely damaged. Nevertheless, 2d Lt. Truemper and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, 2d Lt. Truemper's commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, 2d Lt. Truemper and the engineer replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and that they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After 2 unsuccessful efforts their plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. 2d Lt. Truemper, the engineer, and the wounded pilot were killed. |
Who They Are: Operation: Stitches Of Love was started by the Mothers of two United States Marines stationed in Iraq.
What They Are Doing: We are gathering 12.5"x12.5" quilt squares from across the country and assembling the largest quilt ever produced. When completed we will take the quilt from state to state and gather even more squares.
Why They Are Doing This: We are building this quilt to rally support for the Coalition Forces in Iraq and to show the service members that they are not forgotten. We want the world to know Nothing will ever break the stitches that bind us together as a country.
Ideas to start a local project:
Obtain enough Red, White and Blue material (cloth) for a 12.5 x 12.5 quilt square.
If you have someone in your family that sews, make it a weekend project and invite neighbors to join you.
Consider this tribute as a project for your civic group, scouts, church or townhall group.
Locate an elementary school with an after school program in your neighborhood or locate an after school program in your neighborhood not attached to a school and ask if you could volunteer one or two afternoons and create some squares with the kids.
Invite some VFW posts to share your project in honor of their post.
Send us webmaster@patriotwatch.com for digital photos of in progress and finished project for various websites, OIFII.com and the media.
PDN is making this appeal in support of Operation: Stitches Of Love
Media Contact: Deborah Johns (916) 716-2749
Volunteers & Alternate Media: PDN (916) 448-1636
Your friends at PDN
<=== Mash This. It's worth it!
Oh man, I just finished reading yesterday's thread and now you two ping me to another. I'm not gonna get any sleep tonight :).
Evening you two. 'fraid it is lights out for me tonight. see ya when the sun is shining.
Night DD. Sometimes I have to wait til morning too!
:-)
LOL! Got one for "Speed-listening"?
LOL. I think for you men, we women would settle for just plain "Listening". ;-)
Good night guys, my bed is calling and I'm listening!
Good night DD, Snippy.
What?
It's relaxing, to help you sleep. Geez.
LOL. I get it now. Man oh man you're funny tonight!
This is relaxing and helps me sleep. ;-)
ok, whatever works. :-)
Nighty, night.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
