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Posted on 07/09/2003 12:00:44 AM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| 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.
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A superb tactician, top-ranking ace, and inspirational commander of 9,000 POWs, he was among our great combat leaders. Col. Hub Zemke was one of the pre-eminent World War II fighter commanders in the European theater. His 56th Fighter Group, the "Wolfpack," was credited with 665 air-to-air victories, leading all fighter groups in the European Theater of Operations. Zemke alone had 17.75 confirmed victories in 154 combat missions, putting him in the top 25 of all Army Air Forces World War II fighter pilots. He once said that if he had been a better shot, he would have had twice as many.  Col. Hubert "Hub" Zemke A general once described him as a typical lighter pilot.., chip on his shoulder, looks you right in the eye; not insolent, just confident.’ He was an extraordinary man answering the call of extraordinary times. He was outspoken and courageous, with unflagging personal integrity and conviction. Hubert Zemke was born March 14, 1914, in Missoula, Montana, the only child of German Immigrants, Anna and Benno Zemke. Growing up bilingual proved to be an asset later in life ... but was a liability in Missoula following World War I. Anti-German sentiment was still high when Zemke began grade school, and he was regularly terrorized by an II - year-old bully on his block. His childhood necessity for self-defense may have influenced his enthusiasm for amateur boxing, a skill that earned him two state middleweight wins and several regional titles during high school and college. His success in the ring prompted a sports writer to dub him “The Hub,” ... a name that stayed with him all his life.  Hub Zemke with his P-47C, circa 1943. Hub’s philosophy, forged in the boxing ring, and refined by the military, would help mold his successful fighter group ...Zemke’s Wolfpack. He advised his men to “use your wits, size up the opposition, keep hitting him where it hurts ... and always keep the initiative.” When depression-era employment proved elusive after college, Hub took the advice of two pals and explored the Army Air Corps’ fighter training program. Hub had never nursed s passion for airplanes, but he displayed a proficiency that found him assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron, at Langley Field, Virginia. Soon, he was logging 20-30 hours a mouth testing P-40s at Wright Field and flying in the Cleveland Air Races. April 1941 saw Hub transferred to England as a combat observer. By June he was serving as Assistant Military Attaché to the American Embassy in Moscow, where he trained Soviet pilots in British P-40s.The United States had entered the war by February 1942, and Lt. Zemke was anxious to join the fray for the U.S. With war raging in Europe he was forced to weave his way through Tehran and Cairo before finally reaching American soil.  A Wolfpack SaluteAmerica's top scoring fighter unit of all time, the 56th Fighter Group boasted some of the highest scoring aces in USAF history. Led by the Legendary "Hub" Zemke, the 56th soon earned the name "Zemke's Wolfpack". Depicted are the P-47's of Francis "Gabby" Gabreski, Walker "Bud" Mahurin and Jerry Johnson. Subsequent assignments included the 56th Fighter Group, an inspection tour of 120 Chinese pilots, squadron commander of the g9th fighter group, and by August 1942, reassignment to the 56th ... this time as commander. In early 1943 the 56th was installed at King’s Cliffe, England, where Hub began experimenting with new flight formations. He first initiated staggered squadrons and flights so the group formed a giant V It was the first of many innovations. Zemke was a professional fighter pilot before the US entered the war. His insistence on discipline in the air and on the ground earned him the respect of all his men but not always the love of some high-spirited pilots. A superb tactician, he originated The Zemke Fan and other tactical innovations. The Zemke Fan drastically changed Eighth Air Force policy that had required escorting fighters to stay with the bombers at all times. Colonel Zemke was convinced that if some fighters fanned out well ahead of the bombers, many enemy fighters could be shot down as they were forming up to attack the bomber stream. Lt. Gen. William E. Kepner, who headed VIII Fighter Command, bought the idea. Bomber losses declined significantly as fighter victories increased. The Zemke Fan was first tried on May 12, 1944. On that mission, Hub Zemke's element lost one of its four P-47s to an abort. The remaining three were attacked by seven Messerschmitt Bf-109s. Zemke immediately ordered them to form a Lufbery circle. The Luftwaffe leader cut across the circle and, in a dazzling display of deflection shooting, downed one P-47. A few moments later, he repeated his performance, leaving Zemke alone in an unfriendly sky. With no recourse, Zemke went into a barrel-rolling vertical dive at full throttle and escaped. (Years later, he learned that the German sharpshooter was Maj. Günther Rall, the Luftwaffe's third-ranking ace with 275 victories.)  A somewhat shaken Zemke headed for home, escaping another formation of Bf-109s en route. Near Koblenz, Germany, he saw many -109s forming up below. The aggressive spirit that had made him an outstanding college and semipro boxer took over. He contacted two members of the 56th FG who arrived as the number of -109s grew to 30. Zemke told his men to fly top cover while he went down alone to take on the enemy fighters. He shot down one before his fuel ran low and he had to break off for home. In August 1944, after commanding the 56th FG for two years, Zemke volunteered to take over the 479th Fighter Group, equipped with P-38 Lightnings but about to convert to P-51 Mustangs. The 479th's record had not been good. Zemke soon restored the group's morale while earning three more victories himself. As October drew to a close and his combat hours passed 450, Zemke knew his days as a group commander were about to end. He was ordered to 65th Fighter Wing headquarters as chief of staff. With his bags packed, he decided to fly one more mission before taking over a desk. On that mission he ran into the worst turbulence he had ever encountered. He ordered his formation to turn back, but before he could do so, his P-51 lost a wing. Parachuting from the wreckage, Zemke was soon taken prisoner and ended up in Stalag Luft I at Barth, Germany, on the Baltic Sea.  Newly arrived, Colonel Zemke found himself senior officer in command of 7,000 Allied prisoners, some of whom had been there for several years. Conditions were deplorable: insufficient food, inadequate clothing and medical attention, a lack of military discipline among some POWs, and indifferent or hostile German officials. Zemke quickly established his leadership of the POWs, who numbered about 9,000 by V-E Day. Gradually he developed working relations with the prison commandant and staff and achieved some improvements in living conditions. As it became apparent that their war was lost, the Germans became more cooperative, especially as Soviet armies approached from the east. Zemke and his staff negotiated an arrangement with the camp commandant for the Germans to depart quietly at night, bearing only small arms, and turn the camp over to the Allied POW wing. To avoid conflict between some POWs and the hated guards, Zemke's staff kept the arrangement secret until the morning after the German departure. Zemke then nurtured friendly relations with the arriving Soviets. (In 1941, he had spent several months in the USSR teaching Russian pilots to fly the P-40. He spoke some Russian and fluent German.) Ultimately, Zemke arranged for the POWs to be flown to Allied territory. His strong leadership saved the lives of many POWs.  Col. Hub Zemke retired from the Air Force in 1966, and died Aug. 30, 1994, at Oroville, Calif. He was an extraordinary man, outspoken, courageous, and of unflagging personal integrity and conviction. These qualities, which made him one of our greatest wartime leaders, did not endear him to some of his military superiors and probably denied him the rank and responsibilities he deserved. Nevertheless, he will remain a symbol of military excellence long after others are forgotten.
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I'm teaching Italian, just for the summer. I like it, and it gives me extra money. How about you?
Did I ever tell you the story about how when my dad and I were in Italy, we didn't speak Italian, so we just added "O's" to the end of all our English words. We were cutting up and laughing hysterically all around Italy. The Italians didn't understand us, but we had so much fun. We bumped into someone at an ice cream shop and said, "excuseo". LOL
My brother was stationed in Italy and left speaking pretty good Italian.
LOL, I love the Italian story. I know your dad had a great sense of humor.
Had to bump your post. :)
I just watched "Lonesome Dove" on T.V. the other night. Have you ever read that book? That book is in my top 5. I told all my friends, "Ain't no way I'm gonna read a cowboy book and if I do read it, I'll hate every minute of it". HA! Boy was I wrong. Book is better than the movie of course.
LOL, especially if you have the mannerisms…. You know, the hands and face expressions.
If I might suggest, and if you haven't already read:
"The Mighty Eighth", Roger Freeman
And four outstanding personal recollections:
"Serenade to the Big Bird", Bert Stiles (hard to find, from a B-17 co-pilot who did not survive the war)
"B-17s Over Berlin", ed. Ian Hawkins (stories from the 95th BG)
"The Lucky Bastard Club", Eugene Fletcher, 95th BG
"A Wing And A Prayer", Harry Crosby, 100th BG
Happy reading :)
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