My Fathers B-24 group was training to bomb Tokyo in 1942 not long after Pearl Harbor. Dad was a top turret gunner/flight engineer. By the time they finished their training, the Chinese airstrips they were to take off from had been over-run by the Japanese so they were sent to North Africa. The Italian fleet was on its way to Malta to attack the Brits there. After Dad's mission bombed the fleet successfully, the Italians were forced to turn back to Italy. Dad was awarded the Silver Star for that mission. Unfortunately, my Fathers plane was shot down and he was the only survivor. He swam in the Mediterranean Sea for 3 1/2 hours and was picked up by an Italian freighter, the crew of which was not happy with my Father to say the least. He was turned over to the Germans and spent the next 34 months as a POW in Austria and Germany. My Father served in the 376th Bomb Group. Ironically, I also served with the 376th Strategic Wing on Okinawa in 1969/70. My Father and I wore the same patch. My Father is the one on the bottom left of the picture.
