Posted:
By: Jim Haire
On: 07/14/2007
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I'm looking for a copy of the W.E. Johnson crew picture; I know one exists, or was taken, because I've seen it - but it's been destroyed by my Dad during his last days fighting leukemia back in May '98. My Dad was S/Sgt James B. Haire, who served as Eng/Top Gunner on Johnson's crew, which only flew 3 missions over Germany in July of 1944. On the last mission, they were flying in a B-17 (42-97982) that had only been in service 6 days before being shot down. All the crew members are listed as POW's, yet only 1 is shown anywhere as being interred at Stalag Luft 4 along with my Dad. Evidently Dad's POW experiences shaped his thinking and depression that he suffered with for the rest of his life; he rarely talked about his wartime, and only then with an uncle who also served yet wasn't a POW. I relished listening to their stories.
The crew members were:
2nd Lt. Willie E. Johnson, Pilot, Columbia SC
2nd Lt. Kenneth R. Powell, Co-Pilot, Hartford CT
2nd Lt. Raymond E. Malloy, Navigator, Waverly MA
2nd Lt. Joseph J. Loverro, Bombadier, Brooklyn NY
T/Sgt John T. Murtha, Radio Operator, Jeanette PA
Sgt. Clair G. Gore, Ball Gunner, Detroit MI
Sgt. Cleatus D. Nolen, Tail Gunner, Knoxville TN
Sgt. Leonard Rapoport, Waist Gunner, Allentown PA
If anyone has any information on these brave men who my Dad had the honor of serving with, could you please pass it along to me. Primarily I'm looking for that missing flight crew picture only, but any and all information would be deeply appreciated. Thanks and God bless.
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