Jack D Rude
MilitaryIn 1942 at age 18, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force. During a training mission over California, survived with the entire crew the crash landing of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator. From Debach, England, from October 1944 through April 1945, as a 493rd Bomb Group 863rd Bomb Squadron Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress tail gunner, flew 32 combat missions over Europe. In February of 1945, while returning from a bombing mission over Germany, survived the crash landing of a B-17 Flying Fortress in Belgium. After WWII, served 3 years with Army of Occupation in Neubiberg AFB Germany. Served as C-54 Skymaster crew chief in Berlin Air Lift. Served in Greece during Greece Civil War. During the Cold War, served 6 years in the Strategic Air Command.
Served as tail gunner on B-17s: Flak Flirter, Miss Greenbay and Big Buster, all with pilot Harry B. 'Bud' Harris.
Jack is a Founding Member of the American Air Museum. Jack spent his 94th birthday, Monday April 16, 2018, giving tours as a docent at the Texas Air and Space Museum in Amarillo, Texas.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Big Buster
- Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 863rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Miss Green Bay
- Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 863rd Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Flak Flirter
- Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 863rd Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
16 April 1924 | ||
Died |
Amarillo | 25 June 2021 |
Revisions
Information about Jack's role at the Texas Air and Space Museum can be found here: http://www.texasairandspacemuseum.org/Jack%20Rude%20Model%20Builder%20p…
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum Membership List, July 2000, http://493bgdebach.co.uk/roster_list.php