Commanding officer for the 18th Weather Squadron.



Was "lone survivor" of the crash of Boeing B-17G 43-38856 on North Barrule, of sorts. He did not get on the plane because he was (often) confused with his friend Robert (Bob) A. Olson, and though told he had been awarded the R&R flight, and showed up for it, Bob's name was list instead of his. So he went to get Bob, but Bob refused, since he knew my father (Kenneth) was the intended one. So neither got on the plane, which tragically crashed killing all aboard.



Weather officers did not fly missions, and his comment was "the worst thing about the war was taking the dead and wounded off the planes" - a job all ground staff had. When crashes occurred during take-off or landing, they were given a certain number of minutes to collect human remains in sacks, before the bulldozers cleared the runways. They took this very seriously, as what they could find would be all the families would get back, and they both knew crews and often listened to them moments before the crashes. He once said "The worst moment in the war was when I that knew that all the families would get is what I could find before the dozers came, I had so little time, and I was crying so hard I couldn't see the body parts".