98th Bombardment Group

Constituted as 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Trained with B-24's. Moved to the Mediterranean theater, Jul-Aug 1942, and served in that area until the end of the war. Assigned to Ninth AF in Nov 1942, to Twelfth AF in Sep 1943, and to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943. Entered combat in Aug 1942. Bombed shipping and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, Italy, Crete, and Greece to cut enemy supply lines to Africa. Also hit airdromes and rail facilities in Sicily and Italy. Received a DUC for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily from Aug 1942 to Aug 1943. Awarded another DUC for participation in the low-level assault on oil refineries at Ploesti on 1 Aug 1943: although its target had already been attacked by another group, the 98th proceeded through dense smoke and intense flak to bomb its assigned objective. Col John R Kane, group commander, received the Medal of Honor for leading the 98th to complete this attack despite the hazards of oil fires, delayed-action bombs, and alerted defenses. Afterward the group flew many long-range missions to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb such strategic targets as industries, airdromes, harbors, and communications, and engaged primarily in such operations until Apr 1945. 1st Lt Donald D Pucket, one of the group's pilots, was awarded the Medal of Honor for action during a mission against oil refineries at Ploesti on 9 Jul 1944: just after bombing the target, Lt Pucket's plane was crippled by antiaircraft fire and crew members were wounded; he calmed the crew, administered first aid, surveyed the damage, and, realizing it was impossible to reach friendly territory, gave the order to abandon ship; refusing to desert three men who were unable to leave the bomber, Lt Pucket stayed with the plane that a few moments later crashed on a mountainside. In addition to strategic operations, the 98th also flew interdictory and support missions. Aided Allied forces at Anzio and Cassino. Participated in the invasion of Southern France. Assisted the Russian advance in the Balkans. Returned to the US, Apr-May 1945. Redesignated 98th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in May. Inactivated on 10 Nov 1945.

Activated on 1 Jul 1947. Assigned to Strategic Air Command. Trained with B-29's. Redesignated 98th Bombardment Group (Medium) in May 1948. Moved to Japan in Aug 1950 and attached to Far East Air Forces for duty in the Korean War. Engaged primarily in interdicting enemy communications but also operated in support of UN ground forces. Targets included marshalling yards, oil centers, rail facilities, bridges, roads, troop concentrations, airfields, and military installations. Inactivated on 16 Jun 1952 while on temporary duty in Japan.

Squadrons. 343d: 1942-1945; 1947-1952. 344th: 1942-1945; 1947-1952. 345th: 1942-1945; 1947-1952. 415th: 1942-1945.

Stations. MacDill Field, Fla, 3 Feb 1942; Barksdale Field, La, Feb 1942; Ft Myers, Fla, 30 Mar 1942; Drane Field, Fla, c. 15 May-c. Jul 1942; Ramat David, Palestine, 25 Jul 1942; Fayid, Egypt, c. 11 Nov 1942; Benina, Libya, c. 9 Feb 1943; Hergla, Tunisia, c. 21 Sep 1943; Brindisi, Italy, c. 18 Nov 1943; Manduria, Italy, 19 Dec 1943; Lecce, Italy, 17 Jan 1944-19 Apr 1945; Fairmont AAFld, Neb, c. 6 May 1945; McCook AAFld, Neb, 25 Jun-10 Nov 1945. Andrews Field, Md, 1 Jul 1947; Spokane AAFld, Wash, 24 Sep 1947-16 Jun 1952.

Commanders. Lt Col Frank H Robinson, c. Feb 1942; Col Hugo P Rush, 1942; Col John R Kane, c. 29 Dec 1942; Lt Col Julian M Bleyer, 1 Nov 1943; Col William E Karnes, 18 Nov 1943; Lt Col Marshall R Gray, 13 Jan 1944; Col Salvatore E Manzo, c. Jul 1944-unkn; Col John G Eriksen, 25 Jun-c. Sep 1945; unkn, Sep-Nov 1945. Unkn, Jul-Oct 1947; Lt Col Joseph D White, 20 Oct 1947; Col William D Cairnes, 12 Apr 1948; Col Richard D Dick, 20 Jan 1949; Col Richard H Carmichael, c. Apr 1950; Col David Wade, c. 31 Mar 1951; Col Edwin F Harding Jr, Sep 1951; Col Lewis A Curtis, Nov 1951; Col Winton R Close, May-16 Jun 1952.

Campaigns. World War II: Air Combat, EAME Theater; Egypt-Libya; Air Offensive, Europe; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Anzio; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; North Apennines; Rhineland; Central Europe; Po Valley. Korean War: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; 1st UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: North Africa and Sicily, Aug 1942-17 Aug 1943; Ploesti, Rumania, 1 Aug 1943. Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: [Aug 1950-Jun 1952].

Insigne. Shield: Azure, a bend indented between a dexter mailed hand couped at the wrist, in bend, grasping a drop bomb and an olive wreath, all or. Motto: Force For Freedom. (Approved 29 Jul 1942.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986

Museum Collection     Henry D. Chism     Mark H. Hitt     Vernon Elliott Servicemen of the 98th Bombardment Group  ADAMS, ALLEN 2LT  ADRADE, JOHN SGT  ALDRICH, HOWARD 1LT  ALGEO, JOHN CPT  ALLEN, LEO SGT  ALLERMAN, ELWIN SSGT  ALONZO, DANIEL TSGT  ANDERSON, JAMES TSGT  ANDREINE, HARRY SSGT  ANGLE, RUSSELL SSGT  ARCISZEWSKI, CHESTER SSGT  ARRUNDALE, WALTER 1LT  ASHBY, LYNN SSGT  ATANASIO, JOHN SSGT  BABBITT, WALTER 2LT  BAKER, WILLIAM 2LT  BARNETT, THOMAS SGT  BARRON, WILLIAM TSGT  BAXTER, WILLIAM 1LT  BEASLEY, HOWARD 1LT  BECKWITH, HILDRED 1LT  BELLOMY, WILLIAM CPL  BETTENCOURT, VERNON 2LT  BLACK, IRVING SSGT  BLACKBURN, RAY TSGT  BLAKEMAN, EARL 2LT  BLANTON, WILLIAM 1LT  BLOMBERG, JULIAN 1LT  BOGDAN, EDWARD 2LT  BOGUE, STEPHEN CPL  BOICE, HOWARD SGT  BONNIFIELD, WILLIAM 1LT  BORNHAUSER, SAM 1LT  BRANNAN, LESLIE CPL  BRESTEL, PAUL 1LT  BREUER, FREDERICK SGT  BRIGHAM, ERIC 2LT  BROWN, ALLEN TSGT  BROWN, CHARLES SSGT  BROWN, PAUL 2LT  BROWNFIELD, ROBERT SGT  BUCK, FRANCIS 1LT  BURHAM, JOHN SSGT  BURKHOLDER, RICHARD 1LT  BURNS, EDWARD 2LT  CALLAHAN, THOMAS TSGT  CAM, RICHARD SSGT  CAMERON, RICHARD TSGT  CAMMARATA, SANTO SSGT  CAMPBELL, ROBERT 2LT  CAUDLE, ROBERT 2LT  CLARK, ELTON CPT  CLEMMONS, HERBERT 2LT  COCHRAN, DAVID SGT  COE, ALBERT 1LT  COMEAU, OTIS SSGT  COURTNEY, JOSEPH SSGT  COVEY, THOMAS SSGT  COX, JAMES SSGT  CRANE, RAYMOND SGT  CREHAN, THOMAS TSGT  CRITZ, BEVERLY 1LT  CROSBY, NEWTON 1LT  DAUGHERTY, EDWARD TSGT  DELOIS, FRANK TSGT  DENNISON, EDWIN TSGT  DICK, MELVIN SGT  DILLER, CLARENCE TSGT  DINGLEY, EDWARD SGT  DOUTHITT, JOSEPH SSGT  DROLET, ROBERT TSGT  DUQUETTE, RAYMOND SSGT  EDGERTON, DEAN 2LT  EGGERT, DONALD SGT  ELLIOTT, DOYLE TSGT  ELLIS, SILAS SSGT  ENZINGER, MARCELLO SGT  ERDMAN, MILTON 1LT  FABALE, SANTO TSGT  FEAR, GERALD SSGT  FLORENCE, OWEN SGT  FLOURNOY, GORDON 1LT  FOUST, CHARLES SSGT  FOWLER, KENNETH TSGT  FREEDMAN, WILLIAM SGT  FRIEDMAN, MARTIN 1LT  GAMBLE, JOSEPH CPT  GARRITY, JAMES 1LT  GARVEY, LEO SGT  GENNER, GEORGE 2LT  GERTSMA, MERLYN 1LT  GILLES, ANTHONY 1LT  GILLETTE, GEORGE SGT  GIRVAN, JOSEPH SGT  GONYEA, RALPHAEL TSGT  GOTT, DELMAR SGT  GRANTHAM, JAMES SGT  GRIFFIN, JAMES 1LT  GRIMM, ALBERT SSGT  GRUNKE, DELBERT 1LT  GULLEY, DAMON TSGT  HAINS, HAROLD 1LT  HALE, CAROL SSGT  HALLEY, ROBERT TSGT  HANEK, BLAINE SSGT  HANKS, READ TSGT  HANN, MICHAEL 2LT  HANNI, ROBERT SGT  HARRELL, HERSHEL CPT  HART, CURTIS SGT  HART, LEWIS SSGT  HEFFNER, JAMES TSGT  HELKOWSKI, JOHN 2LT  HEMPEL, THOMAS SGT  HENRY, HARRY SGT  HESS, PAUL SSGT  HILLEY, JAMES 1LT  HILLIS, BILL SSGT  HOLL, KENNETH 2LT  HORNER, CARL 2LT  HOTT, HARPER SSGT  HOWARD, MERVIN 2LT  HRYCIW, RAYMOND TSGT  HULL, ELLIOTT SGT  HUTCHINSON, FOUNTAIN 1LT  JACOBS, MARTIN SSGT  JAMISON, LUTHER SGT  JENSEN, DELBERT SGT  JEROME, RICHARD SSGT  JOHNSON, FRANCIS 1LT  JOHNSON, GEORGE TSGT  JONES, WILLIAM SGT  JOSLYN, LYNN CPL  JOYCE, ROBERT 1LT  KACHADOORIAN, REUBEN 1LT  KATZ, BERNARD TSGT  KEENE, RAYMOND SGT  KEESLING, WILLIAM SGT  KEIFFER, ARTHUR SGT  KELLER, KARL CPL  KENDALL, BERKELEY CPL  KERRIGAN, WILLIAM SGT  KEVAN, WILLIAM LTC  KILE, THOMAS SGT  KINGSBURY, CHARLES 2LT  KINGSBURY, FLOYD SSGT  KINNICUTT, JAMES SGT  KIRSCHNER, ROBERT SSGT  KISSAN, WALTER TSGT  KLISENBAUER, JOHN TSGT  KNIGHT, HARRY 1LT  KNORR, LEONARD CPL  KOKJOHN, ALFRED 2LT  KOLLER, FRANK 1LT  KOVAL, HURLBERT TSGT  KOVALICK, ALBERT SSGT  KOWLEWSKI, ROBERT SSGT  LAPHAM, JOHN 2LT  LASSITER, NEWTON 2LT  LAW, HONRE SGT  LEETUN, MAYNARD SGT  LEMAY, MARSHALL 1LT  LEONARDI, ANTHONY 1LT  LIBBY, EDWARD 1LT  LINDBERG, ARVID SSGT  LINDSTROM, RUSSELL TSGT  LISI, JOHN TSGT  LITTLETON, WILLIAM TSGT  LLOYD, LAMONT 1LT  LLOYD, ROY SSGT  LOINERO, GASPER TSGT  LUCAS, GREGORY SSGT  MAC INTYRE, NEIL SGT  MAC VITTIE, HARRY SGT  MACKIE, RICHARD 1LT  MAGUIRE, PAUL SGT  MALATEST, TONY TSGT  MANION, RANCE CPL  MARLOWE, FRANCIS SGT  MARTIN, JAMES 2LT  MASCIOLI, VICTOR SSGT  MATTSON, WAYNE SGT  MAXWEEL, ROBERT TSGT  MAYER, RUSSELL 1LT  MAZUR, EUGENE SSGT  MC CANN, WILLIAM SGT  MC CARROLL, JOHN 2LT  MC CLENNY, MONTROSE 1LT  MC GOVERN, VINCENT 1LT  MC LAUGHLIN, WALTER 2LT  MC MILLEN, WILLIAM SSGT  MILLER, LOUIS 2LT  MIMS, HILMAN SGT  MOCK, HAROLD SGT  MOLER, CALVIN TSGT  MORRELL, KENNETH SSGT  MOVEY, ROBERT SSGT  MUNSON, JOE 2LT  MURPHY, MICHAEL SGT  NELLISSEN, CLIFFORD TSGT  NICHOLS, ERNEST 1LT  NORRIS, JOHN SGT  OLEN, STEPHEN SGT  O'NEIL, DONALD 2LT  ORNE, CORYDON CPL  OSWALD, FREDERICK SSGT  PAOLETTA, MARCO TSGT  PARMER, HUGH SSGT  PARSONS, HENRY SGT  PAYNE, EVERETT TSGT  PEARLMAN, JACK SGT  PEDERSON, HAROLD SSGT  PERRA, JOSEPH TSGT  PERSSON, EDWARD 1LT  PESEK, JOHN 1LT  PFEIFFER, RICHARD 2LT  PHILIPS, PAUL SGT  PHILLIPS, EDWARD SGT  PHILLIPSON, LEONARD 1LT  PIERSON, SAMUEL 2LT  POOLE, LEWIS 1LT  PORTER, GERALD SSGT  POTTER, ARNOLD 1LT  POWERS, ROBERT 1LT  PUCCELLA, WILLIAM TSGT  PURCELL, JAMES SSGT  QUACKENBUSH, BROM SGT  RAMSEY, JAMES 1LT  REINHARD, CLARENCE SSGT  RESTOVICH, GEORGE SSGT  ROBERTS, DORIS 1LT  ROBERTSON, BRUCE TSGT  ROBINSON, LESLIE 2LT  ROHDE, CHARLES 2LT  ROLEN, JACKIE SSGT  ROLLINS, ROBERT SSGT  ROSEBROOK, ANDREW SGT  ROSENBERG, ROBERT 2LT  ROTH, PAUL TSGT  RUBEN, JEROME TSGT  RUSHING, JOHN CPL  RUSSELL, SAMUEL SSGT  SAFLARSKI, STANLEY TSGT  SALAZAR, JOSE TSGT  SAMUDOVSKY, PAUL 1LT  SANDER, THEODRE SSGT  SANSALONE, FRANK TSGT  SCHATZ, JOEL TSGT  SCHMID, DONALD 1LT  SCHMITZ, BENEDICT 2LT  SCHOTT, HENRY SSGT  SCHUBERT, EDWARD 2LT  SCOTT, RICHARD 2LT  SCOTT, WALTER TSGT  SCROGGINS, KENNETH CPL  SEEGER, WILLIAM SGT  SERMAN, LAWRENCE TSGT  SHAFER, PONTUS SGT  SHAWD, EDGAR 2LT  SHEA, FRANCIS TSGT  SIMON, ROBERT 1LT  SLATER, ROBERT SGT  SLOTPOLE, SOL 2LT  SMITH, JAMES SGT  SMITH, KENNETH 2LT  SMULLEN, EDWARD SGT  SNIDER, ROY TSGT  SOBOTKA, MARVIN 1LT  STEVENSON, HAROLD SSGT  STEWART, JAMES MAJ  STINSON, WILLIAM 2LT  STOCKTON, FRANK 2LT  SUMMERS, JAMES 1LT  SWANSON, ERNEST 1LT  SWEET, ELDEN TSGT  TAYLOR, CHARLES TSGT  TAYLOR, THOMAS SSGT  TAYLOR, THOMAS 1LT  TESTY, JOHN TSGT  THAYER, DONALD SSGT  THOMAS, CALVIN CPL  THORNTON, WILLIAM SGT  THYBERG, CLARENCE 2LT  TIBBETTS, ROLAND 1LT  TIBBITTS, WALLACE SGT  TIERNEY, ROBERT SSGT  TIPTON, WILLIAM 1LT  TOPOLESKI, JOSEPH SGT  TOWNE, ALLEN SSGT  TRACHTULEC, HENRY TSGT  TRAHAN, CLAUDE SGT  TSATSOS, ARTHUR CPL  TUGGLE, DONALD 1LT  TURKINGTON, SAMUEL 2LT  TYPNER, HAROLD 1LT  UTLEY, WILLIAM SSGT  VALIANT, EDWARD 2LT  VERGIE, FRED CPT  VOGEL, EARL SGT  VOGI, FRANK SSGT  WALLER, FRED SSGT  WALTERS, ROBERT SGT  WALTHER, HENRY 1LT  WARNER, CARL 2LT  WARREN, WILBERT SSGT  WEAR, GEORGE SGT  WEBB, DANA SGT  WEISS, EDWARD 2LT  WEST, WILLIAM 1LT  WHEATON, LOWELL 1LT  WHEELER, FRANK SGT  WHITE, RUSSELL SSGT  WIEPERT, ARTHUR 1LT  WILLEY, WALTER SSGT  WILSON, ALBERT TSGT  WILSON, WOODROW SSGT  WOOD, DAVID F/O  WOOD, LESLIE SSGT  WORACHEK, MARK 2LT  YOUNG, RAMON TSGT  ZEMAN, FRANK 1LT  ZENT, ALFRED SSGT  ZIEMAN, HENRY SSGT