Throughout Wayne’s Journal, there are references to Wayne’s family and friends and to the men with whom he served. Some never came home. This is also their story.
There is a eulogy . . .*
He was a good friend. He will be missed by so many of us who got left behind.
He was a witness to our lives. Not many of those left.
So, there is one less person on this earth who knows our name, who remembers our childhood, who shared in each moment as it passed.
You know, they say we die twice. Once when our breath leaves our body, and once when the last person we knew says our name.
So that their names may never be lost, the following is a list of those mentioned in Wayne’s Journal:
Abella, Samuel L.
Alger, Leo B.
Anderson, R. L.
Atwood, Albert F.
Baker, Elvis L.
Barnett, John J. (Pilot)
Bean, George J. (Engineer)
Beaulieu, Henry S. (Radio Operator – Rhode Island)
Beaumont (Mississippi)
Beauregard, Emile J. (Engineer)
Bergmeyer, Gilmore L. “Skip” (Engineer – St. Louis, Missouri)
Bishop, Frank J.
Blankenship, Jack B.
Bodrero, Glen (Radio Operator)
Braswell, Jesse O. (Bombardier – Blue Ridge, Tennessee)
Brennan,
Bruce, Michael (Gunner)
Burns, J. N. (Navigator)
Burrows, Robert J. “Doc” (Radio Operator – New Jersey)
Byrd, Horace R.
Carlisle, William Wallace (Pilot)
Campo, John (Radio Operator – West Newark, New Jersey)
Castles, James F., Jr. (South Carolina – Wayne’s brother-in-law)
Cathers, Horace, J, Jr. (Gunner)
Clark, Frank J.
Coats, Wilbur L. (Pilot)
Campo, John (Radio Operator)
Carroll, J. H.
Conroy, Stephen J.
Cook, Carl A.
Cook, Wayburn C.
Cooper,
Corney, William B.
Couch, Sidney A.
Craig, William C. (Flight Surgeon)
Crawford, Harold T.
Crooks, Charles V. (Medical Corpsman)
Curtin, Jane
Darling, Norman R.
Davis, (Pilot)
De Roever, Frederick R.
Dean, “Ditz”
Dellard,
Dellinger, Rexford L.
Donovan, Jerome J.
Downs, Donald T. (Radio Operator)
Drumheller, Gordon L.
Duarte,
Duncan, Charles W.
Duvall, Robert M.
Eastburn, Edward F.
Ellett, Lertis J. (California – Chaplain)
Emery, Orland G.
Escobedo, Louis S.
Evans, Morton F.
Fasano, Joseph F.
Fiezl, Charles Albert
Fincham, Harold Dean (Pratt, Kansas – Pilot)
Fisher, Carlton R.
Flagg, Edmund H.
Forbes, William D.
Frederick, Catherine
Frick, Kenneth E. (Pilot)
Gabel, Kenneth E.
Garrity, John
Garrity, Margaret
Garrity, William (Ohio – Gunner)
Gerstenzang, Edward S.
Giles, Florence
Gill, William H.
Gibbons, Arline – (South Carolina – Wayne’s sister-in-law)
Gibbons, Elizabeth (Columbia, South Carolina – Wayne’s sister-in-law)
Goldstone, Howard A.
Gomes, John S.
Gouldthrite, George W.
Granger,
Grantham, Bart F. (Copilot – Birmingham, Alabama)
Gray, Etta Elizabeth Roberts – (Denver, Colorado – Wayne’s grandmother)
Gray, Ethel Helms
Gray, Guyneth Owen (Colorado – Wayne’s sister-in-law))
Gray, Harry Nordman “Nordie” (California – Wayne’s brother)
Gray, Robert Searles “Bobby” (Colorado – Wayne’s brother)
Gray, Thomas Alva “Tommy” (Denver, Colorado – Wayne’s brother)
Gray, Thomas Jason (Colorado – Wayne’s father)
Gray, Verne Richard “Shorty” (Denver, Colorado – Wayne’s brother)
Gray, Wayne A. (Gunner)
Greenfield,
Grover,
Gumlaw, Alva F,
Hanson, Alvin C. (Engineer – Tacoma, Washington)
Hedlund, (Pilot)
Heitz, N.
Henson, (Pilot)
Higgins, James R.
Hochberg,
Holden, Rama O.
Holland, Aloysius F. “Dutch” (Engineer)
Howard, “Red”
Ingram, Mark J. (Bombardier)
Iverson, Eldon O. (Medical Corpsman)
Ivey, Joe D. (Pilot)
Johnson, Warren G. (Kansas)
Joyce, Richard J. “Dick” (Gunner)
Kiker, James C.
Kowalski, Hubert I.
Klock,
Lawley, Robert L., Jr.
Lightfoot, Guy A., Jr.
Long, (Pilot)
LoPresti, Nicholas J. “Nick” (Radio Operator)
Lunsford, Charles W.
Lutes, Edson E.
Lynch, Brian P.
McAllister, Joseph M.
McCormack, Richard E.
McKinley, Charles D.
McNabb, John I. (Gunner)
McNeil,
Mahnke, Helmuth
Mangum, John W.
Martin, Paul
Meador, Jack
Meyer, Albert H. (Flight Surgeon)
Meyer, William H. (Pilot)
Miller, Kenneth E. (Pilot)
Miller, Louis H. (Radio Operator)
Miller, Richard C. (Engineer)
Mills, Maurice C.
Minto, Ann
Myers, Howard L. (Pilot – Indiana)
Newlon, William D.
Niver, Robert H.
Nussear, William O.
Pitcher, George P.
Plympton,
Powers, Robert R.
Price, William S. (Engineer)
Prinderville, Maurice E., Jr.
Pruitt, Boyce R.
Quinn, Thomas F.
Reed, Richard W.
Renfroe, Lawrence W.
Rigdon, Truitt R.
Rigelsky,
Robinson, James (Trenton, New Jersey)
Routh, Jack B.
Russell, Robert Earl “Arky” (Bentonville, Arkansas – Radio Operator/Gunner)
Ryning, Mary Gladys (Los Angeles, California – Wayne’s mother)
Sanford, Harold D. (Radio Operator)
Sathern, John R. (Pilot)
Schaade, James F.
Schaub,
Schriebman, Stanley NMI (Radio Operator)
Scott, Verner B.
Seehorn, Stanley LeVelle (Spokane, Washington – Engineer/Gunner)
Seifering, Henry P. (Radio Operator)
Sidden, Charles W.
Slotterbeck,
Smallwood, Wilson
Smith, Robert D.
Snow, Robert L.
Spencer, Truman A. (Lt. Col., 42nd Bombardment Group’s Operations Officer)
Stalsworth, Carloud F.
Stem, Ralph H.
Stewart, Orville H.
Stewart, William E.
Sullivan, Jack L. (Gunner – Los Angeles, California)
Sunderman, Herbert J. (Pilot)
Super, Leonard B. (Pilot)
Sutton, T. N. “Red” (Engineer)
Swanson, Leland M. (Bombardier)
Taylor, Arthur G. (Intelligence Officer)
Thurston, John L.
Tolhurst, Robert Harland (New York)
Tomberlin, James H.
Travis,
Trostel, Joseph J. (Colorado)
Valentin, August C. (Intelligence/Photographer)
Vincent, Kenneth O.
Vosniak, Nicholas S.
Wagner, Harold L.
Walgren,
Wallock, Daniel
Watts, Patrick H.
Webster, Virgil G.
Wicks, Trellis D.
Winslow, Erwin S.
Wolfendale, Charles W. (Pilot)
Wright, Theophilus, Jr.
Yeoman, James J. (Rio Hondo, Texas – Pilot)
Zuckerman (52 Beach Road, Bondi, Sydney, NSW, Australia)
If you are a relative or were a friend of someone mentioned in Wayne’s Journal, please leave a comment about their life. Wayne’s Journal is also their story.
—————–
* Stand Up Guys. Directed by Fisher Stevens. Los Angeles, CA: Stanley Kimmel Entertainment, 2012.
Wayne's Journal 
Thank you so much for your likes on my several posts on military related matters. I have just been given a heap of information and photos about the Catalina Flying Boats, and hope to get another post together soon. I think when I take a close look at the material much of it will be civilian service post WWII but you may still be interested.
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My Dad was Master Sergeant Eugene (Gene) J. Vargo. He was a Gunner with the 13th Air Force, 42nd Bomb Group, 75th Bomb Squadron, from roughly 1943 to 1946. Does his name ring a bell with anyone?
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Sgt. Vargo’s name has not yet appeared in Wayne’s Journal. Wayne was a member of the 75th Bombardment Squadron until the end of June 1944 when he was transferred to the 100th Bombardment Squadron. I am sure they knew each other. His name is not familiar, but it may yet turn up in Wayne’s Journal.
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My name is James Fassinger my dad was the Intelligence Officer for the 42nd Bomb wing his name was Carl H. Fassinger (Major) retired after 25 yrs in the Air Force. He was stationed in NEW GUINEA from 1942-1945, and earned his Air Medal for the operations he flew on. I have all his material from the History of the group to the reassignments of it. I might have have your dad’s name and picture in my dad’s scrape book. He kept great records and I will look his name up.
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Hi James, My namesake and godfather was Colonel Charles Kegelman, CO of the 42nd BG who was KIA in March 1945. Also my uncle SSgt Arthur Jones who was a tailgunner in the 100th BS. Any information you have would be appreciated. My phone number is 310 821-4212. Thanks, John
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My Uncle 1LT Charles A. Fiezl was an outstanding young man. He and his younger brother Francis grew up working for my grandfather–A.A. Fiezl an immigrant from Hungary in his roofing business in Orlando and helping with management of our family cattle ranch in Central Florida. When the war started he was a mechanical engineering student–graduating Valedictorian at the University of Florida. As many of us do, he had promised my grandmother that he wanted “volunteer” for anything dangerous like flying around in planes. After disappearing in the jungle on Ceram he was never seen again. My grandmother-Frances Topliff was of course devastated and doubly so as my her middle son PFC Francis A. Fiezl, USA was killed in combat in April 1945 in fighting in the Ardennes. Thanks so much for this forum.
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Would like to know more about Maurice c Mills if anyone has any? It was my great Aunt Mary Matlack Mills Morgan’s first husband and has passed years ago I am the owner of his purplke heart and 2 flying medals. Thank in advance for any info!
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If you haven’t already, you might want to check out Wayne’s Journal for 10 September 1944 (https://waynes-journal.com/2014/09/09/september-10-1944/). Also, take a look at the entry for 09 September.
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Sir, This is my first time on this site. Do you recall anything about Col Charles Kegelman, CO of 42nd BG from late 1944 to spring 1945 who was KIA. He was my godfather and my father’s flying school roommate at Randolph Field in 1936. Also my uncle SSgt Arthur Jones was a B-25 tail gunner in the 100th BS in 1945. Do you have any info on him. Thank you, John
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Wayne was my uncle. In your search for information on Col. Kegelman, you might want to read The Crusaders: a history of the 42nd Bombardment Group (M). You can find an electronic version of the book at
http://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/ww_reg_his/113.
With regard to your uncle, Arthur Jones, do you know his dates of service with the 100th Bombardment Squadron (M)?
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I am the sister of SSgt George L. Winkler. KIA 3 April 1945. In the journal it states only 2 bodies were found in the plane, the other four must have gotten out. They didn’t. One airman was beheaded and lying on the ground. Ehrhardt did not die right away and natives took care of him until he died the next day. It was three years before he was sent home for burial. The other 5 were buried or stored 6 times and my brother was finally laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery May 5, 2011.
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Charlie Wolfendale…. survived this War, …. died as a pilot for commercial airline…. rumor says otherwise
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Lt. Col. Charles W. Wolfendale was killed on 10 November 1951 during a routine training mission while serving with the 306th Bombardment Wing of the Strategic Air Command:
“A board of Air Force officers today launched an investigation to determine the reason a giant KC-97 “Strato-tanker” crashed as it was landing last night at MacDill Air Force Base here. Five airmen aboard the plane were killed.
The men were killed at 9:10 o’clock last night as the huge “Stratotanker”, which is used as a mid-air refueling plane, was preparing to land after a routine flight. The four-motored plane slammed through a high wire fence near the west end of MadDill’s main runway and burned.”
“Plane Crash Kills 5 Men at MacDill,” Tampa Times (Tampa, Florida) 10 Nov 1951, p. 1; digital image, Newspapers (https://Newspapers.com/image accessed 24 July 2018).
Directly in charge of the high altitude air-to-air refueling aircraft at MacDill was Lt. Col. Charles W. Wolfendale. Lt. Col. Wolfendale was a “ . . . veteran of the Pacific campaign during World War II. Col. Wolfendale flew the commercial version of the C-97 for Pan American Airlines until his recall in May.”
“First Flying Tanker Arrives at MacDill for Refueling of Bombers While in Air” Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Florida) 08 Aug 1951, p. 6; digital image, Newspapers (https://Newspapers.com/image accessed 24 July 2018).
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Duvall, Robert M., is my grandfather. He was a tail gunner and his name is on the list of people in this journal.
He died on 28 April 1944.
“A sad note crept into the symphony of destruction when Maj. “Jimmy” Yeoman, who had assumed command of the 75th only a short while previously, was shot down while making a low level attack against enemy shipping off of New Ireland on the 28th. With him were the Flight Surgeon, Lieut. William C. Craig, and the Squadron Bombardier, Lieut. Howard A. Goldstone, in addition to S/Sgt. Charles D. McKinley, engineer, T/Sgt. James C. Kiker, radio operator, and S/Sgt. Robert M. Duvall, gunner.” THE CRUSADERS A HISTORY OF THE 42ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (M) – 1946, Major R. H. Cohn.
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Lest we forget.
(I will pay the attention this journal deserves during the following months.)
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The blog is static in that its 300 posts constitute its entirety. It covers the period from February 1944 through late summer 1945. Its posts, based primarily on a journal kept by Wayne, were made 70 years to the day after Wayne put pencil to paper. As time goes by, posts from the journals of other family members begin to appear. The footnotes are mine and explain or provide context to the posts. They are sometimes as important as the posting to which they are appended. Equally so are the comments from the blog’s readers. In some cases, the comments are from descendants of those who shared Wayne’s experiences.
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Name to add:
2nd Lt. Michael Elmer Miles, referenced Jan 1, 1945.
The namesake uncle I never met.
This journal helped me understand a bit more about his unfortunate death. I wish I could have shared it with my dad (his older brother).
I’m glad the names of all the aircrews are noted.
Thank you for the mammoth effort of publishing it.
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