Bouldin crew
MISSION LIST
CREW #18-B; 18th Squadron
Mission #36 July 17, 1944 42-94762 B/K 18BS Bouldin The Uninvited
CREW #22; 4th Squadron (as of July 28, 1944)
Mission #51 August 4, 1944 41-29602 L/I 4BS Bouldin
Mission #52 August 5, 1944 44-40049 D/I 4BS Bouldin
Mission #53 August 6, 1944 42-94755 D/U 18BS Bouldin Weary
Willie
Mission #55 August 8, 1944 42-94755 D/U 4BS Bouldin Weary
Willie
Mission #63 August 24, 1944 42-94762 L/Y 18BS Bouldin The Uninvited (slight battle damage)
CREW #74; 18th Squadron (as of September 17, 1944)
Mission #74 October 6, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin Major damage.
Mission #76 October 9, 1944 43-38433 B/R Bouldin
Mission #77 October 14, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #78 October 15, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin Major damage.
Mission #80 October 19, 1944 43-38326 B/U 7BS Bouldin
Mission #81 October 22, 1944 43-38304 B/L 18BS Bouldin
Mission #82 October 25, 1944 43-38326 B/U 18BS Bouldin
Mission #84 October 28, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin
Mission #85 October 30, 1944 43-38392 B/E 18BS Bouldin
Mission #86 November 4, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin
Mission #87 November 5, 1944 44-8283 B/G 18BS Bouldin
Mission #89 November 9, 1944 43-38304 B/L 18BS Bouldin
Mission #90 November 16, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #91 November 21, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #95 November 30, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #96 December 4, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #98 December 6, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #100 December 12, 1944 43-38433 B/R 391BS Bouldin
Mission #101 December 15, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #103 December 27, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin Leaflets only.
Mission #104 December 28, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #105 December 30, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #106 December 31, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #107 January 2, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #108 January 3, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #111 January 13, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #115 January 20, 1945 44-6820 H/C Bouldin Relay aircraft
Mission #117 January 28, 1945 44-6820 H/C Bouldin Relay aircraft
MISSION AND CREW DETAILS
CREW #18-B; 18th Squadron
Mission #36 July 17, 1944 42-94762 B/K 18BS Bouldin The Uninvited
Took off at 0655 hours.
Flew position 3-2 in Low Squadron.
Carried a K-20 camera and a K-24 camera.
Carried 5 1000 lb bombs. Brought all bombs back to base.
Did not drop bombs because the Bombardier passed out.
No damage reported.
Landed 1306 hours.
Bouldin (P)
Simpson (CP) Capt.
Attridge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Schulman (BG)
Henson (TG)
Dachter (NG)
McSpadden (G)
July 19, 1944 44-40486 B/C Mouldin Cokey Flo (should probably be Bouldin)
Took off at 1625 hours.
Was this a practice mission? Part of a group of 11 planes.
Landed 1837 hours.
July 20, 1944 44-40208 L/C Bouldin
Took off at 1115 hours for a practice formation.
Landed 1325 hours.
July 20, 1944 42-94813 B/E Bouldin
Took off at 1647 hours for a practice mission.
Landed 1804 hours.
CREW #22; 4th Squadron (as of July 28, 1944)
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Arrtidge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Dachter (NG)
Henson (TG)
Roe (BG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #51 August 4, 1944 41-29602 L/I 4BS Bouldin
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Arrtidge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Henson (TG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #52 August 5, 1944 44-40049 D/I 4BS Bouldin
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Arrtidge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Dachter (NG)
Henson (TG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #53 August 6, 1944 42-94755 D/U 18BS Bouldin Weary
Willie
No crew loading list available.
Mission #55 August 8, 1944 42-94755 D/U 4BS Bouldin Weary
Willie
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Arrtidge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Dachter (NG)
Henson (TG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #63 August 24, 1944 42-94762 L/Y 18BS Bouldin The Uninvited (slight battle damage)
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Arrtidge (N)
Barfield (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Henson (G)
Dachter (G)
McSpadden (G)
CREW #74; 18th Squadron (as of September 17, 1944)
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Attridge (N)
Borsen (B)
Chrisman (R)
Reynolds (E)
Dachtler (NG)
Henson (TG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #74 October 6, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin Major damage.
Mission #76 October 9, 1944 43-38433 B/R Bouldin
Mission #77 October 14, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #78 October 15, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Major damage from flak, knocking out two engines. Crash landed upon return to England, but eventually repaired and flown again a month later.
One crewman, T/Sgt Chrisman, WIA in right arm and hand.
Bouldin (P)
Saunders (CP)
Attridge (N)
Boreen (B)
Chrisman, Thomas (R) T/Sgt WIA (Purple Heart not awarded until Oct 15, 2004, 60 years later. See story in email quoted below.)
Reynolds (E)
Hanson (TG)
Dachtler (NG)
McSpadden (G)
Mission #80 October 19, 1944 43-38326 B/U 7BS Bouldin
Mission #81 October 22, 1944 43-38304 B/L 18BS Bouldin
Mission #82 October 25, 1944 43-38326 B/U 18BS Bouldin
Mission #84 October 28, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin
Mission #85 October 30, 1944 43-38392 B/E 18BS Bouldin
Mission #86 November 4, 1944 43-38331 B/Y 18BS Bouldin
Mission #87 November 5, 1944 44-8283 B/G 18BS Bouldin
Mission #89 November 9, 1944 43-38304 B/L 18BS Bouldin
Mission #90 November 16, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #91 November 21, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #95 November 30, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #96 December 4, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #98 December 6, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #100 December 12, 1944 43-38433 B/R 391BS Bouldin
Mission #101 December 15, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #103 December 27, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin Leaflets only.
Mission #104 December 28, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #105 December 30, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #106 December 31, 1944 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #107 January 2, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #108 January 3, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #111 January 13, 1945 43-38433 B/R 18BS Bouldin
Mission #115 January 20, 1945 44-6820 H/C Bouldin Relay aircraft
Mission #117 January 28, 1945 44-6820 H/C Bouldin Relay aircraft
NOTE to Oct 15, 1944 mission.
----- Original Message -----
From: Casaigne Catherine A SrA 355 WG/PA
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 2:28 PM
Subject: story
Sir, I'll see you tomorrow.
Let me know if I got
anything wrong.
DM honors WWII
Airman with Purple Heart on 60 year anniversary.
By Senior Airman
Cat Casaigne
It's been said the
generation of men and women who served in the great world wars was the
"greatest generation," and the Desert Lightning Team had the chance
to honor a member of that great generation by presenting a long over-due Purple
Heart Oct. 15.
Oct. 15, 1944, 60
years prior to the day he received the award, Tech. Sgt. Thomas Chrisman was
flying over Nazi Germany as a radio operator on a B-17 when he and his crew
came under extreme anti-aircraft fire. A shell exploded right under the plane.
The explosion injured Mr. Chrisman, who was hit with shrapnel in his right hand
and arm. It also took out two engines and damaged a third. The bomber dropped
out of formation and when the pilot gained control, they headed slowly home.
Despite his injuries, Mr. Chrisman stayed on the radio, ensuring that if the
crew and the bomber did not reach their base, there would be a rescue crew to
pick them up. The plane did make it home to England where it successfully crash
landed.
Col. Mike Spencer,
355th Wing commander, presented a Purple Heart to Mr. Chrisman, who had tears
of joy streaming down his face, at a commander's call. Mr. Chrisman's family,
to include his wife, children, grandchildren, and a great grandchild, were
there to support him.
"I, like so
many young men, went to war when the country needed me," Mr. Chrisman
said. "I never asked my country for anything except for a place to live my
life the way I wanted to live it. Thank God for the United States of
America."
Mr. Chrisman said
the crew he flew with had a goal: To go home to the United States together.
After getting hit, Mr. Chrisman did not want to miss a mission, which would
have made the goal impossible, so although he did seek medical attention, he
played the injury off like a scratch, allowing his hand to heal with the
shrapnel inside. The piece of shrapnel was removed from his hand two years ago.
"Today is the
60th anniversary of the day I was awarded this for," he said. "Back
then, there was not the media like there is today and there was a fire in the
hall of records in 1973 when all of my medical records were destroyed, so this
has been a long time coming. Everyone else says it's about time, but I did not
really know what to expect. It had happened during the war and I had just about
given up on it. But my lovely wife persisted and we saw the results
today."
Colonel Spencer
said it was truly his honor to present the award to Mr. Chrisman.
"Mr. Chrisman
is an Airman in every sense of the word," Colonel Spencer said at the
commander's call. "He served his country in war and peace, and we have the
chance to honor him for one of his truly heroic days. I am very proud to have
this opportunity. We in the Desert Lightning Team are very fortunate for
your service, your sacrifice and the legacy you've set for us."
Oct. 15, 1944 was
not the only time Mr. Chrisman's crew ran into trouble. On two other occasions,
the crew was forced to crash land. One time, they crash landed while carrying
300 five gallon cans of fuel to Gen. Patton's Army. Mr. Chrisman spent 2
years in the military where he completed 34 combat missions. He turned 20 years
old one month after he entered the Army Air Corps.
"I had always
had a love for airplanes and radio was a hobby of mine," he said. "The
only advice I could give today's Airmen is learn all you can about your job and
do it the best you can do, because the training you are going to get will save
you live."
Mr. Chrisman said
it was an honor to serve his country.
"I am very
proud to receive the medal, and if I was able and my country needed me, yes, I
would do it all over again," he said.
Very respectfully,
SrA Cat. Casaigne
355th Wing Public
Affairs
228-2187