44-6939 Mizpah
B-17G-70-DL
December 26, 1944 Delivered to Lincoln
January 10, 1945 to Dow Field
January 21, 1945 Assigned to 7th Squadron, 34th Bomb Group, Mendlesham
From Carl B. Stemen, Pilot, 34th BG:
My crew told me to have my wife "Peg" name the plane. She chose the name MIZPAH, which means, "May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another." When Chaplain Eller saw the name he said that this plane would always come back and he would like to sneak on board and fly with us. He was correct and I always repeated the 23rd Psalm to myself as we flew to our target. It seemed as if I always came to the part "yea though I walk through the valley of death," when we would be at our IP. The Lord was with us for in all the missions we flew, I was the only one hit, but we all came back safely.
MISSION LIST
Mission #128 February 22, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #129 February 24, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #130 February 25, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Weaver
Mission #131 February 26, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #132 February 27, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #133 March 1, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #135 March 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Roscher
Mission #137 March 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #138 March 8, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #139 March 10, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #140 March 11, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #141 March 12, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #142 March 14, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #143 March 15, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #146 March 19, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Giardini
Mission #147 March 20, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Giardini
Mission #150 March 23, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #151 March 24, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #152 March 26, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #154 March 30, 1945 44-6939 E/P (unused ground spare)
Mission #155 March 31, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #156 April 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #157 April 4, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Gregory
Mission #158 April 5, 1945 44-6939 E/P (scheduled for Stemen but replaced)
Mission #159 April 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist
Mission #160 April 8, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist
Mission #161 April 9, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist
Mission #162 April 10, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #163 April 11, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #164 April 14, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #165 April 15, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #166 April 16, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #168 April 18, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #169 April 19, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #171 May 1, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #172 May 2, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #173 May 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #174 May 5, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS McWilliams
Mission #175 May 6, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Couse
Mission #176 May 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Hanlon
MISSION DETAILS
Mission #128 February 22, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #129 February 24, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen Aborted and jettisoned bomb load, returned and took again in aircraft 309.
Mission #130 February 25, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Weaver
Mission #131 February 26, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #132 February 27, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #133 March 1, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #135 March 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Roscher
Mission #137 March 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #138 March 8, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #139 March 10, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #140 March 11, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #141 March 12, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #142 March 14, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #143 March 15, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #146 March 19, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Giardini
Mission #147 March 20, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Giardini
Mission #150 March 23, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #151 March 24, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #152 March 26, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #154 March 30, 1945 44-6939 E/P (unused ground spare)
Mission #155 March 31, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #156 April 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #157 April 4, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Gregory
Mission #158 April 5, 1945 44-6939 E/P (scheduled for Stemen but replaced)
Mission #159 April 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist Took off 0906 landed 1704.
Mission #160 April 8, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist
Mission #161 April 9, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Blomquist
Mission #162 April 10, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #163 April 11, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #164 April 14, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #165 April 15, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #166 April 16, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #168 April 18, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #169 April 19, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #171 May 1, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #172 May 2, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #173 May 3, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Stemen
Mission #174 May 5, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS McWilliams
Mission #175 May 6, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Couse
Mission #176 May 7, 1945 44-6939 E/P 7BS Hanlon
44-6939 Mizpah
B-17G-70-DL
June 24, 1945 Returned to US: Bradley
Flown to the US by the Kenny crew #32-34. See Microfilm reel B0115, p. 1514.
Kenny, James T. 1Lt O-800366 Pilot 1091
Meullerschoen, George J. 2Lt O-777769 Co-Pilot 1091
Gombos, William 2Lt O-2074396 Nav 1034
Waite, Ernest K. S/Sgt 37520041 Radio Op 757
McElyea, Ira C. Sgt 38480532 Engr 748
Cain, Francis X. Jr. Sgt 12228698 Passenger 612
Snow, Raymond H. Sgt 38627421 Passenger 611
Beugler, James W. Sgt 39043555 Passenger 612
Smith, Roy H. Sgt 39727462 Passenger 611
Ulam, Kenneth T/Sgt 13089506 Passenger 750
Betts, Elwyn V. Sgt 32373400 Passenger 911
Shaw, John F. Jr. Cpl 38392537 Passenger 911
Mooers, John E. Cpl 33452236 Passenger 911
Manjarrez, Robert Cpl 35582147 Passenger 911
Thompson, Harry Sgt 39110610 Passenger 911
Iverson, Claud R. Cpl 39917726 Passenger 809
Gardner, Merlin M. S/Sgt 37207448 Passenger 911
Ruzzi, Erminio V. Cpl 33596106 Passenger 911
Dove, Ronald E. Cpl 13125312 Passenger 911
Green, John M. Sgt 18171043 Passenger 911
June 25, 1945 to South Plains
December 10, 1945 to RFC Kingman.