11/13/10

My name is Steve Neshkoff and my Grandfather was Neshkoff, Daniel E. / 530 / 15374147 / Asst Flt Eng, Gunner, Roberts' Crew (61) / - / HELL'S ANGELS. He passed away a few years back when I was in the USAF still. I am now in college as a history major doing research on World War Two bombers crews. If there is any way to find out if my grandfather still has original crewmembers alive please let me know or any information at all on him at all. Please let me know so I can make sure to pass any information on to our family and future generations.

Thank you

Steven Neshkoff USAF 2002-2008

Mar 13, 2011

Thank you for the 380th BG newsletters, I wish I'd known about your group while my father was still alive.

In #45, I read about the paintings by Bob Mcrae, including the wreck of "Nothing Sacred."

My father, Bernard "Yorkie" Meyerson, 380 BG, 530th Sq., told me the story of that wreck and the one survivor, his best buddy in the "Outfit."

According to my father, and my sketchy memory, Nothing Sacred took off on a bombing mission, and lost an engine during climb out. As any vet of those missions would tell you, every lift off was pushing the envelope of what the performance and atmospheric limitations allowed. My dad said that every time the Engineers would push the jungle back another 500', the loadmasters would add another 1000 lbs. of bombs, or 100 gals of avgas, so the crews would still lift their feet to help clear the trees at the end of the Marsden Matting.

Nothing Sacred was only a few hundred feet in the air when the engine quit, and so heavily loaded that she couldn't maintain altitude. The captain turned back towards the base, but my dad's friend (who's name I don't remember) could see that they weren't going to make it. He strapped on his parachute, and climbed out the waist gunner's window. His crew mates told him not to jump, as they were already too low, but he pointed out the jungle below, and said he'd take his chances. He pulled the D-ring and let the chute pull him out.

The chutes back in WW2 were nowhere near as efficient as today, and he was still falling so fast when he hit the trees that both of his legs were badly broken. Today, he'd be walking with pins in his legs, but out in the field, doctors were forced to amputate both legs.

Sadly, the rest of the crew perished when Nothing Sacred crashed into the jungle. That crash site in the painting would be the site where 9 men lost their lives.

Again, this is third hand information from what I can remember, but it should be possible to confirm the death toll/survival rate of the crash from AAC records.

I have a photo from my dad's collection of Nothing Sacred in flight. She was an older model, with the "greenhouse" up front.

Also, I noticed in the photos of Aaron Bevers, the bomber "Sleepy Time Gal." My father flew as a substitute gunner in that plane, and I have photos of her, and her "sister" ship, "Battle Weary." BW had the exact same cheesecake nose art (an Esquire magazine cover, btw), but painted topless, in a black skirt. I also have a photo of him posing next to the nose art of "Carrot Top," another ship he crewed for.

Thanks again for all your hard work keeping the memories alive,

Jonathan Mercer

March 31, 2011

My father, Maurice F Langston, was in the 529th. I grew up knowing my brother was named after his best friend in the war...Mark A Mitchell...but knew very little about any details. My father never talked much about the war...nothing sad, just a few funny stories. I always wondered about Mark and how he died. I found a few clues here and there and finally came to your website and was amazed to find so much. As I learn about the Golden Gator that was shot down in Oct 1943 I am hoping to find someone who knew my father and his friend and maybe someone who has pictures. I realize that most are gone now but maybe there are family members who have keep these precious memories.

My father, Maurice (Morrie) F Langston, passed away Jan 1994 in North Plains, Oregon.

Mark died with 6 other crew members when the fighter plane was under attack....4 survived. It would be my utter joy to find someone still alive that knew my father and Mark. Mark was on the Golden Gator....his plane went down Oct 26, 1943. Eleven were on the aircraft and four survived when the pilot ditched in the ocean. The mission was to Pomelaa on Oct 26, 1943. I looked up who had passed already and 2 men did not appear on the taps listing.

Green, Edgar A 0-804816

Statland, David 33189644

Those lost were......

Bottiglio, Aldo A

Collate, Howard G

Herres, Frances E

Hinze, Frederick S Jr

Mitchell, Mark A

Wine, John F

Wolf, Robert F

I would love to find someone with pictures. I have only one picture of my father in the war. He is on Luzon with some buddies and holding a Japanese flag. I fear I've waited too long but if you can offer any suggestions.....I would be extremely grateful.

My father lost his only son at 18 in Vietnam......he never was the same and died in 1994.

Sincere and Warm Regards,

Darla Langston Stewart

Jan 26, 2011 I started out to make a jacket for my Dad, 380th 531st 5th AAF radio/op/mech, RCM op, Ground staff, and various flight crews. It turned more into a group jacket though. Started painting on a 8th AF faded decal version of Lucky strike on an old Avirex A-2, cut and hammered out some patches, painted, hand sewed, ended up with this so far, not perfect, not Dick Ebbeson, a little busy for me. Have yet to add "The Flying Circus" which will be at the top. My first attempt at painting with my new Chinese glasses I now require, maybe that's my problem:) I used an original photo to compare, but she was naked after I painted it and I couldn't have that and wear it around. Those Japanese flags were the worst to get right and have the squadrons listed. The 48 stars were a pain. The observers wings bent up a pair of real wings hammering them in, they came out OK though. The bombs are some of my Dad's missions. I ran out of room for all the tail insignia, maybe I'll work it in. I don't like how the "Lucky Strike" came out, but had to do it for the color, black, like the original, you just couldn't see on the jacket. Same with the red circle around it, and the blue dress matches the 8th P51 mustang version but I went with it to cover her up better. The eagle was going to be a "Raven" for those RCM Operators, but the color once again wasn't coming out, the seagull finally turned out eagle-ish, or vice-versa. I've painted over some of it so many times that it started working out pretty good and I actually thought I could paint LOL, wish I started 30 years ago. Still have some sewing left to do and maybe a lion or group patch for the front, Maybe one of all the squadrons and of course a radio/radar tower patch, but I don't want it to look like PJ Patches if you ever saw him. I may put 416 on there somewhere for the number captured or killed minus the 29 that were freed as POWs and didn't get eaten or beheaded, lest we forget. Looks better in person; last a 100 years maybe, hopefully! I'll wear it to a reunion someday; too hot for TX that's for sure! A lot of work went in there anyway:) Go 380th Bomb Group and Association. GOD bless and take care all, Jim Cernick Son of Louis (Luke) Cernick, 531st