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Contents
Who They Were:
Crew & Plane, 11
1/Lt Eugene M. Thomas, Jr,., 15
2/Lt Francis X. Glacken, 23
2/Lt Norman B. Bassett, 27
M/Sgt Richard C. Armstrong, 37
Sgt Sam H. Bradford, 41
Sgt George P. Demers, 45
Sgt Louis A. Dorio, 51
The Planes, 55
What They Did:
General Lemay’s Strategy, 59
Twelve Times To Target 357, 65
The Missions, 71
Memories of Early Morning May 24, 95
U. S. Government Records, 109
Letters, 133
What They Stood For:
Prisoners of War, 143
Major Robert F. Goldsworthy, 148
Lt Raymond “Hap” Halloran, 167
What They Were A Part Of:
Saipan, 183
Ernie Pyle in the Marianas, 189
Little Boy, Fat Man and Enola Gay, 197
Japanese Surrender, 199
General Twining’s B-29 History, 205
Notes From The Author, 225
Memorials, 227
Great Bend, Kansas
Saipan, Mariana Islands
Salina, Kansas
Pratt, Kansas
Hap & FIFI, 231
C. Douglas Caffey Poetry, 74 & 233
Preface
This book is written about the heroic
death of the crew of the B-29 “Z Square 7” and what they endured as flyers in the Army Air Corps stationed on
Saipan during World War 2. These bombers were a major force in bringing Japan to surrender without a ground invasion of the
Japanese mainland that would have cost at least a half million American lives.
There are chapters that tell how in
every mission they faced the possibility of enemy capture, torture and death. Bill Agee, Historian of the 500th
Bomb Group states, “The 881st took some very heavy losses.” There are accounts from airmen who tell
what happened to many others who bailed out and what may have happened to this crew.
There are many unanswered questions
but, as “Hap” Halloran told me, “There are many things we will never know about the fate of this crew and
other crews, but in remembering we can be proud of who they were, what they did, what they stood for, and what they were a
part of.” This book tells their story.
I want to thank the men, women, veterans
and non-veterans of the internet Yahoo Group, B-29 Superfortress, owned by Sallyann Wagoner, for their information and support.
I especially want to thank Bill Copeland, nephew of Lt Robert Copeland and “Hap” Halloran for their important
contributions to this book.
As you read this keep in mind this
is a well-trained bomber crew and they are very close to each other. We can be comforted that this crew is buried “together
and forever.”
Back Page
Research on this book started years ago when my stepfather’s words about his son’s death
in a B-29 over Tokyo stirred my curiosity. As my knowledge of the tragedy increased I realized that I was researching all
the crew of “Z Square 7” and not just his son, Sgt George Demers, right gunner. It was at this point I set out
to find other relatives. The search successfully located families of 7 crewmembers.
These courageous, brave, outstanding
young men were fighting their country’s war knowing they were in extreme danger bombing the Japanese cities. Even parachuting
over Japan did not give them much chance of survival with the Japanese citizens or military. There are stories told here by
airmen who lived through this horrible treatment.
There are actual accounts from some
of the other 520 B-29 crews who were there on May 24, 1945 at 4:00 AM when “Z Square 7” fell into Tokyo Bay. The
crews of these bombers tell in their own words the battle conditions that morning. They tell about the flak and the fighters.
“Z Square 7” was written
and compiled from research material provided by the U.S. Government, the internet, personal observations of Army Air Corps
servicemen, and records kept by private individuals. I am deeply grateful for the unselfish assistance and encouragement given
by all. While the book centers on the B-29 “Z Square 7” it shows
the sacrifices made by all the airmen involved in the bombing of Japan. Hopefully “Z Square 7” will be as much
of an educational adventure for readers as it was for me.
Frank L. Grube
ISBN 1-930847-94-7
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