Middle Row: Helen Kouny,
Rachel Martell, Dick Smith (R), Carl Porter (R)***,
Jack Wald (R) & wife Rose. The grey haired lady next
is Maxine Davis wife of Willard "Pete" Davis, who stands just below her
(Motor Pool?).
Front Row: at left
with a cane is Vern Witz, Charles "Charlie" Thompson (R) & wife Janet,
Richard "Dick" Smith (R), Carl Porter (R), James "Big Jim"
Dowling (Service Co Captain) & wife Ferne and John Gieb (R).
Now known to be deceased are:
Vern Witz, Les Droge, Bill
Vessels, Bill Flink, Helen Kouny, Jack Wald,
Dick Smith, Jim Dowling and John Gieb. Charlie
Thompson was our Riggers 1st Lt. Droge was a
2nd Lt, Gieb was a Staff Sgt and most of the
rest of us never got beyond T-5 or Cpl (same
thing).
* Elmer Martell was
captured on the D-Day drop and spent the rest of the war in
German POW camps.
** Droge was with us from
Blanding to McCall (sic) ]Camp Mackall] but was sent as
cadre to, I believe, the 506. Even so, he considered the
508 "his" regiment and never missed a reunion.
*** "Yours Truly"
[Carl Porter] was a Normandy POW for a short time
and also made an "Incident Report" for Heimer Swanson's
Service Company records.
