Biographical notes of Bruce R. Taylor as told to Mike A. Taylor 3/1989.

In June of 1942 after graduating from Clinton High School, Bruce enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program. His Service number as told to him at that time was 15104136. Upon his retirement in 1966, he was notifed that a mistake had been made and that two men were using the same number, and that he should now use 15103846.

He attended Basic Training at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. After this, he was assigned to "Flight Classification" in Nashville, Tennesse (later in 1942). He was a part of the 42-J flight training class.

In the fall of 1942, he was transferred to Smyrna TN. From there he he was sent TDY to the Convair plant factory school in San Diego, where he spent 90 days learning about B-24's. He returned to Smyrna where he worked as a Hydraulic Technician, Crew Chief, and flying Crew Chief.

In 1943 he volunteered for duty with the 2nd Air Search and Rescue Squadron. He was trained for duty at Buckly Field, Colorado. While the 1st Squadron was transferred to duty in the North Atlantic his squadron received orders to serve in Alaska. Shortly after Bruce left Smyrna, many of his compatriots received orders transferring them to North Africa. After they arrived in North Africa, his old unit participated in the infamous "Ploetski Oil field raids were they suffered devastating casualties.

Bruce took "Mountain Training" at Echo Lake outside of Denver near Mount Evans. He then went to Great Falls Montana (known as East Base) where he stayed a few days for staging.

His unit was then sent to duty at Edmonton, Canada, and spread as far east as Nome. These airfields included Whitehorse, Edmonton, Tanna Cross, Big Delta, Fairbanks, Galeena, and Nome. He flew mostly in Stinson Reliants, Beech Bamboo Bombers, and other small aircraft, with a few flights in PBY's.

In June of 1944, he received as furlough as he was transferred to Memphis Tenn. When the war ended, he reenlisted and received another 90 day furlough. He then reported to Camp Atterbury, from which he was sent to Goldsborro, SC (for a couple weeks) and then to Camp Kilmer, NJ where he embarked aboard a Victory ship for transport to Europe.

In early spring of 1946 he arrived in LeHarve France and stayed briefly at a staging camp (Phillip Morris) before taking a 4 day train to Fursten Feldbuck (near Munich, German).

He was stationed at Straubing Air Base (for 1 year) as a Hydraulic technician and Crew Chief on P-47's. He also worked on a 2 seat P-47.

In November of 1946 he was reassigned to Ski Patrol near Tegernsee in the mountains near Croit.

In late spring of 1947 he worked with the recreational area's boating

equipment where he met Frieda Eckle. This was at Lake Tegernsee.

Apparently Bruce was out on the lake, and the wake from his motorboat

capsized the canoe that Frieda and her sister were travelling in. That was

how they first met.

He was transferred to Schweinfort Air Base in August or September of 1947 where he served as a crew chief on A-26's.

In December 1947 he was reassigned back to Tegernsee, and then in early spring of 1948 he closed down the recreaction area there. He was then transferred to Industriahafen near Perth (near Nurnburg)

which was a fighter base which kept many P-47's and P-51's in storage. His job was to repair these aircraft by canabalizing parts from other aircraft. The newly repaired fighters were then given to the Air Forces' of Switzerland, Greece, and other European countries. After a few months his base ran out of aircraft and he was transferred to (in early 1948) to Oberpfaffenhofen where he junked old planes at this salvage depot so they could give the resulting scrap metal to the German people.

He then participated in the Berlin Airlift where he worked to repair old C-47's (twin engines) so they could be used in the airlift until they could be replaced by the newer 4 engine C-54. He gave the new C-54's 100 hour inspections (Hydraulics) and made several flights during the airlift on C-47's.

He was married in Germany in September, 1948, then returned back to the United States with Frieda on the "Daniel I. Sultan" - which was known to its crew as the "Bouncing Benson". The ship purportedly had a structural defect which made for quite a bumpy crossing of the North Atlantic during the winter. The trip took 8 days.

Bruce resigned, and was transferred into the reserves after he returned to Chanute AFB, IL.

In February of 1949, Mike was born, and Bruce started school at the Arthur Curry School of Aeronautics in Galesburg, IL. While attending that school Bruce and family lived on North Prarie St, W. Main St., E. Main St., and E. South St. He graduated from the school with a certificate in Aircraft and Powerplants (A&P) and a Commercial Pilots License. He worked for a while after graduation crop dusting.

He then received notifce that he was being recalled into the Air Force because of the Korean conflict. He and family returned to Clinton, IN, where he worked for 3 months for the Sands Level & Tool Co.

In May 1951 he and family traveled to Spokane, Washington, where he reported to Fairchild AFB and received ground training as a crew chief for the B-29.

He received additional training at Chanute AFB (IL) in the B-29 and then was transferred to Randolph AFB, TX (December 1952) where he was to receive Flight Engineer Training. It was here that Frieda and

when left home alone for a day, tried unsuccessfully to catch one of the many cute little bugs they found scurrying around in the garage. These cute little bugs with their long tails that curved up over their backs were in fact "Scorpions" and Bruce had to explain to his wife and 3 year old son that they should be left alone.

After only a month in El Paso, Bruce's unit was reassigned to Forbes AFB, in Topeka Kansas. While assigned to Forbes, he was sent to Survival school at Stead AFB in Reno, NV where he graduated in February 1953. That same month, Mike & Frieda joined him at Forbes AFB. About that time he was promoted to Staff Sergeant.

In March of 1953, Frieda was hospitalized with internal problems.

In April or May 1953, Bruce recieved orders shipping him out for combat in Korea. He was transferred to the 307th Bomb Wing, to serve with the 327th Bomb Squadron. His home base was Kadena AFB, Okinawa.

While serving in Korea, Bruce's aircraft had the distinction of being the last crew to return from the last bombing mission of the Korean War. During the mission, they had lost an engine, and had to divert to Itazuke AFB, Japan (a P-80 fighter base). Bruce received the USAF Air Medal for flying on 15 air combat missions. He actually flew on a total 23 or 24, and would have been returned to the states after completing his 26th mission had the war not ended.

Bruce arrived at Kadena AFB right about the time that the B-29 squadron's shifted from daylight raids over Korea to night raids. The squadrons sufferred heavy losses during daylight raids, and Bruce was VERY happy that they only had to do night raids.

During two different raids, engines were hit on Bruce's plane, resulting in the loss of the engine. Numerous times during raids enemy Mig fighters would be launched against their flights. Bruce's B-29 was always able to evade the Mig's. The B-29's were painted black, and gave off no light while the jet exhause of the Mig's were always visible. Strict instructions (not always followed were to NOT fire at the Migs, but to instead call in night fighter support provided by the Navy.

Bruce remembers that often the target was in North Korea, but right at the border of China, so close in fact, that as the plane finished it's bombing run, a slight overflight of China was often 'unavoidable'. Of further note, was the frequency with which a single bomb became 'hung' and NOT dropped on the target, but was 'ditched'. Bruce's plane routinely bombed China. Against orders, but it happened.

Bruce remembers looking back over the target area, and seeing flashes from antiaircraft fire so intense that 'it looked like you could walk upon the explosions'.

He received a 30 day leave as he was transferred to El Paso, Tx, and then was immediately transferred yet again to Dow AFB (Bangor, ME) and arrived in January 1954, just in time for their first snowfall of the winter. The family first stayed at 192 Elizabeth Ave in Bangor.

While at Dow his squadron's aircraft were equiped with "booms" so the KB-29P tankers could refuel F-84F & G fighters while they were airborne. He later went on to fly in KC-97F & G's. While at Dow Bruce traded assignments with another flight engineer so that Bruce could stay at Dow for a second tour of duty.

His daughter, Mary Jean, was born in June of 1956. Around that time, Bruce went TDY (Temporary DutY) to West Palm Beach, Florida for C-97 flight engineer training. Bruce quit flying with the Strategic Air Command Air Refueling Tankers in 1957.

Bruce, Frieda, and Mary Jean went on a short vacation to Germany in 1962. Mike stayed home with neighbors. While in Germany, Mary Jean was bit by a dog, on the same day in Maine, Mike also was bit by a dog. Both siblings were bit without provocation.

During this trip to Germany, Bruce received orders that he had 10 days to get all of his belongings (in Maine) packed and to report to California where he was to catch a flight to Hawaii - his next duty assignment.

Bruce Taylor (1923)