Dad’s Military Timeline
12/26/1942 Drafted. Reported for training
1-2-43 Entered service at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, IN
Sent by train to Miami Beach, FL for basic training
Sent by train to Chicago, IL for 18 weeks of radio school. Stayed at Stephens Hotel
Sent west by train to Denver, CO then Boise, ID
Boise, Idaho- This USAAF base was operated by the 29th Bomb Group, B24’s, after service in Alaska. At Boise, there was four-engine transition training for newly-formed crews (without Navigators, so far.) There were no bombing ranges or gunnery ranges except for small-arms. There was some practice of pilotage navigating, but not formally. The training was mostly to get experience for the pilots. This Bombardier (Lt. Dave Hoobler) arrived Sept. 4, 1943, and soon became part of a “crew” with Clark as Pilot, Moore as Copilot, Innis as Engineer, Fifer as Radio Operator, Crowley, Tolleson, Dempkey and Donovan as Gunners plus other training. Our training at Boise was done mostly in continuous takeoffs and landings using B-24Ds. The Rad Op and Engr did practice their duties but otherwise all hours were spent in familiarization. We were subjected to the low-pressure chamber which demonstrated the physical reactions to the equivalent to 38,000 feet. *
Sent to Wendover, UT - Lived in tents
Wendover, Utah- A new organization, the 458th Bomb Group (Heavy) was formed at Wendover. The geography there included the Great Salt Desert, where it was said that an AWOL would not be chased for three days because he could still be seen. There was also a mountain on the Squadrons were numbered 752, 753, 754 and 755. The forming began with each squadron having a “Model Crew” and with four crews arriving from Boise. The crews were identified by the names of the Pilot, and the 753rd got Alvestad, Clark, Shuman and Tooman. At Wendover B-24Ds were also used for training, and our time was spent indoctrinating the new Navigators, more takeoff and landings, and some navigator practice and a taste of formation flying. Gunnery practice was a form of skeet.
Sent to Tonopah, NV for training
Tonopah, Nevada- Suddenly the 458th was moved to Tonopah, a former P-51 training base. Expansions of facilities was moving rapidly, but we still used much used B-24Ds. There was a bombing of an aerial target there, but it was hard to locate the bulls-eye because of the glare off the mountains. Aerial gunnery was practiced on a towed target and navigation exercises were made, but the heavy effort was on flying in tight formation. Massing the bombers together massed the 50 cal. Machine guns, a move not appreciated by the Luftwaffe. Training in Tonopah was rigorous, and our squadron had a large board with squares for each training requirement. A Group CO brought about a change in the attitude of the personnel toward some of the training exercises, and priorities were heightened on training for combat duties. Our crew finished all of the required assignments after Christmas, and we were ordered overseas a few days later. There were no more training programs or opportunities until we arrived in the United Kingdom.
1-4-44 Left Tonopah to Sacramento, CA
1-2-44 Hamilton Field, CA where they picked up a new B-24
1-11-44 To Palm Springs, CA
1-12-44 To Midland, Texas
1-13-44 To Memphis, TN
1-17-44 To Morrison Field, FL
1-22-44 Left states to fly to Walker Field, Trinidad
1-23-44 Flew to Belem, Brazil
1-24-44 Flew to Fortaleza, Brazil. Had to wait for proper weather
1-27-44 Long, long flight across the ocean to Dakar, Africa
1-30-44 To Marrakech, Africa
2-4-44 To Valley Wales
2-5-44 To England; Horsham St. Faith near Norwich- 458th Bombardment Group, 8th AF First notice of a city that had been bombed. Lived in brick apartments formerly used by RAF. Flew 14 missions from there as lead crew.
Horsham St. Faith- The Eighth Air Force had established some practices that were a change for us. First, the Rad Op was full-time on the radio, so we were one gunner short. That was covered by assigning Bombardiers to the nose turrets with a toggle switch that enabled him to drop the bombs when the “Lead Plane” dropped theirs. The ex-nose gunner would take over the Rad Op gun assignment. There was an exception to this change because the lead bombardier had to be free to do his job. A “Formation Commander” called a “Command Pilot,” was assigned to the lead and deputy lead planes. These officers preferred the copilot seat, so the copilot became the missing gunner. Each squadron had designated three Lead Crews, and we had some additional training in target identification and signals.
Preparations for leading a mission required that the lead planes had to be thoroughly checked, including bombing equipment, guns and turrets, operation of all communication systems and the dependability of all flight equipment. This practice petered out eventually, but it was part of a training system. The forming of a group in the air over England was followed by forming a Combat Wing, which then joined the 2nd Air Division. This required super training to accomplish the forming stages without collisions. Short-range communications were vital. Additional training included required learning of all emergency procedures which included identification of other aircraft, friendly or hostile, and what procedures to be tried if and when being shot down. As in all AAF practices, the officers of the crews were assigned responsibilities. The Pilot was Aircraft Commander, the Copilot had “engineering” which included notification of equipment problems. The Navigator had communications, and that included the IFF signals, and the Bombardier had everything else including bombs, guns and especially oxygen. The oxygen system had to be closely watched because of possibility of leaks or damages, and the crew members had to be assigned to stations that still had an adequate supply.. The Bombardier was also the “Emergency Pilot.”
6-44 Transferred to 93rd BG at Hardwick. Lived in steel quonset huts. Flew final 16 missions
Bombing through clouds- Our crew was transferred to the 93rd Bomb Group, 329th Squadron, which was staffed with crews trained in “GH.” Very intense training was needed, but only by the Navigator. He had to find the intersection of radio waves and talk the Pilot to that spot. The rest of the crew operated as previously.
8-8-44 Last mission
9-9-44 Sailed for home on USS Mariposa. Smooth trip. No sea sickness
9-17-44 Arrived in States. Maybe Boston or New York. Sent to Camp Miles Standish
9-18-44 To Indianapolis- Stayed over night with sister, Nellie-- Some time in this period I first saw my future wife
?-44 To Camp Atterbury- Then went on leave to Indianapolis, then to Tuscola. My first leave home in two years
10-13-44 Left from Champaign, IL for Miami Beach, FL. Saw our Bombardier there in a hotel. Had a hurricane lockdown. Had a good vacation while there.
10-24-44 To Nashville, TN
11-4-44 20 day leave home
12-15-44 Surprise 30 day leave home
1-14-45 To Fort Thomas, KY
1-26-45 By train to Spokane Washington to Fort Lewis. A period of all fun and recovery
3-27-45 To Truax Field, Madison, WI. Nothing to do. Did get scarlet fever that caused me to miss being best man at my classmate, Ted George’s wedding on 7-5-45. I slept days. Worked in a battery factory at night for extra money. Was awarded the Army Navy E Sept 15, 1945. That was for voluntary work in a defense factory. No money, just a piece of paper.
I had my motor cycle with me the last part. Some time after 7-11-45 I rode the cycle to a base out somewhere in nowhere Texas. I was on KP one day and a cycle buddy came in and told me all married men who wanted could move to Tinker Field, OK. We both said we were married and rode to Oklahoma City. We had a great time working on a conveyor line with a lot of pretty women, taking apart B29 engines, but mostly having fun while waiting our number to come up for discharge. They then said anyone with their own transportation could go any time. I was discharged 10-11-45. The cycle was loaded down and away we went.
I arrived in Tuscola Oct 12, just about the time Dad was telling someone I was to be home soon. About that time I cut back the spark on the cycle and it popped and cracked all the way down Main St. Dad said, “Dang, there he is now!”
Hooray! It was over!
* Sections written in italics were provided by Lt. David Hoobler
12/26/1942 Drafted. Reported for training
1-2-43 Entered service at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, IN
Sent by train to Miami Beach, FL for basic training
Sent by train to Chicago, IL for 18 weeks of radio school. Stayed at Stephens Hotel
Sent west by train to Denver, CO then Boise, ID
Boise, Idaho- This USAAF base was operated by the 29th Bomb Group, B24’s, after service in Alaska. At Boise, there was four-engine transition training for newly-formed crews (without Navigators, so far.) There were no bombing ranges or gunnery ranges except for small-arms. There was some practice of pilotage navigating, but not formally. The training was mostly to get experience for the pilots. This Bombardier (Lt. Dave Hoobler) arrived Sept. 4, 1943, and soon became part of a “crew” with Clark as Pilot, Moore as Copilot, Innis as Engineer, Fifer as Radio Operator, Crowley, Tolleson, Dempkey and Donovan as Gunners plus other training. Our training at Boise was done mostly in continuous takeoffs and landings using B-24Ds. The Rad Op and Engr did practice their duties but otherwise all hours were spent in familiarization. We were subjected to the low-pressure chamber which demonstrated the physical reactions to the equivalent to 38,000 feet. *
Sent to Wendover, UT - Lived in tents
Wendover, Utah- A new organization, the 458th Bomb Group (Heavy) was formed at Wendover. The geography there included the Great Salt Desert, where it was said that an AWOL would not be chased for three days because he could still be seen. There was also a mountain on the Squadrons were numbered 752, 753, 754 and 755. The forming began with each squadron having a “Model Crew” and with four crews arriving from Boise. The crews were identified by the names of the Pilot, and the 753rd got Alvestad, Clark, Shuman and Tooman. At Wendover B-24Ds were also used for training, and our time was spent indoctrinating the new Navigators, more takeoff and landings, and some navigator practice and a taste of formation flying. Gunnery practice was a form of skeet.
Sent to Tonopah, NV for training
Tonopah, Nevada- Suddenly the 458th was moved to Tonopah, a former P-51 training base. Expansions of facilities was moving rapidly, but we still used much used B-24Ds. There was a bombing of an aerial target there, but it was hard to locate the bulls-eye because of the glare off the mountains. Aerial gunnery was practiced on a towed target and navigation exercises were made, but the heavy effort was on flying in tight formation. Massing the bombers together massed the 50 cal. Machine guns, a move not appreciated by the Luftwaffe. Training in Tonopah was rigorous, and our squadron had a large board with squares for each training requirement. A Group CO brought about a change in the attitude of the personnel toward some of the training exercises, and priorities were heightened on training for combat duties. Our crew finished all of the required assignments after Christmas, and we were ordered overseas a few days later. There were no more training programs or opportunities until we arrived in the United Kingdom.
1-4-44 Left Tonopah to Sacramento, CA
1-2-44 Hamilton Field, CA where they picked up a new B-24
1-11-44 To Palm Springs, CA
1-12-44 To Midland, Texas
1-13-44 To Memphis, TN
1-17-44 To Morrison Field, FL
1-22-44 Left states to fly to Walker Field, Trinidad
1-23-44 Flew to Belem, Brazil
1-24-44 Flew to Fortaleza, Brazil. Had to wait for proper weather
1-27-44 Long, long flight across the ocean to Dakar, Africa
1-30-44 To Marrakech, Africa
2-4-44 To Valley Wales
2-5-44 To England; Horsham St. Faith near Norwich- 458th Bombardment Group, 8th AF First notice of a city that had been bombed. Lived in brick apartments formerly used by RAF. Flew 14 missions from there as lead crew.
Horsham St. Faith- The Eighth Air Force had established some practices that were a change for us. First, the Rad Op was full-time on the radio, so we were one gunner short. That was covered by assigning Bombardiers to the nose turrets with a toggle switch that enabled him to drop the bombs when the “Lead Plane” dropped theirs. The ex-nose gunner would take over the Rad Op gun assignment. There was an exception to this change because the lead bombardier had to be free to do his job. A “Formation Commander” called a “Command Pilot,” was assigned to the lead and deputy lead planes. These officers preferred the copilot seat, so the copilot became the missing gunner. Each squadron had designated three Lead Crews, and we had some additional training in target identification and signals.
Preparations for leading a mission required that the lead planes had to be thoroughly checked, including bombing equipment, guns and turrets, operation of all communication systems and the dependability of all flight equipment. This practice petered out eventually, but it was part of a training system. The forming of a group in the air over England was followed by forming a Combat Wing, which then joined the 2nd Air Division. This required super training to accomplish the forming stages without collisions. Short-range communications were vital. Additional training included required learning of all emergency procedures which included identification of other aircraft, friendly or hostile, and what procedures to be tried if and when being shot down. As in all AAF practices, the officers of the crews were assigned responsibilities. The Pilot was Aircraft Commander, the Copilot had “engineering” which included notification of equipment problems. The Navigator had communications, and that included the IFF signals, and the Bombardier had everything else including bombs, guns and especially oxygen. The oxygen system had to be closely watched because of possibility of leaks or damages, and the crew members had to be assigned to stations that still had an adequate supply.. The Bombardier was also the “Emergency Pilot.”
6-44 Transferred to 93rd BG at Hardwick. Lived in steel quonset huts. Flew final 16 missions
Bombing through clouds- Our crew was transferred to the 93rd Bomb Group, 329th Squadron, which was staffed with crews trained in “GH.” Very intense training was needed, but only by the Navigator. He had to find the intersection of radio waves and talk the Pilot to that spot. The rest of the crew operated as previously.
8-8-44 Last mission
9-9-44 Sailed for home on USS Mariposa. Smooth trip. No sea sickness
9-17-44 Arrived in States. Maybe Boston or New York. Sent to Camp Miles Standish
9-18-44 To Indianapolis- Stayed over night with sister, Nellie-- Some time in this period I first saw my future wife
?-44 To Camp Atterbury- Then went on leave to Indianapolis, then to Tuscola. My first leave home in two years
10-13-44 Left from Champaign, IL for Miami Beach, FL. Saw our Bombardier there in a hotel. Had a hurricane lockdown. Had a good vacation while there.
10-24-44 To Nashville, TN
11-4-44 20 day leave home
12-15-44 Surprise 30 day leave home
1-14-45 To Fort Thomas, KY
1-26-45 By train to Spokane Washington to Fort Lewis. A period of all fun and recovery
3-27-45 To Truax Field, Madison, WI. Nothing to do. Did get scarlet fever that caused me to miss being best man at my classmate, Ted George’s wedding on 7-5-45. I slept days. Worked in a battery factory at night for extra money. Was awarded the Army Navy E Sept 15, 1945. That was for voluntary work in a defense factory. No money, just a piece of paper.
I had my motor cycle with me the last part. Some time after 7-11-45 I rode the cycle to a base out somewhere in nowhere Texas. I was on KP one day and a cycle buddy came in and told me all married men who wanted could move to Tinker Field, OK. We both said we were married and rode to Oklahoma City. We had a great time working on a conveyor line with a lot of pretty women, taking apart B29 engines, but mostly having fun while waiting our number to come up for discharge. They then said anyone with their own transportation could go any time. I was discharged 10-11-45. The cycle was loaded down and away we went.
I arrived in Tuscola Oct 12, just about the time Dad was telling someone I was to be home soon. About that time I cut back the spark on the cycle and it popped and cracked all the way down Main St. Dad said, “Dang, there he is now!”
Hooray! It was over!
* Sections written in italics were provided by Lt. David Hoobler