350TH SQDN…CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 2 AUG 1944.

Missions of Crew:

S. O. C. page 79 says Schulte was killed by a 20mm shell.

COLONEL RICHARD P. KEIRN: A POW IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FOR SEVEN YEARS; THE ONLY 100TH VETERAN TO BE A POW IN TWO WARS. COL KEIRN REMAINED IN THE SERVICE AND RETIRED AS A COLONEL. HE CONDUCTED HIMSELF IN A ELEGANT AND COURAGEOUS MANNER THROUGHOUT HIS COMBAT AND THE ORDEAL OF IMPRISONMENT IN GERMANY AND SOUTHEAST ASIA. HIS SPARKLING OUTLOOK ON LIFE IS NOT DIMMED BY THE GREAT SACRIFICES HE HAS MADE FOR HIS COUNTRY. COL KEIRN IS HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM BY ALL WHO KNEW HIM.

Letter from Lt. Jerome H. Hutcheson, Navigator, dated 5 Aug 1945…

". . . From the moment of the first fighter attack, the pilot, Lt Howard R. Schulte, was unconscious, presumably from lack of oxygen. . . After continuing flying, the co-pilot, who was in command of the ship, decided that further attempts to put out the fire and return of our base would be of no avail and the order to bail out was given. The pilot had returned to consciousness, stating he was all right and unwounded to the co-pilot's inquiry. He immediately confirmed the co-pilots decision to abandon ship. I bailed out later. The Bombardier, Lt. Kenneth R. Summers later told me that he saw the pilot, Lt Schulte, and believed him to be the last person aboard the aircraft. . When last seen he was flying the aircraft at 7500 feet altitude going down fast. One wing was a mass of flames due to flak damage. He saw no more chutes come from the plane. Lt Summers believes that Lt Schulte did not bail out or if he did his chute did not open. He may have decided to crash land the aircraft. "

After spending 237 days in captivity, Lt. Hutcheson was repatriated by the Soviet Army on May 5, 1945.