| MAJ. JOHN C. "BUCKY" EGAN SERVED THE 100TH AS ITS FIRST
AIR EXEC AND LATER AS COMMANDER OF THE 418TH BS.
HE FLEW THE MUNSTER (10 OCT 1943) MISSION WITH THE JOHN BRADY CREW AND
BECAME A POW. THE 100TH HAD THREE "BUCKIES", EGAN, ELTON, AND CLEVEN. TWO
OF THEM, EGAN AND CLEVEN, WERE LOST IN A TWO DAY PEROID; CLEVEN WITH
DeMARCAO AT BREMEN (8 OCT 1943) AND EGAN AT MUNSTER WITH BRADY. CAPT.
ELTON TOOK OVER CLEVEN'S 350TH AFTER THE MUNSTER MISSION AND COMPTETED HIS
TOUR. CLEVEN ESCAPED FROM A POW CAMP AND RETURNED TO THE 100TH BUT NEVER
WENT BACK ON OPERATIONS, BEING RETURNED TO THE STATES, AS WAS THE CASE
WITH ESCAPING POWS.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH BUCK CLEVEN (JAN 2001), HE REVEALED THAT HE AND
EGAN WERE ROOMATES THROUGHOUT FLYING SCHOOL. IN FACT, IT WAS EGAN WHO GAVE
GALE CLEVEN HIS NICKNAME "BUCK". SEEMS THAT MAJ EAGAN HAD A FRIEND IN
WISCONSIN THAT WAS NAMED BUCK WHO LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE CLEVEN. EVERY TIME
EGAN INTRODUCED CLEVEN TO PEOPLE; HE SAID, "HERE IS MY FRIEND "BUCK"
CLEVEN. CLEVEN SAID THAT EVEN THOUGH HE DID NOT LIKE IT, THE NICKNAME
STUCK AND FROM THAT POINT ON, HE WAS BUCK CLEVEN. CLEVEN SAID THAT JOHN
WAS A QUIET PERSON WHO WAS QUICK WITTED AND A GOOD DRINKER. A VERY
LIKEABLE INDIVIDUAL. BOTH OF THEM SPENT TIME IN SEBRING, FLYING B-24
SUBMARINE PATROL. JOHN ALSO BOUGHT HIS FAMOUS FLEECE LINED FLYING JACKET
WHILE TRAINING PILOTS AT SAN ANGELO TX. SEEMS IT WAS ARMY AIR CORP ISSUE
AND WAS BEING DISCONTINUED. JOHN LOVED THAT JACKET AND IS SEEN IN MOST
PICTURES WEARING IT; CLEVEN THOUGHT IT ALWAYS LOOKED DIRTY. BOTH MEN
REMAINED CLOSE FRIENDS AFTER THE WAR, UNFORTUNATELY JOHN PASSED AWAY FROM
A HEART ATTACK AROUND 1961 AT THE AGE OF 45. HE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS AND WE
WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
ON MAY 21ST 1943, MAJOR JOHN EGAN BECAME THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE 100TH
TO PARTICIPATE IN A COMBAT MISSION. TARGET AND GROUP HE FLEW WITH ARE
UNKNOWN. EGAN HAD BEEN REPORTED MISSING BUT FORTUNATELY CAME THROUGH A
ROUGH MISSION AND HIS PLANE LANDED SAFELY AT A STATION DIFFERENT FROM THE
ONE HE LEFT.
MISSIONS OF MAJ. JOHN EGAN (mpf 2001)
| Nbr |
DATE |
TARGET |
A/C # & NAME |
| 1 |
04/07/43 |
LaPALLICE |
23237 STYMIE |
| 2 |
10/07/43 |
LeBOURGET |
230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN |
| 3 |
25/07/43 |
KIEL |
230061 JUST-A-SNAPPIN |
| 4 |
17/08/43 |
REGENSBURG |
230066 MUGWUMP |
| 5 |
31/08/43 |
MEULAN Les MERUEAUX |
23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN |
| 6 |
06/09/43 |
STUTTGART |
23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN |
| 7 |
09/09/43 |
ARTH |
23393 JUST-A-SNAPPIN |
| 8. |
10/10/43 |
MUNSTER |
230830 M'lle ZIG
ZIG |
CREW:
| 1ST LT JOHN D. BRADY |
P |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| MAJ. JOHN C. EGAN |
COM |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| 2ND LT JOHN L. HOERR |
CP |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| 2ND LT DAVID SOLOMON |
NAV |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| 2ND LT HOWARD B. HAMILTON |
BOM |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| S/SGT ADOLPH BLUM |
TTE |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| S/SGT HAROLD E.
CLANTON |
WG |
KIA |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER |
ROG |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| PVT ROLAND D. GANGWER |
BTG |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| S/SGT JAMES A. McCUSKER |
WG |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
| S/SGT GEORGE J. PETROHELOS |
TG |
POW |
10 OCT 43 MUNSTER |
NOTES:
T/SGT JOSEPH E. HAFER REPLACED SGT SAUL LEVITT AS ROG AFTER LEVITT WAS
INJURED IN JEEP ACCIDENT. SAUL LEVITT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE STAFF OF
"YANK" MAGAZINE UPON HIS RECOVERY. HAFER WAS TAKEN PRISONER. LT DAVID
SOLOMON, THE REGULAR NAVIGATOR ON CREW #29 REPLACED 2ND LT. HARRY CROSBY
FOR THIS MISSION AND WAS TAKEN PRISONER AS WELL.
CREW #32 LED THE 10 OCT 43 MISSION AND MAJ JOHN C. EGAN, THE 418TH CO,
FLEW IN THE CO-PILOT'S SEAT. NEAR THE I. P. "MLLE ZIG ZIG" WAS HIT BY FLAK
KILLING SGT CLANTON AND BADLY WOUNDING HOWARD HAMILTON AND ROLAND GANGWER.
THE SURVIVING CREW MEMBERS SUCCEEDED IN BAILING OUT AND WERE TAKEN
PRISONER. HAMILTON AND GANGWER SPENT A LONG TIME IN THE HOSPITAL.
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