COMMENTS & NOTES
MEMO 1:
Colonel Harry F. Cruver
GROUP CO 01 AUG 1945 -- UNTIL GROUP WAS DISBANDED.
1. Commendation 03 January 1945
2. Honor Roll Crew List March 1945
3. Letter from E.C. Smith
4. Autobiographical Data
5. Letter from Gene Greenwood
6. Misc
CONFIDENTIAL
HEADQUARTERS 3RD AIR DIVISION
Office of the Commanding General
APO 559
GENERAL ORDERS)
NO.4) 3 January 1945
COMMENDATION
The 351st Bombardment Squadron (H), is commended for outstanding performance of duty in action against the enemy during the period 31 July to 2 November 1944. During this period, the squadron participated in fifty-two (52) consecutive missions without the loss of a single crew or aircraft. On these missions operations, more than 400 aircraft were dispatched and only eleven (11) aircraft aborted. Eight hundred and forth three (843) tons of high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on enemy targets which included Venlo, Hamburg, Berlin, Ludwigshaven, Bremen, Madgeburg, Munster, Merseburg; as well as Szolnok, Hungary and the supply mission to Warsaw, Poland. Although many of the aircraft returned from these missions with extensive battle damage, highly efficient maintenance crews expeditiously repaired the crippled bombers and enabled the courageous airmen to resume operations in the shortest possible time. The skill in operational and planning and the courage displayed by the combat crews in all attacks have not only insured the high degree of efficiency necessary to establish this record, but have also resulted in a material contribution to the successful prosecution of the war against the enemy.
This splendid teamwork, courage and devotion to duty displayed by the Officers and Men of the 351st Bombardment Squadron reflect the highest credit upon themselves and the Unites States Army Air Forces:
By command of Major General Partridge:
N.B. HAROLD
Brigadier General, U.S.A.
Chief of Staff
OFFICIAL:
(SIGNED)
F.E. FITZPATRICK
Captain, Air Corps
Acting Asst. Adjutant General
HONOR ROLL CREWS
MARCH 1945
3RD AIR DIVISION
8TH AIR FORCE
DATE TARGET GROUP COMMAND PILOT 100TH MISSION #
MARCH 9 FRANKFORT 95TH CUMBAA
MARCH 12 SWINEMUNDE 95TH FRANKESKY
MARCH 12 SWINEMUNDE 100TH-A CRUVER LATER 100TH CO 278
MARCH 14 SEELZE 95TH-A CUMBAA
MARCH 14 SEELZE 100TH-C ROBB (WEST POINT GRAD)
MARCH 22 ALHORN 100TH-A FERBRACHE 285
MARCH 22 ALHORN 100TH-B STIVERS 285
MARCH 22 ALHORN 100TH-C ALBRECHT 285
MARCH 23 UNNA 100TH-A SUTTERLIN LATER 100TH CO 286
MARCH 23 UNNA 100TH-B CRUVER LATER 100TH CO 286
MARCH 23 UNNA 100TH-C ELLIS 286
MARCH 31 ZEITZ 95TH-B GARRISON
MARCH 31 ZEITZ 95TH-C SHERWOOD
There are only two pilots appearing more than once on the March 1945 Honor Roll Crew List
Lt Col. Harry F. Cruver of the 100th and Lt Col. Cumbaa of the 95th
Letter to Harry F. Cruver, his old Squadron Commander, from Edgar C. Smith dated 27 Dec 1993
Dear Harry;
These are the only pictures I have of your plane, not very good, English film and developing.
I have a good picture of Lt klinikowski and his crew taken so the nose art shows. The plane is Mason & Dixon.
The picture was taken when I was a member of the ground crew.
Do you remember the 300th mission party? You poured a a canteeen cup of beer on
Dewy Christopher's (well known 100th Flight Chief..pw) and about fifteen minutes later he walked
behind you, lifted your cap and poured a cup of beer on your head. Then at midnight you came
through the barracks turning over all the beds that had anyone in them, of course I was in bed and you dumped me, you sure were having a good time. Memories..
As Ever
Edgar C. Smith
HARRY F. CRUVER
Autobiographical Highlights
MILITARY ( I938 - 1966)
1. 12/31/40 Appointed flying cadet after two (2) years active duty with the Regular Army, 2nd
Infantry Division as 2nd Lt Lieutenant. (General Eisenhower was then a Lt. Col.)
2. 1/21/41 First military solo, PT - 17 (Stearman) Jackson, Mississippi Airport.
3. 3/15/41 Altercation with service station attendant, Jackson. MS: Primary Commanding Officer sends letter to Basic Flight Training Commanding Officer at Gunter Field, Alabama.
4. 3/15/41 - 6/1 /44 Gunter Field room confinement and "tours" (predetermined amount of time spent walking, usually wearing a parachute for a minor infraction) galore (100 plus hours); walking marathon and room confinement related to item No #3 above.
LUPER (Notorious Cadet Commandant!: "Mr Cruver, your commission is in jeopardy."
CRUVER: "Sir, please tell where Jeopardy is and I'll take a cross-country and pick it up." Still more demerits and tours for hurling saber 25 yards while presenting arms at LUPER's Farewell Parade at Gunter Field.
5. 6/1/41 - 7/16/41 Additional tour accumulations at Maxwell Field before and after commissioning. Curfew
violation and other minor incidents resulted in continuation of walking while classmates returned home to show off wings and gold bars.
6. 12/6/41 - 12/7/41 First solo cross-country as pilot to Fort Ogelthorpe, Georgia..Pearl Harbor is announced.
7. 7/11/43 Executed super "buzz job" on home town of Eagle, Wisconsin and environs.
8. 12/31/44 Flew 23 missions over Germany in B-!7's. Twelfth sortie flown just four years to the day after flying cadet appointment. (See item #I) Led the High Squadron of 100th Bomb Group on a major raid to Hamburg, Germany with heavy anti-aircraft and intense German fighter opposition. After "bombs away", all ammunition was expended and remaining planes were "sitting ducks" at the 90 mph ground speed (caused by extreme head wind conditions) and no friendly fighter support. Destroyed 23 of the attacking enemy aircraft but lost twelve (12) of the thirty-eight (38) B- 17's and one hundred eleven (111) airmen. Two B- 17 aircraft locked together and the pilots on one aircraft (Rojohn) maneuvered to a safe landing near the North Sea coast, piggy-back fashion. (See Glen Rojohn and William MacNab files)
9. 1959 - 1966 Served for eight years at the Pentagon with the Air Staff and with the office of the Secretary of Defense.
Military Service Summary
YEARS TYPE OF DUTY
1939 - 1940 Active Duty, US Army (Infantry) 2nd and Ist Lt.
1940 - 1941 Flying cadet - Pilot Training (Gross Cadet)
1941 - 1944 Pilot Instructor, Training Supervisor -- Director of Flying
1944 - 1945 Combat flying (B-17 Bomber); Became Squadron CO (351st) and Group (100th) Commander.
1946 - 1949 Air Staff Officer - Headquarters USAF (United States Air Force) Personnel Policy Planning.
1950 - 1951 Student - Harvard Graduate School of Business
1951 - 1954 Director of Budget-United StatesAirForces, Europe.
1955 - 1957 Comptroller, Western Air Defense Force.
1958 Student - Air War College.
1959 - 1961 Air Staff Of ficer - Headquarters USAF Personnel Programming.
1962 Department of Defense Military Compensation Study.
1963 - 1966 Office of the Secretary of Defense - Manpower/ Personnel Staff Planning.
1966 Retired: Twenty-eight (28) years of service, Fifteen (15) years in grade of Colonel.
POST MILITARY (1966 - PRESENT)
10. 1966 - 1982 Employed by various "beltway bandits" consulting firms in the Washington, D.C. area.
11. 1983 - 1986 Migrated to California for four (4) years. Organized a company with my younger son and
installed fifty ($50) million dollars of electric wind turbine generators near Palm Springs, CA. (These are
conspicuous from the air and are often mentioned by aircrews on the public address system in airliners..pw)
12. 1987 - 1989 Busy with local Rotary Club, funerals and reunions. Reunions: University of Wisconsin
('38); 41-F Flying School ('41); Harvard Business School ('51); Air War College ('58). Focusing on 1989 1st
reunion of 41-F Class after forty-eight (48) years.
Addendum by Paul West, 100th Group Historian:
1989 - Col. Cruver remains active in the 100th Bombardment Group (H) Association and is
presently writing a statistical history of his old Squadron, the 351st. When you meet him it will become obvious his
history will expand to at the least the entire 100th.
Harry Cruver is remembered fondly by all ranks who served with him. The ground and flight personnel,
both commissioned and enlisted knew he would listen to their ideas, meritorious ones were instantly implemented,
regardless the rank of submitting personnel. He is said to have followed the age old axiom of good commanders,
"Praise in public and Reprimand in private" without exception.
Do not expect to talk one on one with him at the 100th Bomb Group reunions, he will be surrounded by his
old comrades..
Letter to Harry F. Cruver dated 06 Nov 1993
G. GENE GREENWOOD -
2036 NW FORK RD
STUART, FL 34994
(407) 692-9025
1 DECEMBER 1993
Dear Harry:
Excuse the word processor, but my handwriting is worse than yours. Anyway thank you for your great letter and photo of
Frances and me. Your flattering remark is noted. In that regard you might be interested in what I did post WWII. I
kept track of your career, so I know what you did--also, Jeffrey and Sutterlin.
I thought I wanted to be an airline pilot, so I earned the licenses, but when TWA offered me a job, I soon realized that
I wanted an Air Force career. I'm so thankful I did, for I had a beautiful and rewarding career and retired in July l975
as a Colonel. Then I spent four years as Dean of Admininstation and Finance for a college here in Florida;
then I spent about 10 years as a real estate broker. Now, I'm fully retired and perform volunteer work for the city and
county governments. In fact I just completed chairing the search committee for a new county administrator. My most
rewarding volunteer job is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the local Community College. The Air Force gave me a
superb education; graduate school and War College so now itspay-back time.
Now, about flying "FRANCES MARK' AND PHIL" back home. Larry Lazzari and I flew her home. During WWII I was Larry's co-
pilot. I still have the orders where you made me a first pilot. Bob Ellis checked me out and later I checked him out
in the C-47 and UC-64. Anyway Larry and I teamed up along with Arnold Mogensen as Navagator, and T/Sgt George Holden
and S/Sgt Ray Drewek. The orders which I have a copy, indicate we were crew NO. 42-97712 (I believe that this is
the tail number of your plane??? I have a complete set of orders of every assignment and personnel action for my 32
plus years.
Here's the itinery of our trip home; flying times taken from my Form 5.
16 October 1945 left Thorpe Abbotts for Marseille 4+15
17 left Marsille for Casablanca 5+45
18 left Casablanca for Dakar 8+00
19 left Dakar for Natal, Brazil 10+00
21 left Natal for Atkinson Field,
British Guiana now Guyana 9+00
22 left Atkinson Field for Borinquen
Field, Puerto Rico now Ramey 5+20
23 left Borinquen for Morrison Field
now Palm Beach Airport 5+30
Before we left the plane at Morrison, we drew straws to see who would keep the binoculars, sextant and tool kit. I
won the binoculars, and still use them today. That is the last time that I saw "FRANCES MARK AND PHIL" for we departed
by train for Camp Blanding Florida the following day.
SAD NOTE; I just now received my TROA magazine, and in checking the obituaries, I see that General Fred Sutterlin
died. I was in Tampa two weeks ago at attendlng a Community College conference and I tried to find his phone number, with
no success. My Air Force Register indicates that he retired as a BG December 1967.
I didn't know Edgar Smith- at least I don't remember him. Our crew chief-was M/Sgt Bobby Hargraves. On 23 February
1945 (Marburg) we had a mid-air with Guardino; his tail bent our left wing outboard of the #1 engine. That night Sgt
Hargraves and 2 or 3 corporals installed a new wing section and we flew it on two missions the next day. I wonder if
that feat could be duplicated today? In Viet Nam I was the operations officer for the Caribou Wing at Cam Ranh Bay; I
doubt if we coulid have accomplished the same impossibe feat.
I ll give your surgeon's poem to my son; having a qood sense of humor, he'll enjoy it.
I left a message on your recorder ,regarding a picture that I have of a B-17 at Borinquen with a 'T" on the tail. Could
that be "FRANCES MARK AND PHIL'
This letter is too long. Hope you re not too bored.
Best Wishes,
Gene
P.S. Enclosed is a photo of the 100th BG emblem at the 8tn AF
exhibit at Duxford, Enqland Air Museum.
P.S. #2 I just got a new powerful magnifing glass and the tail number
on the B-17 at Borinquen is 297712; it has to be your plane..
CREW
LEAD CREW - UNNA 23 MAR 1945
Command Pilot Major H.F. Cruver
Pilot Capt. C.B. Blanding
Co-Pilot Lt. I. E. Rosenbaum
Navigator Lt. D.L. Bittman
Radar Navigator Lt. J.R. Jenista
Bombardier Lt. A.H. Belimow
Radio Operator T/Sgt P. Glanz (have seen spelled Glance)
Engineer T/Sgt R.J. Whybrow
Waist Gunner S/Sgt R.D. Thomas
Waist Gunner S/Sgt I. J. Delaney
CREW
LEAD CREW - Swinemunde 12 MAR 1945
Command Pilot Major H.F. Cruver
Pilot Capt. J.V. DePlanque
Co-Pilot (Tail Observer) Lt. D.L. McKean
Navigator Lt. R.E. Kirby
Radar Navigator Lt. S.C. "Storm": Rhode see below Taps Aug 1994
Bombardier Lt. C.H. Svendson
Command Navigator Lt. W.P. Klinikowski
Radio Operator T/Sgt R.C, Kowalski
Engineer T/Sgt J. Kosik
Waist Gunner S/Sgt Harold Smith
Waist Gunner S/Sgt K.L. Crispin
Storm Rhode joned the 100th without a crew and rapidly became a lead Navigator and finally one of the
Group's best Mickey Operators. He completed a regular tour with the 04 Mar 1945 Dortmund mission ; continued to
fly as a Radar Navigator with lead crews where he received several commendations.
Harry Cruver Received the DFC in April 1945.
I found for APRIL,1945 a number of DFC's but only a few listed by name in the few pages I printed out.. Awards for April, 94 including AM's
DFC's for the 351st April,1945
LT. COL HARRY F. CRUVER
MAJOR NEAL P. SCOTT, ( OAK LEAF CLUSTER)
1ST LT. MELVIN L. KODAS
1ST LT JESSE L. WOFFORD
M/SGT GORDON R. SINCLAIR
MEMO 2:
PHOTOS:
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The 351st popular Commanding Officer, Harry F. Cruver, left, and his Armament Officer, Eugene F. Kraft, just outside the 351st Orderly Room at Thorpe Abbotts. Note one of the 351st many mascots sunning on the sidewalk at right. Harry Cruver was destined to become the last Group Commander of the 100th. This scan was from the 1944 original photograph which resides in the 100th's Photo Archives. |
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Harry F. Cruver - 100th Bomb Group commander (100th Photo Archives) |
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Lt. Col. Harry F. Cruver by his Jeep. Photo courtesy of Ray Gibson - March 2007 |
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Harry F. Cruver at his cadet graduation |
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Captain Harry F. Cruver in 1942. |
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Harry F. Cruver presenting a decoration to one of his 351st pilots who is not identified here. |
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Lt. Col. Harry Cruver leading the 351st Squadron |
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100th BG personnel in Germany; post-war (from the collection of Bill Carleton) |
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" The Three Big Wheels" Capt. R. H. Williams, Adjutant; Lt. Col. H. F. Cruver, 351st CO and Group CO after hostilities. and M/Sgt. F. T. Bauman, 1st Sgt of the 351st. Picture courtesy of Oliver J. Booker III, his father, Oliver J. Booker Jr., took the picture and worked personnel records and shuttled between the 100th HQ and the 351st HQ. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Harry F. Cruver, 351st Squadron Commander, 100th Bomb Group Commander.
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The Continental Express Flight to take ground crews over the cities after the war. |
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Lt. Col. Harry F. Cruver, CO 351st, and Capt.R.H Williams, Adjutant, 351st. Picture courtesy of Oliver J. Booker III, his father, Oliver J. Booker Jr., took the picture and worked personnel records and shuttled between the 100th HQ and the 351st HQ. (100th Photo Archives) |
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Harry Cruver and Lt. Becker |
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351st Brass: From left: Robert Stivers, Jack Wallace and Harry F. Cruver. Wallace and Cruver would both command the 100th. (100th Photo Archives) |
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The first reunion of the 100th after WWII. Bolling Field -- 22 Nov 1946. Pictured are many notables of the group -- Standing L-R Buck Cleven, John Egan, David Lyster, Jack Wallace, Butch Rovegno,
Sitting: Al Paul, Butch Goodwin, Harry Cruver, Horace Varian to name a few. |
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The Return : The proceeding four photographs were taken on a Chow Hound Mission by Floyd T. Bauman, the 351st First Sgt. The following is Bauman's description of the photographs. "The first photograph is that of Lt. Col. Harry F. Cruver, CO 351st Squadron and Lt. Eugene F. Kraft, Squadron Armament Officer, taken in the 351st Squadron Area, and just prior to my accompanying Cruver on one of the May 1945 Chow-Hound missions over German occupied Holland...The other three photographs were taken with a borrowed hand-held aerial camera. These shots were taken from the right waist window. They have the notes I put on the back of each more than 50 years ago. Cruver, with whom I have corresponded and copied the originals for him, has encouraged me to to do the same since he feels they represent some additional history for the famous and sometimes "Bloody " Hundredth... (100th Photo Archives) |
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G. Duane "Bud" Vieth, Harry Cruver, and Thomas S. Jeffrey at Arlington National Cemetery, 1995. (Photo courtesy of the McClelland Family) |
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