Fogg in the Cockpit 4-star review

Thank you so much, for your Amazon review of Fogg in the Cockpit, entitled "Up Close and Personal," Erl!

"Howard Fogg wrote a diary during his time in the Army Air Corps in 1943-1944. It began in the US during training and progressed until near the time of the completion of his combat flying in the fall of 1944. Although predictably boring in one regard, it’s fascinating in so many ways. Insight into the ordinary of a guy first flying P-47’s and then P-51’s naturally includes the extraordinary. Fogg was not an ace (I don’t remember him getting any kills) but he was a trusted flight leader, good at keeping his element or section in formation, good at bombing and good at strafing. He lost many friends but protected himself for the most part by being matter of fact about the losses. How hard that must have been. The air war unfolds in these pages slowly, punctuated by bad weather, visits to London and painting. 

 "Fogg’s an outstanding painter and we’re fortunate that some of his wartime works are included in the book so well put together by his son Richard and Richard’s wife Janet. More than that, at the end of the book, they include a couple dozen paintings from his long career painting locomotives and trains. Most are quite stunning. 

 "The book narrative is well illustrated with excellent photographs of his squadron mates. It’s a pleasure to see who he has mentioned in his diary. Also, interspersed with the diary entries and photos are Headquarters 359th Group monthly historical summaries. While they are interesting, they’re not “that” interesting. Probably because I have a fairly good knowledge of the 8th air force’s activities during Fogg’s period flying with them, I found these chapters tedious. For many, I’m certain, they’ll provide worthwhile context to what Fogg and his buddies were doing. 

"All in all, thank you Captain Fogg."

Heroes make me cry

Heroes make me cry. Whether I'm reading, watching a movie, or watching dramas unfold on the news, heroic actions grab my heart. Certainly a poignant love scene might do the same, but the sorrow is different when a hero gives or risks all.  I often start sobbing.  

I've cried many times for the men of the 359th Fighter Group—men I've never met, men who were killed in action during World War II.  The loss of  Capt. Wayne N. Bolefahr on 10 June 1944 is one such man. 

Capt. Bolefahr completed 61 combat missions between April 1943 and 10 June 1944 when he was KIA.

"On this early 10 June mission, the only claims were an electric loco and several goods wagons strafed by Fogg and his flight. But this was the opening of an eventful day. The only mission actively resented by the pilots as “a suicide job” came up next: escort on the deck of four PRU (Photographic Reconnaissance Unit) P-38s to the Antwerp area. The PRU pilots said they had not been able to get any planes back from the heavily defended Lowlands. The 368th was ordered to take them in. Colonel Tyrrell, briefing, warned of the flak and told the pilots they could do little good attempting to intervene: keep the enemy off the PRU and let them brave the flak.

"But the compulsion of the West Pointer’s code of duty, honor, country led Captain Wayne Norbert Bolefahr, beau ideal of the 368th, to do more than that. As the squadron swept in over the Scheldt with the four P-38s they came under a staggering barrage: there were automatic weapons emplaced everywhere along the winding coasts and the railroads, the heavy guns were in motion at extreme slant ranges. Bolefahr, slim, dark, kindly, courteous, a soldier in whom the sense of duty replaced the killer instinct he totally lacked, felt compelled to intervene. He was there. The Air Force wanted the pictures. So all along that blazing route he flew in the van, firing at every emplacement, drawing the enemy flak while the camera-Lightnings went off to the side, making their low obliques. It was magnificent; it was also death. “Bo” survived until 1410, four miles N of Antwerp, when his aircraft flamed under a hail of hits and augured in from 100 feet. On the way back, four locos were destroyed and another damaged, but it was a saddened group of pilots who sat numbly in the lounge at Wretham Hall that night, and the impact of Bo’s loss fell heavily on every man and officer on the ground side who had known him." ~ Excerpt from the June 1944 359th Fighter Group History report

Bo gave his life for us, for freedom, for the world.  Yet that costliest of lessons has faded as so many people run faster (from home to coffee shop to work to the gym or school and back), talk or text constantly, and rarely pause to appreciate life and its blessings.  I could rant forever about the evil that seems to promulgate itself in this world of ours, but instead I'll shed a few more tears for the heroes and hope that the reminder of Lt. Bolefahr's death on that day, so many years ago, makes a few of you cry, too.  After you've shed a few tears, I hope you'll get off the computer so you can hug those you love or lend a hand to someone in need.  Then, before you pick up your phone, take a moment to step outside, to look at the high, blue sky and send a word of thanks to Bo.

Tales of the 359th Fighter Group

It feels as if "The End" is finally within reach, when I print an entire manuscript draft! 

This is a draft of the new military history we're working on about the 359th Fighter Group.  It's been in progress for several years, as we've slowly gathered bar stories, reports, including a few on escape & evasion, letters, and stories from the 359th Association's two newsletters published over the decades. 

A different tone and take on the 359th than our previous two efforts.  Watch for Tales from the 359th Fighter Group, coming in the next few months!

A Soliloquy for Veterans - Part Three - Veterans Day

A few more of Howard Fogg’s diary entries from 1944…

February 10, 1944 – Thursday – Wretham Hall
Terrible snow squalls, 300-foot clouds. Briefing at 0815. Take off 0945. Me, Randy, Hunter, Baldy (Baldy didn’t get off, trouble with belly tank) were Yellow Flight. Whole group scattered into Flights, attempted to form above. We lost everyone. Climbed for 10,000 feet through snow and soup to 15,000 feet. Windshield iced up badly. Went on across, picked up bombers, many fours of P-47s all over, couldn’t identify ‘em, picked up Cunningham of 370th but then lost him again. Went in to Lingen, Germany. Stayed with B-17s full time, turned back singing “We Three Are All Alone.” Hit vicious squalls off and over Yarmouth, made landing field at four hundred feet. Wow. Glad to get back. Hardest flight I ever made.

May 29, 1944 – Monday – Wretham Hall
Another hot summer day. Beautiful. Up at 0700, to Plotting at 0730. Took off at 0945. Me leading Green with Hammy and a pilot I didn’t know. Late so joined Squadron in air with me as Blue Four, and Hammy as Yellow Four. The unknown pilot was Red Four. Then White two aborted, so I flew Murphy’s wing. Nice pilot. Targets Politz, Stettin, Poznan. We met bombers northeast of Hamburg near Stettin. The 368th (low flight) were bounced by 109s. We went down on twelve to fifteen 190s in front of bombers. Hit 515 IAS in formation! Murph got one in a left turn with me covering his right wing. A 190 came in on me. I broke hard up and left. Could have got around on him, but Wetmore came barreling down and got him (pilot bailed out). We joined up at 2,000 feet. No one was in sight so back to 15,000 feet. Flew home via Kiel, Heligoland. Four hours and thirty-five minutes. Whew! The 370th got eight, the 369th got two and the 368th got two. Hag got another. Wetmore and Lane each got two. But the 369th lost Brundage and Morrill.

June 6, 1944 – Tuesday – Wretham Hall – D-Day
Raining and overcast. Briefing at 0030. Worked right thru the night. First take off was at 0240. Full night. Tacon leading “A” Group. Colonel gave us the whole picture and did a fine job. Group assigned areas ringing beach heads for patrols. Chappie gave prayers on truck in moonlight. Gorgeous night. Inspiring. I’ll never forget it. Take off accomplished okay. Waited to rain until 10 minutes after take off. A miracle! They (“A” Group) were out six and one-half hours! “B” Group off at 0540 to relieve ‘em. Each Squadron left one hour apart to bomb and strafe area 770 (Le Mans – Tours). I went with the 370th. Mac led Squadron. I led Red Flight with Hastings, Connelly. Swell formation up thru holes in several cumulus decks. In at 20,000 feet then down to deck. The eight of us first bombed roads and railroad tracks, then we found a train west of Le Mans and shot the Hell out of it. No enemy aircraft, no flak, no signs of anything. Got back together, came home in perfect formation. Swell mission. Lousy cumulus over England with rain and low ceilings. Landed at 1630. No sleep, dirty. I plotted five missions unassisted. I was dead. Tacon’s “A” Group went out again at 1800 to patrol area 770. Tacon’s Group came back in full dark at 2330. Several landed elsewhere. I ate, took a hot bath, in bed at 1900 and was asleep by 1900:10!!

November 11, 2009 - In summary, as we remember our Veterans…
Captain Howard Fogg flew 76 missions and completed his combat tour in September 1944 and was discharged from the Army in August 1945. Along with the ribbons he earned while with the 359th Fighter Group, Howard was awarded the Air Medal with three clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with one cluster. There were 13,455 sorties flown by the pilots of the 359th. In addition to guarding the “heavies” they shot down 241 enemy aircraft, with an additional 33 probables and 69 damaged. Another 122 were destroyed on the ground plus 107 damaged. Almost 500 locomotives and 1,400 railway cars were destroyed or damaged. Other ground attacks supported troop movements and targeted infrastructure.

Howard’s Fighter Group lost 121 pilots.