Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Renee, one of the most information providing documents is the IDPF "Individual Deceased Personnel File". You can request a copy as a family member and it takes a few weeks. But this document will state where your father was found and that will most likely give you a quite accurate location of his crash. Sometimes they even have maps and names of witnesses attached. Danny

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Renée,
The IDPF for Edward E Hunt does contain information about the crash site and witnesses. It also contains information about the identification of the body, and you may find this gruesome. It gives burial information, with disinterment and reinterment locations and dates. It gives the names of his parents and their address in 1944/45. I was able to locate the family in the 1930 census, but only his father in the 1920 census (still on active duty with the Army).

His Form 5s, giving monthly lists of his flights from the time of his completing flight training until his death, exist on microfilm at the Military Personnel Records Center in St Louis, and you can request them. But I believe the Center is in the process of moving and there may be a delay in obtaining copies.

His two earliest combat reports are located at the Air Force Historical Research Agency, at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. I have never been able to locate any other combat reports for him.

He received a DFC and an Oak Leaf Cluster to the DFC (in essence, a second DFC), and an Air Medal and 15 Oak Leaf Clusters to the AM.

Clayton Gross (referenced in an earlier post) will be attending the American Fighter Aces Association convention in Tucson early next month. He was in the 355th FS however, not the 353rd.

Frank Olynyk, Historian, American Fighter Aces Association.

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Hi All--I was wondering if I could ask for help with my research yet again. I was told I need to get a 'Form 5' concerning my Dad and I also would like a hint of where I could go to get a list of medals and awards he might have received during his service. Not growing up with my Dad and being exposed to anything military I have no idea where to get this information. Any hints? Thanks again to all of you who have helped me along my way to discovering my Dad, you have no idea how really grateful I am. Also if anyone might have a picture of the 'Ready Eddy', the plane he was flying at the time I would love to have a copy or a source or anything at all.
Thanks, Renee'

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Renée,
Your father's Form 5 records exist only on microfilm, at the National Personnel Records Center in St Louis (http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/mil...nel/index.html). Follow the instructions on the website for requesting copies.
With regard to his decorations, this is what I have from my visit there many years ago:
DFC, General Order (GO) 267, 9th Air Force, Nov 14, 1944
Oak Leaf Cluster to DFC, GO 267, 9th AF, Nov 14, 1944
Air Medal, GO 4, 9th Fighter Command, Jan 17, 1944
OLC to AM, GO 6, 9th ASC, Feb 11, 1944
2nd OLC to AM, GO 66, 9th AF, Mar 22, 1944
3rd OLC to AM, GO 96, 9th AF, April 11, 1944
4th OLC to AM, GO 119, 9th AF, May 1, 1944
6th OLC to AM, GO 134, 9th AF, May 14, 1944
7th OLC to AM, GO 150, 9th AF, May 29, 1944
5th OLC to AM, GO 8, 19th Tactical Air Command, June 5, 1944
5th OLC to AM, GO 11, 19th TAC, June 17, 1944 (this may be a revision to the June 5 GO)
8th to 11th OLC to AM, GO 8, 19th TAC, June 5, 1944
12th OLC to AM, GO 10, 19th TAC, June 13, 1944
13th OLC to AM, GO 11, 19th TAC, June 17, 1944
14th OLC to AM, GO 13, 19th TAC, June 17, 1944
15th OLC to AM, GO 19, 19th TAC, July 20, 1944
In general, St Louis will not have copies of the citations from the General Orders. These can probably be obtained from the USAF Historical Research Agency (Maxwell AFB) in Montgomery, Alabama (http://www.afhra.af.mil/).
The best book on the 354th FG is Steve Blake's The Pioneer Mustang Group, published by Schiffer.

Enjoy!

Frank.
Historian, American Fighter Aces Association

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Frank--Thank you again for jumping in and helping out with information I needed. I really appreciate it. I was watching the DVD of the history of the 354th, probably hadn't watched it but once since I first got it. When they were talking about D-Day, my Dad was on stage and spoke a little. Since he was killed 6 months before I was born, I had never heard his voice and except for very few pictures, had never seen him. This was pretty exciting for someone like me. All of you who jump in and help are so appreciated by those of us who are searching for our family members and trying to get to know them a little better. Bless you for being so involved.
Renee'

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Hi!! Happy New Year

qltngal you need this also

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Warren Emerson (r) and Edward Hunt (left)

Greetings Peglar

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

The pix is online on www.354thpmfg.com, tribute to John Mattie, Blue Monday downloadable in pdf.
"my buddy" was Mattie's assigned P-51
Regards Thierry

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Thanks to all who answered my post. I've had the 'My Buddy' pic for a long time but didn't know who the other pilot was or who the plane was assigned to. Thanks for your help with the MACR also. Can anyone explain how the Oak Leaf Clusters worked. Were they awarded for something special? Time flown? Number of missions? I'm not sure how that all worked. Also I have a list of the missions my Dad flew but there are no numbers for the planes, just the letters. Is there a source to get that information? I have it for the ace claims and can see which plane he flew then but not for the other missions. Is that information in the Form 5 that Frank told me to get? I know I was told about this in Dayton when we saw 'Charlottes Chariot' but what was the 'pi' for after the letters? See, every time you all answer a question for me it just brings up more questions. Thank you to everyone who has jumped in to help me understand all of this a little better and get to know my Dad more.

Re: Captain Edward E. Hunt KIA Nov. 8, 1944
 

Hi Renee,

To help with your questions:

1. Refer to the back of Steve Blake's fine book on the 354FG, you'll find
the complete description of the a/c (aircraft) which your father was
flying each time he was credited with a confirmed/probable/damaged
enemy a/c.

2. As for the letters, the first two designate the squadron (FT = 353FS,
GQ = 355FS, AJ = 356FS). The separated 3rd letter was to indicate
an individual a/c within the squadron. For example, Bud's a/c ID was
FT-G (Peaceful Penguin & Arson's Reward for Wally/Bud Emmer). After
he was shot down, Sanchez is listed as flying FT-G. "Eagle" (Glenn
Eagleston) kept FT-L for the duration. Don Beerbower flew FT-E and
Jack Bradley was FT-B. Sometimes several pilots shared an a/c with
a letter identifier. It was not unusual for a pilot to fly an a/c assigned
to someone else....you'll see this when you notice the victory credits
and see that sometimes a pilot was flying another a/c than their "own".

3. The Greek letter "pi" is just another letter to use, ie. after " Z ".

4. The "numbers" of the a/c were the a/c serial numbers which can be
observed on the tail in many photos. This is a specific # only for that
a/c, and it never changed. The letter designation for an a/c could change
as it was assigned to another pilot or transferred to another unit.

5. The bronze oak leaf clusters (as in the case of the Air Medal) are used
to indicate additional awards of a certain medal. EX. a ribbon for an
Air Medal with 3 bronze oak leaf clusters would signify that the pilot
had been awarded the Air Medal FOUR times. A silver oak leaf cluster
indicates FIVE awards of the medal.

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Tripp