9 Aug 44 - 3 COs in a day - 353FS/354FG/9AF

[aaatripp]

Paul Sailer, author of the book "The Oranges are Sweet" about the life of Don M. Beerbower informed me today of the death on 8/23/13 of Frederick "Bud" Deeds, 353FS, who was Don Beerbower's last wingman.....on 9 Aug 44 when Don was shot down by ground fire over the Luftwaffe aerdrome near Reims, France.

An article by Paul Sailer will appear close to this coming Veterans Day on the editorial page of the Omaha World Herald. It is entitled "The Last Wingman".

The eyewitness report from Bud Deeds on 9 Aug 44 was posted earlier in this thread.

Tripp

[aaatripp]

354FG Friends,


I received word just a little while ago from Cathy that Mike Rogers has passed on....in his 90s from the effects of Parkinson's Disease.


What a great guy!....he took over the 353FS on 9 Aug 44, the day that Don Beerbower & Bud (Wally) Emmer were shot down. Mike
stuck with this business and retired as an Air Force 4-star general.


We'll remember Mike & Cathy from our 2009 Reunion in Las Vegas and his excellent quips on the bus ride out to our tour of the Air
Warfare Center at Nellis AFB.


His BEANTOWN BANSHEE FT-O lives on in a great piece of artwork painted some years ago.

Mike was an ace with 7 aerial victories confirmed. He grew up in Newton, MA. and had retired

to the Montecito/Santa Barbara, CA area.




RIP Mike......



Tripp

[aaatripp]

Correction: that's "Cathie".

Sorry.

Tripp

[aaatripp]

9 Aug 1944


To remember that day when Bud Emmer ("Red One") was shot down while leading the 353rd Fighter Squadron on an armed recce mission near Rouen, France.


His best friend, Don Beerbower, was his tentmate. Don was Sqdn CO and had just recently pinned on the oak leaves of Major. Bud was his OPSO. When they awoke that morning little did they know that, by the end of the day, Don would be dead and Bud would be badly burned and in German hands...this is war.


Their "Bonnie B II" (Don) and "Arson's Reward" (Bud) would be destroyed, but not before they had shot down a combined 29 1/2 enemy aircraft.


70 years ago today.....'Lest we forget.


Tripp