Capt.Wallace Emmer 354th Fighter Group

[aaatripp]

Additional NOTE-----Re Tom Semenza's request. I have photos of Bud in front of both his "B" model and the "D" model of ARSON'S REWARD (FT-G), and a great shot of a smiling Bud standing over the smoldering remains of his first P-51, the PEACEFUL PENGUIN, which caught fire and burned during servicing of the oxygen unit. Hence the origins of the name A.R. Also, have a shot of Bud in P-39 formation during 353FS training at Portland, OR.
Tripp

[aaatripp]

9 Aug 44 - 'Lest We Forget

This day would remain forever in the history of the 353FS (354FG, 9AF) as a sad day.

On 354FG Mission #2 (16 P-51s, t/o 1103) from ALS-2 (American Landing Strip #2) near Cricqueville, France, the Sqdn CO Maj. Don M. Beerbower (from Hill City, MN, flying his "Bonnie B II," marking FT-E) was shot down and KIA by ground fire while strafing approx. 30+ Ju 88s at a German airfield 3 mi. north of Reims, France. At this time he was officially credited with 15.5 aerial victories.

Sqdn Operations Officer (OPSO), Capt. Wallace N. Emmer (from St. Louis, MO, flying his "Arson's Reward," marking FT-G) led Mission #5 (12 P-51s, t/o 1658) in the Red One position and was shot down approx. 5 mi. north of Rouen, France (just east of the Seine River), when a German 88 flak round hit his fuselage fuel tank at 1855 at approx. 11,000 ft. Emmer was badly burned exiting his burning P-51D, but his parachute was observed at approx. 10,500 ft. by 1Lt. Theodore W. Sedvert (flying in the Blue Two position, 353FS). Emmer was captured and later died of myocarditis at 1410 on 15 Feb 45 while departing the Dulag Luft Wetzlar camp (see earlier posts on this thread). Capt. Emmer had 14 confirmed aerial kills.

On a brighter note:
Capt. Felix M. Rogers (from Newton, MA, flying his "Beantown Banshee," marking FT-O), who had been on the morning mission with Beerbower,
became acting CO of the 353rd but was kept from flying as Group did not want to lose "a 3rd CO in a day." Mike Rogers went on to a long Air Force career, retiring as a 4-star general. He is credited with 7 aerial victories.

Our eternal thanks to these fine aces who protected our country.

Tripp Alyn

[aaatripp]

Additional note regarding photos of the Emmer a/c:

1. The P-51B displays iron crosses indicating 6 aerial victories.
2. The P-51D shows 11 victories.

Bud's final total stands at 14 in the air + 2 1/2 destroyed on the ground.

Tripp Alyn

[rpeck350]

Hi, Please post if you can these photo's ,the P-51B would be the first photo I have seen of this plane.
The P-51D I have seen in a belly landing photo,not a close up.
Thank you
Rick

[aaatripp]

Hi Rick,

Great to hear from you about a new photo. Can you tell me more about the P-51D belly landing photo? I've never seen nor heard about this situation. Is this photo available online? Do you know of any other photos of Bud (as he was called by the family) Emmer or his planes?

I will be happy to post the two photos, but there will be a delay as they are currently on an inactive computer and I must transfer to currently active unit. Thanks.

Tripp

[rpeck350]

Sorry I don't have a copy of the photo because it was in the 354 FG book printed after the war that I had about 7 years ago .
Sold the book because it was a reprint and photo's were fuzzy plus you couldn't see the nose art other markings very well on this photo(on my copy).
Maybe someone has a frist edition.
Thank you for reply on the photos.I can wait no problem.
It is amazing very little is known about Capt. Emmer so you helped a lot.
Thanks again.
Rick

[BABIN]

Hello,

I search specifical information concerning an escort mission of 354th FG dated 1st August 1944 in Angers area, West of France. Could I contact a 354 FG's expert on this subject with a private message ?

Thanks in advance

Pierre Babin

[aaatripp]

Hello Babin,

You might try contacting the U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency directly as they have many of the group and squadron histories. Their website URL is: http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/ I have one of their pages
which tells of all the group's missions on 9 Aug 44.

The 354FG website is being further developed and soon you should be able to post questions for the veterans to answer directly. The 354FG website URL is: 354thpmfg.com.

Best wishes,

Tripp Alyn

[aaatripp]

15 Feb 1945 - 'Lest We Forget. Bud Emmer died on this day 65 years ago (DNB) at Dulag Luft Wetzlar. He collapsed into the arms of fellow POW F/O Leonard A. Walker after suffering a fatal heart attack when the nearby air raid siren sounded an alarm. He had been recovering from burns suffered 9 Aug 44 when his P-51D "Arson's Reward" (FT-G) of the 353FS (354FG/9AF) was hit in the fuselage fuel tank by a German 88mm shell, just north of Rouen, France. In the POW camp, Bud had spoken with a B-17 ball turret gunner, Sgt. Don Beal, only 1-2 days before his death....his spirits were high as he looked forward to going home after the war. Dulag Luft Wetzlar would be liberated just 3 weeks later.

Sadly, Bud's younger brother, PFC Raymond P. Emmer, was killed 3 months earlier in the Weisser Stein woods along the International Highway, just west of Udenbreth, Germany. Ray was serving as an ammo loader for a 30cal MG in a heavy weapons platoon of H Company/394th Inf. Regiment/99 Division. It was 2015 on 18 Nov 44 & Ray had recently received a letter from home informing him that Bud had been shot down. Ray exited his foxhole (shared with Bill Williams) and was hit by shrapnel from a German mortar round. The shrapnel pierced an artery & Ray went into shock. They were just over the Belgian-German border, and assigned to Gen. Omar Bradley's 1st Army. One month later many of Ray's fellow soldiers (including his squad sgt., Fred Zimmerman) would be killed, wounded or captured just to the south of this location in the early morning hours of 16 Dec 44....by the massive artillery barrage & panzer onslaught at the start of the Battle of the Bulge.

Both Bud & Ray were brought home from Europe to St. Louis in 1948 and now rest beside their parents.

We remember their service and their sacrifice.....

Tripp

[aaatripp]

18 Nov 44 --- we remember this day when Ray was killed by shrapnel from a German mortar. He was out of his foxhole, which he shared with William B. Williams. They were just east of the Intl. Hwy which marked the border of Belgium & Germany, in the woods just 1/2 mi. west of Udenbreth, Germany. Across from them were the German lines and a Wehrmacht mortar crew had the American positions registered. When Ray lit his cigarette, his buddy Bill told me it was only seconds before a mortar barrage was on its way and the shells exploded nearby. Ray was hit immediately and Bill hauled him back into the foxhole. Ray moaned once.

Ray was thinking of his brother, Bud, a P-51 pilot with the 353FS. A letter from his mother, Blanche, had recently reached him to inform him that Bud had been shot down (9 Aug 44) and was MIA. Ray was convinced that his brother Bud was dead. As Ray lay dying, his brother was in fact a POW in the German camp Dulag-Luft Wetzlar.....less than 100 mi. to the east.....it was Bud's birthday.....