Mission 55

About the Book

My father enlisted with the United States Army Air Forces in 1942, at the age of 21. He was assigned as an Aerial Gunner to the 5th Air Force, 43rd Bombardment Group, known as Ken’s Men, in the 403rd Bomb Squadron nicknamed the Mareeba Butchers. He participated as a Tail Gunner in a B-24, in more than 50 missions in the skies over the Southwest Pacific during WWII. The morning of March 7th, 1945, during a bombing run at Balete Pass, on the Phlippine island of Luzon, his plane encountered heavy clouds and crashed near the top of a mountain, his plane splitting in two. Of a crew of eleven, only five men survived…..the pilot, co-pilot, navigator, bombardier and the tail gunner. This book contains my father’s memories of his survival. He wrote it down forty four years later. I’ve read his story many times after he passed away, and I decided to transcribe his words into this book. One can only wonder about the thousands of individual war stories that remain untold.

About the Author

Denise Turner was born and raised in Mid-Michigan, where she currently resides with her husband, and their two dogs. She has two sons, three grandchildren, and watches over her mother who has declining health. Denise is the youngest of three daughters: One sister lives in Sydney Australia, and the other sister passed away from emphysema. Before her father passed away, she enjoyed hunting and fishing with him, as well as long walks and lengthy talks about life’s big questions. His passing, left her feeling lost for quite some time. She worked as a phlebotomist for twenty years, and, retired in 2007 after a car accident. Now she spends her time pondering life’s ups and downs, and just enjoying each day with her family. She and her husband take great pride in maintaining their home and property.