One could wonder just what it was like for a young man to live in a time when all was good with this world. All one had to do was go to bed, awake in the morning and get up. Not a worry in as long as Dad was around. My Grandfather would say “you are eating your white bread now” No televisions to tell them what was wrong in the country. No shootings in our schools yes there were crimes committed. It was taken care of by the local law officers if they were any good.

This starts out in 1942. January first yes I went to a New Years party and it was a grand party. This guy had come home from Georgia for the holidays and going around to the old hang outs which would be playing the songs that would just make one want to get up and join the Army, Navy or Marines. Yes Uncle Sam had been caught with his pants down. At Pearl Harbor where the Japan Navy and Air Force showed that it could be done. I am sure we had a little warning but we did not notice it. Who in their right mind would attack Pearl Harbor? It was done and we were mad as hell. It was a day I believe everyone will remember December 7, 1941. A black day for the USA.

The second day of 1942 this young fellow and is buddy Earl Pope talked about signing up. Earl did not want to go to the Army he chose the Navy Air Force and I the Army Air Force. I went to Camp Shelby that was in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to join. I was there about a week with the same clothes I had on when I though I joined. I went to see the First Sergeant and told him that I was going home. We were only thirty miles from my home. He said I could not do that and where was my uniform. I told him that I was not given any so that was why I was going to my home to change clothes. "What? You have not been sworn in, well come with me and I went." There they had me to hold up my hand and take the oath. At one time I was the only one who was there that did not have their freedom taken away and now I was just like the other army guys. Yes they hooked me in a hurry.

We were sent to Shepard Army Air Base at Wichita Falls, Texas, 76301 that is the tail end of the world. One would march in the mud while the dust blew in your eyes. The barracks leader was a Corporal, who was about four feet tall, I bet he did now weigh 90 pounds. We were lined up in alphabet order and I was on the last row. Here I heard a loud voice telling us magnets what he would do if we did not do his bidding. Then he came around the line next to me and I had to look down on him. What a boob. He made us scrub our barracks with a Toothbrush and Police the grounds each day.

I got tired of this so I went to see the First Sergeant, who said when we arrived there that he was our "mother and dad, brother and uncle" and if we need anything to come and see him. Well here was a rookie that needed something. I told him that I did not like that place and wanted to be transferred out. He looked at me and told me to get three letters from business men in my hometown backing me and a copy of my grades from school. Hey this was great. I phoned a friend of my mother's and she went to see my mother. In a week I had all the things that the Sergeant asked me to get.

I went back to see him and showed him the letters so he said OK and placed them on his desk. Back to the barracks this country boy went to tell my other buddies why they did not do the same. Not knowing that I was just being made fun of. Well I had the last laugh as in a few days this country boy was on a troop train going to Jackson, Mississippi. That was about eighty miles from my hometown. I know now that the Sergeant must have been typeing up some orders sending the graduate mechanics to Jackson Air Base, So not to have me worrying him he just added my name to the list. I was Willis and that must have been the last name he typed on the General Orders.

Upon arriving at Jackson Army Air Base we were taken out to the line to work on the airplanes. Hey I did not know one end from the other. I told the Office in charge what had happened at Shepard Air Base in Witchtal Falls Texas. "Is there anything you know how to do?" I was asked so I said I was an electrician before joining. Then I was sent to the radio department. I tell you I studied hard not to fail.

I was not the only one who did not know code. We would practice in the late part of the night by saying dit for the dots and daw for the dashes. Now S would be dit dit dit. We were flying in B25 and the landing field was marked off the length of the flight deck of a ship. There they studied taking off and landing the planes wile I studied code. When the time came for the group to leave they had to leave me in the rear. No this fellow was not good enough for that group. Those guys who did go could read a book and the code at the same time. Not me. They all went on the Dolittle Raid. I got a surprised of my life when I was told some one at the main gate wanted to see me. It was my Uncle J.T. Willis my father's brother. This would have been the last person I would expect to see as I thought he was in Georgia. Now what did he want? Some money he asked for. I was getting twenty-one dollars a month and he wanted to get some money from me. I stated to him that I had not been paid in three months. I had been transferred around and the pay had not caught up with me. I did go back to the PX and got him some smokes.

Jackson air base was not a bad place to be in. We did get leaves every now and then and I would go to the zoo to look at the place. One Saturday we were looking for a week end pass and the inspection was to take place Saturday morning. Everything was in top order in our barracks but when the C.O. came around he was as tough as he could be. He found every thing wrong. I had my spot cleaned but when he got to me he picked up my trunk shook it after setting it back down he opened it to see. Of course it was in a mess the nut had shook the trunk before inspection. He was an ass hole. He took all our passes and made us march that evening before the whole town of Jackson Mississippi. I don't think I will rver forget that time. Here we were wanting to go on a pass and we had to show off marching.

He did not last long as C.O. at Jackson Air base. As he walked into a prop of one of the B25 as it was being tested for a flight and he was killed. The engineer who was testing the plane had to be sent to another camp. I can feel for him. But none of us took it too hard.

I came very close to being a cook. There was this sergeant who was our cook and his last name was Willis. I did not have to do K.P. or have to peal potatoes or anything like that. O yes I was put on the duty roster but Sgt. Willis would make it ok. We became very good friends and for the life of me I can’t remember his first name. He wanted me to stay in the kitchen and be a cook. He would say that the people would need a good cook in the future. I did not think so. As I remember it my mother made all the meals and we never did eat out. So that was that.

I was made Barracks leader and got my first stripe. Great I am now a Private first class.There were a bunch of draftees that was sent in to the base. I’ll say my buddie and I who was from Texas did give them a hard time. I was only a first class Private not like the rest of the bunch. But I did have some power in that barracks. After all I enlisted and they were a bunch of Draftees. After the guys would say that they though we were going to fight the war between the South and North over again. And informed us that the North would win again. I told them to hold on to their Dixie Money that “the south would rise again” O we had a bunch of fun and liked each other. Only kidding was the word for the day. We did have a record player and I got a record of Dixie. We would play it and make the fellows stand. Yes just in fun though. No one was hurt.

Well here I was attached to Hg. & Hg. with no real group to be assigned to. I was sent to radio school at Savanna Georgia and there I finished the schooling. Was sent back to Hg. & Hg. The 21st group was now in Columbus Mississippi? We did not stay there but a few weeks and off to Florida. I would have liked to stay a little longer as Earl's sister was a nurse at Columbus. She told me about Earl crashing on a training flight and was killed. We went on an open train guarding our equipment. The smoke and cinders got in our eyes. What a big mess? The equipment was loaded on flat cars along with the trucks and other things. All tied down nice and firm traveling through the country to Tampa Florida. The Officers had a good trip they rode in a regular coach, which protected them from all that smoke and cinders.

Arriving at McDill Army Air Base at Tampa, Florida, there Hq. and Hq. were to form Bomb Squadrons. I had been place in 313th Bomb Sq. (M) AAF 21st Bomb Group (M) AAF. Which was a B-25 unit We had jumped to B-26s now and there would be "One a Day in Tampa Bay." There was a lot to be desired in these Widow Makers as they were dubbed. On July 1,1942 I received my second stripe. Great I am now a Corporal. Big deal it meant harder work. Yes I did work hard for I wanted to be the best. One should not think they are the best as there is always another one just a little better than you. On August 1,1943 I then made Sergeant. A little more pay and a hell of a lot more work. I now had a big group of men that I had to train. All of them had two left feet. They came from New York and I had a little trouble with those guys. So the Corporal and I got a phonograph and played Dixie then we made all those guys stand to attention while "Dixie" was playing.

We trained on different ships, as we never did know when the last one would be in Tampa Bay. In October the first I made Staff Sergeant no more work as I was loaded just a little more freedom and a little more pay. One would not know it but when I went in the AAF I collected twenty-one dollars per month and my food and clothes were furnished. Now comes the real time. We had been training for a little while not knowing what the hell we were supposed to do. I read all the manuals I could get my hands on also keep up on my code practice.

August 8.1942 we got a new Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Jacob J. Brogger and formed a new Bomb group. This time was for real. It was the 322nd Bomb group and I was placed in 449th Bomb Squadron. One of the four squadrons. There were 449th, 450th, 451st and 452nd. Also there was the Headquarters Squadron. This was where all the paper work was handled. The group was assigned 1,500 men including 576 airmen and 96 B-26 aircraft. O boy on my birthday three months later I got another promotion. Here I was a Tec. Sergeant and was placed in charge of communications. By this time we had a second Commanding Officer. Col. Robert R Selway. He took charge on October 21,1942.

I awoke one morning to find our new Commanding Officer out on the obstacle course. He was going through the course and I asked him if he was getting his work out he told me we was going to have us do the same each day but would not do it until he could go through the course his self. That he would not ask his men to do anything he could not do. So I went back to the barracks and had the men to go through the course. We got to where it was not too bad. We all were young and was in good shape.

We were issued a brand new B26. With a better wing span and the engines had more power. 2000 hp I do believe. They were Brigs-Stratton engines. This was to be our own ship and we were to see to it all the time. Did we feel proud of this new ship? We washed it every week. It was like the others except it was combat ready with four fifty-caliber guns. Two mounted on each side, one in the tail section and a brand new Turret with two fifty-caliber guns. This was to be operated by the engineer gunner after take off or while in enemy territory. It was the radio/gunner's job to see that the four fifty caliber guns mounted on the side were operating properly. I studied them real hard as I wanted to be sure I knew all about the guns. The crew was formed, Lt. Fry was the pilot, Lt. Walker was the Copilot and Lt. Allen the Navigator, Elmer Rosner the Engineer/Gunner and little me the Radio/Gunner, the tail gunner was a small fellow S. Lupole. We were asked to name our plane and while trying to find a good name I said that "there was too much Texas on our plane" as every one was from Texas but me and another Lt., Here I was a Mississippi clod Hopper in with a bunch of Texans. Well you know the Texans. "It was like a Texan who died in Mississippi and his wife wanted him shipped home. Gee he was so large that the Undertaker could not find a box large enough for him. As it happen a fellow worker knew all about Texans so they gave him an enema and sent him to Texas in a shoebox."

Yes that is how the plane was named "Too Much of Texas" and we were proud of her. I made one Sortie with the crew during our stay in England the first one the B-26s made out of England. Our Commanding Officer Col. Stillman pulled me off to fly with him on the second sortie over The Netherlands. This was the first day he became the Commanding Officer and the last day. But let's go back to the stay in Florida. We were given special missions to do. That is to fly up and down the west cost of Florida looking for subs who was reported to be in the location. We were told that we may not see any but you can bet they would see us. We were promised a short leave if we ever got one. Too Much of Texas was loaded with depth charges and we set out to find a Sub. No not a sandwich. On one sortie we saw a ship that was long and slim not flying any flag so Lt. Fry circled and I tried to raise an answer from them with the radio. But no answer came so Sgt Resiner said “let’s try the light’ To which I did and still no response. So the pilot open the bomb bay doors and we started to make a run. I was standing between the pilot and co-pilot and lo and behold we could see the men on that ship running around and raising the code flay of the day. I told the pilot that is the right signal. This was all we wanted and the pilot just dipped his wings and we took off.

In late November of 1942 the ground echelon moved by train to Camp Kilmer, Then on the Queen Elizabeth and spent five days at sea. They landed in Scotland, then took an overnight train to Bury St. Edmunds and Rattleden, England.

The flyboys stayed until March of 1943. We trained every day and flew a lot of training flights. Too Much Texas held up real good. There was an engine change around February of 1943. We did not have our main ground crew so one of the other squadrons had to do the job. Rosner stayed with them all the time. Us other boys had a little time off. It was about a week but we could not get a pass to go home.

In March of 1943 the flight crew loaded up the plane. I bet we moved what little cargo we had a hundred times while Lt. Fry and his slide ruler checked. We went the southern route that is from Florida to Brazil South America, then on to Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Then on to the African Gold Coast. We had to stay there for three weeks while more orders were made in Washington. Or where ever they were made. I believed they were hands delivered as one could go faster by Teletype or phone. We knew where we were going but no one would listen to us. The orders that were made before we left the States were misplaced some how.

We did not worry too much as we were getting extra pay (six Dollars per day) while we were on our way to England. There was one plane lost during that trip. We were so close to our destination. It was downed about a mile off of Spain. No not shot down but had motor trouble and had to ditch in the ocean, Just pass the Big Rock. We landed in Scotland and went to the Pub for some Ale and or beer. I was doing all right when one of the natives came up to me and said "you guys did not look so good. You are here our to help us out and when you came to the Pub it looked like a bunch of cattle." I knew what he meant so I passed it around to all our members that were in that Pub to follow my instructions.

When we were ready to leave we put on a show. All the boys lined up and I marched them back to their planes. They were great, a fine bunch of boys. Hey we all were only a bunch of kids I believe I was the oldest and I was only twenty-two. But the highest ranking non-com.

When we came in to the airfield at Bury St. Edmunds and Rattleden all the 322nd ground crew was out on the field to greet us. It was great to be with the ground crew again. Lt. Fry made sure that Too Much of Texas got a good checks up. I went over the radio and installed an IFF radio. This was indemnifying friend or foe. I asked the commanding Office Lt. Col. John F. Batjer to send me the men who was in charge of this equipment and he sent me two screw-ups.

I had kicked them out before they left the states. I just knew they did not know what they were doing, so I wanted to wait until the crew got settle down before I was going to check them out. The 322nd was initially assigned to the Eight Air Force, then reassigned to the Ninth Air Force. In October 1943.

See about The missions I went on from England just click upon the heading. You will see how the 322nd done it's part to help win the war.

WWII Memoirs

Clyde D. Willis

Clyde D. Willis