Squadron: 64th

Position: Nose Gunner. Flew B-17 for three missions. Crack up on 3rd mission then flew 46 missions in B-24's.

Served: Jan 1943 to April 1944

Originally from: California (Los Angeles)

Training: Enlisted in Army in 1938 (infantry). Reinlisted in Army Air Corps when war broke out. Graduated as Aerial Gunner from Air Corps Training Center, Harlingen, Texas 7 May 42.

Citations/Medals: Silver Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal with 3 bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit Citation, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 bronze service stars, WWII Victory Medal. (taken from Military Records)

Planes: These are questions I (Alan Matisoff) would love to know.

Number of Missions: 46

Description of Missions:
 I have a log book showing all missions, pilots, dates and targets. This is scanned and available to you if you want it.

Most poignant, sad or touching memory of the war:
I can speak for my father in telling you this. On January 7, 1943, the B-17 in which he was a gunner, crashed in the sea, approximately 30-40 from Port Morsby. My father was one of three survivors. One of the dead was Meyer Levin. My father became good friends with Levin. They were both Jewish Boys from Brooklyn and bothh their fathers were tailors in the sweat shops of New York. My father always spoke highly of Levin and credited him with saving his life. As a result of the the 43rd Bomb Group Web Page, I have been able to contact the son of Meyer Levin who we never knew existed. My father was apparantly a member of the this organization prior to his death in 1988.

Funniest or most fun memory of the war:
My father used to tell us (my brother and I) about eating "Bully Beef", which he didn't think was too humorous at the time he ate it.

How having gone to war has affected me, what comes to mindwhen I think of the war:
Just to give you some idea of what he did after the war... my brother was born in April, 1945 at March AFB and I was born in May of 1946. My father drove a truck until he was in his 60's and did a great job of raising three kids. His wife passed away in February 1998.