Dave Kistler crew

Dave Kistler crew was assigned to the 514th squadron.

Standing-(left to right) 2nd Lt. Dave Kistler- pilot;  2nd Lt. Robert (Bob) Laurence- co- pilot; 2nd Lt. Thaddaus (Ted) Gajda-bombardier; 2nd Lt. Paul Heesen- navigator.

Kneeling-(left to right) Will Bentzen- gunner; John Oldroyd- engineer; Sgt. Floyd (Whitey) Schlauch- tail Gunner; S/Sgt. Louie Cimpanelli- ball turret gunner; Sgt. James F. (Mickey) Flynn- nose gunner.

This is the original crew. 14 hours gunnery training at Kingman, Arizona then assigned to Gowan Field, Boise, Idaho for Phase one, two and three training. They were then transferred to Topeka, Kansas. Dave Kistler, the original pilot, and Ben Matthews were killed on there first mission 6-24-44, flying with Bill Hathaway.  Kistler was replaced by Craig Morrow.

This photo was most likely taken at Topeka, Kansas, when they picked up their plane, all crew members signed this picture.

Back Row (standing)- Pvt. John T. Oldroyd- top turret gunner; Sgt. Floyd (Whitey) Maurice Schlauch- tail gunner;  Sgt. Benjamin  (Benny) A. Matthews- radio operator/waist gunner; Sgt. James (Mickey) F. Flynn- nose gunner; S/Sgt. Louie Carlo Cimpanelli- ball-turret-gunner; Sgt.Will Bentzen-engineer.

Front row- (kneeling)- 2nd Lt. David (Dave) L. Kistler- pilot; 2nd Lt. Robert  (Bob) Laurence- co- pilot; 2nd Lt. Paul A. Heesen Jr.-navigator;  Thaddeus (Ted) C. Gajda- bombardier.

On May 17, 1944 crew #3596 left Gowan Field, Idaho for Topeka, Kansas to pick up a new B-24 and head overseas. on  May 26,1944, they left Topeka, Kansas for Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Fla. On the way overseas, Co-pilot Bob Laurence was hospitalized in Florida due to pnuemonia and the crew proceeded to San Pan with a new co-pilot. After recovering,  Bob Laurence also went to San Pancrazio, Italy where he joined Charlie Andrews as his co-pilot and finished his missions with his crew - 515th Squadron. 

Laurence was replaced by Craig Morrow.

376 ARCHIVES

The website 376bg.org is NOT our site nor is it our endowment fund.

At the 2017 reunion, the board approved the donation of our archives to the Briscoe Center for American History, located on the University of Texas - Austin campus.

Also, the board approved a $5,000 donation to add to Ed Clendenin's $20,000 donation in the memory of his father. Together, these funds begin an endowment for the preservation of the 376 archives.

Donate directly to the 376 Endowment

To read about other endowment donation options, click here.


My Trip to San Pancrazio

October 2019


Reunion

NOTE change in month !!!

DATES: Oct 26-29, 2024

CITY:Tucson, AZ

HOTEL: Double Tree Suites Airport hotel

7051 South Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85756

520-225-0800


Click here to read about the reunion details.

previous reunions


For Sale

The Other Doolittle Raid


The Broken Wings of Zlatibor


The Liberandos


Three Crawford Brothers


Liberando: Reflections of a Reluctant Warrior


376th Bomb Group Mission History


The Last Liberator


Full Circle


Shadows of Wings


Ten Men, A "Flying Boxcar," and A War


I Survived Ploesti


A Measure of Life


Shot Down In Yugoslavia


Stories of My Life


Attack


Born in Battle


Bombardier's Diary


Lost Airmen


Langdon Liberando