The 6th Bomb Group

Thanks to Joe Whitney, radarman, navigator, bombardier.

Here is the crew outside of the new aircraft that they ferried from Topeka, Kansas to Tinian. According to Joe Whitney:

As soon as we got to Tinian they took the plane away from us and gave us a war weary one. It had one Wright Patterson and three Dodge Chicago engines. We landed in Iwo Jima 13 times for gasoline, never could get it back no matter how hard the engineer tried with cruise control and every other trick he knew.

Photo courtesy of Joe Whitney

Standing - Left to Right: 1/Lt James J. Crawford (Bombardier), Cpt Kingman E. Rodgers (Airplane Commander), 2/Lt Robert M. "Bob" Crane (Pilot), 2/Lt Joseph H. "Joe" Whitney (Radar Operator), 2/Lt Thomas J. King (Navigator).
Kneeling - Left to Right: Sgt Donald F. "Don" Tinari (Right Gunner), S/Sgt Livingston M. Demarest (Central Fire Control), Sgt George A. Bastras (Tail Gunner), Sgt Clarence G. "Clem" Wheeler (Radio Operator), T/Sgt Gale G. Woods (Flight Engineer), Sgt William "Willie" Weinstein (Left Gunner).

In Memoriam

Thomas J. King. Rockland County, NY., died May 20, 1994. King was a second lieutenant and navigator with the 24th Squadron's Shasta crew commanded by Lt. Kingman E. Rodgers. King received the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Thomas and Joan King had five children. [6th Bomb Group Association Newsletter (July 2002), p. 11]