Dailies of the 323rd - the 91st Bomb Group!

omb run over the target area. Members of the "A" crew reported
that they were "sweating" it out as they repeatedly made that
bomb run trying to make a perfect release right on the target.
After it was made, our ships made what is called the "Old 91st
Getaway" when they really speed for home. No ships were lost.
It being the last mission for Major Bishop and Captain Gladstone,
there was a nice reception prepared for them when they landed.
Major Bishop had been with the squadron ever since it was formed
at Mac Dill Field, Florida. As a Pilot, Squadron Operations
Officer, and as Squadron Commander, he had won the respect and
friendship of all that came in contact with him. Captain
Gladstone joined the organization at Boise, Idaho as a co-pilot.
He served in that capacity with a crew on ship #639. Later, he
became a pilot and then Squadron Operations Officer. He and the
Major made what one would call the perfect pair. With their good
nature, love of fun, warm devotion to duty and the welfare of the
men who served under their direction and to all in this squadron
and the 91st group as well. So there was a reception made ready
for them, the main feature of which was a big tub of ice-cold
water in a truck. By several husky young ground crewmen. Being
aware that they would perhaps try to evade such a kindly
reception the ground crew managed to cure that situation. The
Group Commander, Colonel Putnam, went to where the ship was to
land and put them both in his Staff Car and brought them to the
very place where they were most wanted.
As the ships came back, three of them gave the field a "medium
buzz". These ships were being flown by Major Bishop, Lt. Ward and
Lt. Kolts. Lt.'s Ward and Kolts, later left Major Bishop to put
on the show alone on ship #639 "Careful Virgin". He came so low
the first time that the men on the ground thought of falling for
cover. Next time, they started for cover, and the third time they
fled, supposedly praying as they went. That ship came so low that
a man standing up would have fallen flat, either for his own
safety or for fright. Photographers were on hand taking pictures
of the "buzz job" and afterwards they showed just what a job it
was. They say that Captain Gladstone, himself, was getting
scared, but Major Bishop just kept getting lower and lower.
Finally, he came in and landed. Col. Putnam brought him up to the
water wagon and the ducking was definitely begun. M/Sgt.
Leathers, a Crew Chief, seemed to have been ducked himself,
having been caught by a hose that was also in very much use.
For two men to be so handled upon completion of a tour of twentyfive
missions, to be manhandled and ducked into a tub of water
and otherwise tossed about might seem to the more "Pius" person,
a cruel way of doing things that is, of expression of our good