So at about 6:00 A.M. our B-17G (with chin turret) No. 883 was taking off for Merseberg. Inoident9lllg, our plane didn't have a name painted on its nose but some of us thought it should be "Winnie the Pooh." I guess we never had, or took the time to get the job done.

It's about time to introduce the crew: David "moon" Mullen, from New York, was our able Pilot who had been an instructor Pilot at the Overseas Training Unit (OTU) at Drew Field, Florida; Lawrence "Larry" Iverson, from Wisconsin, was our Co-Pilot Elliot Kolker, from St. Louis, was our Navigator; Nilan "Mac" Mack, from Chicago, was our Bombardier; Wayne Cose, from Washington State, was our Engineer-Top Turret Gunner; Verdan "Buzz" Wiedel, from Washington, D.C., was our Radio Operator; Salvatore "Sal" Muscarella, from Boston, was our Ball Turret Gunner; Robert "Bob" Atkinson, from Texas, was our Armorer-Waist Gunner and last, but not least, was Edwin "Ed" Barber, from Tennessee, Tail Gunner who had previously flown a 25-mission tour (1942-1943) with the Eighth in the "Suicide Days." As I recall, Ed had about five German fighters to his credit and was on the first B-17 mission to Schweinfurt's ball bearing plant. He was an "old man'" of 40 years and had a superstition about not going on a mission without a pair of red silk panties over his Olive Drab (O.D.) long johns. He never would tell us where he got them, or from whom.

The forming over England and heading out over the continent wasn't particularly eventful, thanks to our "little friend" escorts (P-51 Mustang, mostly, and P-B7 Thunderbolts and P-38 Lightnings). They were doing such a good job Wit German fighter opposition was pretty rare for us by this time. I'm sure this may not have been the ce~Ls3e all over but I, myself, wars fortunate enough to finish a 30-nafsrerion tour without ever seeing a German fighter in the air, We saw plenty of V-1's, V-2's and 88/105 mm flak, however! Ed Barber said he remembered, on his first tour, when they welcomed flak because the German fighters gave them a break, as they wouldn't go through the flak with them. Often thought about that as we were plowing through those black walls of flak. That should have made me feel better but it didn't. I also often thought about those homeward-bound gunners at the Stone, England Assignment Depot who had completed their tours and who said, "Hitler is on his knees and it's about over." Can't say I felt the same during my 30 missions.

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