From: Shannon Lucky <conagher_1880@...>
Subject: Re: [918archbury] Spy and Spammer banned from the group
To: 918archbury@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009, 5:28 PM

 

Harry,

 

  He should have been shot.

 

 

               Cowboy
 

Shannon G. Lucky

 

All good heroes love a good, clean fight!

Open up the bomb bays, brighten up the night!

We earn laurels solving your quarrels,

You throw the roses, we punch the noses,

That’s what we’re Heroes for! ---

           Jerry Fielding, "Hogan's Heroes"

---

From: Mike Hartman <higginbottem@ yahoo.com>
To: 918archbury@ yahoogroups. com
Sent: Thu, November 19, 2009 4:35:37 PM
Subject: [918archbury] Spy and Spammer banned from the group

 

Attention all personnel,    Private "Jon" thanksgivingblackfr iday@yahoo. com has been given a summary court martial under Article of War #82 Enemy spy.   The above charged was found guilt of spying and spamming on the 918Th Bomb Group (H) at Archbury, England.   The charged was striped of his rank and 'drummed out' of the Army.   Thank you for alerting this command of this serious violation of the rules and regulations.   Colonel Harry Higginbottem     --- On Tue, 11/17/09, Jon <thanksgivingblackfr iday@yahoo. com> wrote: From: Jon <thanksgivingblackfr iday@yahoo. com> Subject: [918archbury] Only 10 Days Are Remaining, Hurry Up Guys n Gals!!! To: 918archbury@ yahoogroups. com Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 8:56 PM   Hey There,   Are you still thinking what to buy on this Black Friday? No… not more, Hurry Up people, starts making a list of thing, only 10 Days are remaining for Black Friday. You can easily buy what you want at ThanksgivingBlackFr idayAds.com , Also you can sign up here  to get free newsletters about Black Friday Ads 2009 .   Thank You.

From: Jon <thanksgivingblackfriday@...>
Subject: [918archbury] Only 10 Days Are Remaining, Hurry Up Guys n Gals!!!
To: 918archbury@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 8:56 PM

 

Hey There,

 

Are you still thinking what to buy on this Black Friday? No… not more, Hurry Up people, starts making a list of thing, only 10 Days are remaining for Black Friday. You can easily buy what you want at ThanksgivingBlackFr idayAds.com , Also you can sign up here  to get free newsletters about Black Friday Ads 2009 .

 

Thank You.

The, “Gray Ghost” has received several questions about “The Hitchhiking Ghosts of Hop Hollow Road” tour.

Here are some of the questions that you may have, if not, E-mail me at Higginbottem@....

Is there an agenda for this tour? Yes, we will get out our cars at the following locations and your tour guide will tell you about:

• The civil war confederate prison where thousands of prisoners of war died.

• The confederate cemetery where thousands of prisoners of war were buried.

• The tour will end where you may see “The Hitchhiking Ghosts of Hop Hollow Road” The most haunted roadway in Alton, Illinois.

I wondered if they are going to visit any other sites. No, see above.

 Or will we be driving straight to Hop Hollow road? No, see above route.

Will we be getting out of the car to see anything? Yes, we will stop at all of sites above.

Also will we have a guide and how will we hear what they have to say? About 2 hours

How long is the program? Yes, your tour guide will be the “Gray Ghost”.

Is Hop Hollow actually at the bottom of the hill heading to the river?   Yes, Hop Hollow Road is off Holland St.

I always heard it was the path soldiers took to the river.  Yes, this is the road.

“The Hitchhiking Ghosts of Hop Hollow Road”

In

Alton, Illinois

The most haunted roadway in Alton, Illinois

An old confederate soldier known as “The Gray Ghost” will be your tour guide to:

The caravan tour will start at 4:00 pm on October 31, 2009 from Frank’s Restaurant 2611 College Ave. Alton, Illinois 62002.

$10 per carload for this spooktactual visit to Alton civil war ‘haunted’ locations.

We will conclude the tour in time for you to attend the Alton Halloween Parade, if you are able.

For additional information, call Mike Hartman at 618-581-1501

See attached file for the “The Hitchhiking Ghosts of Hop Hollow Road” story.

Franklin Eliser Savage, born 20 November in 1911 near Wood River, Nebraska, to Wendell and Evelyn Savage. The Savage clan were homesteaders from the earlier days and owned 260 acres of land. Frank grew up on that farm throughout the roaring twenties listening to the radio as the F.B.I. chased John Dillinger or Bonnie and Clyde through the mid-west. He was the middle child, his brother was three years older and his sister was the baby, five years younger. His brother would go into the Navy and be lost during the Battle of Midway, and his sister would marry her childhood sweetheart but lose him in the Marine Corp at Saipan.

One summer at the county fair, a group of barnstormers performed, and Frank knew that flying was for him. One of the planes landed and he was taken aloft, his life forever changed. During that weekend the pilot befriended Frank and gave him flying lessons, since Frank seemed to have a knack for the stick, it was 1927. Frank then dreamed of flying, and was always drawing airplanes and reading a Popular Mechanics magazine whenever he could get one. The mail planes would buzz the farm, and Frank flew his milk stool into his dreams.

In 1929 after the stock market crash, his folks lost most everything, but 25 acres and the house, the house Frank was born in. He felt he was adding to the problems financially and went to Grand Island and joined the Army, he was 18 years old. He felt this would give him a steady income to help support his Mother and Father.

After boot camp, Frank met and Army Air Corp officer named Captain Willard Crowe, he was also a Nebraska farm boy from Alda. Frank and Wiley hit it off from the get-go, but Frank was and enlisted man. Frank volunteered for the newly forming Army Air Corp as a mechanic, he was sent to school in Lakehurst, New Jersey, and from there he was assigned to a squadron at a new air station in Alabama. In 1931 he met Major Crowe again and Wiley talked with Frank about becoming and officer and going to flight school. The service was going to need pilots, with all the talk of a war in Europe someday. Frank made out the application, passed the physical and with Wiley’s endorsement he submitted it to his commanding officer, who also agreed with it and passed it on for review.

Eight months later, Franks C.O. called him in and presented him with orders to report to Pensacola, Florida for Officers Candidate School, with follow on assignment at Langley Field for pilot training. So in May of 1932, Frank Savage became 2nd Lieutenant F. E. Savage, Major Crowe was there to pin on his one gold bar and receive Frank’s first salute as and officer.

During flight school, the rule was that the top four students in their class would be advanced to 1st Lieutenant upon graduation when receiving their flight wings, Frank graduated number one in his flight class. The year was 1933, late in October, and Frank took leave to return home after four years and see his folks. His father was driving a truck between Grand Island and Omaha; his mother took in sewing and sold fruit from the orchard. They were very proud of Frank and he left after one week to return to Alabama and start flying!

Frank was soon bored with flying trainer aircraft and teaching others; he did enjoy the art of navigation and trying to drop a bomb on a target. Then in 1934 a new plane arrived from the Douglas Company, a DC-2 which was the forerunner of the legendary DC-3. Frank quickly master the aircraft, and for a brief moment thought of resigning his commission and going to work for Trans World Airlines. Enter Colonel Paul James "Pappy" Hartley, when Frank met Pappy at Langley, Frank hung on his every word. Hartley was and old WWI flying Ace and could fly the wings of anything with a motor. Pappy taught Frank how to fly the Douglas B-1 Bolo, and recommended Frank as a test pilot for the Boeing XB-15, Frank flew this plane for the Army research project with Boeing until 1935 as a Captain. He then was requested to join the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator torpedo bomber program where he was promoted to Major and was the executive officer. When he transfer in 1936 he was a Lieutenant Colonel and was headed for flight training for Boeing’s new B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber training command which was forming in west Texas. He was 26 years old.

When Frank arrived in the desert Colonel Wiley Crowe was commanding the four training squadrons. After nine months of flight training the squadrons were formed to deploy within the United States, Frank was selected as C.O. for the 483rd Bomb Group, promoted to Major, and sent to Wyoming to organize his squadrons and flight crews. They started learning to navigate over Europe and how to drop bombs with the new bomb sights. A young pilot under his command was 1st Lieutenant Joseph Gallagher. Frank held this position for two years. He transferred in 1939 to Washington D.C. for staff duty at the request of Lieutenant General Alan Pritchard, and old flying ACE from WWI and very good friends with Brigadier General Wiley Crowe and Colonel Hartley.

Arriving that June for staff duty in D.C. Frank was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel but found himself not cut-out to fly a desk. The buildings were hot, the beer at the golf course was warm, and paper work was never ending. On the 4th of July, he met Miss. Arlene Johnston during a party at the Fort Myer Officer's Club. Arlene was the daughter of Senator Clay Johnston. He was the Chairman of the Arms Committee on aircraft procurement; he was good friends with Lt. General Pritchard. The Senator being a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and a veteran of WWI, he was not the best advocate to have when it came to airplanes, he found them loud and required too much maintenance to be reliable. “Give me a ship and the ocean any day, and we can win the war” was his standard phase when he was frustrated with the Army.

Arlene and Frank began a very close relationship for the rest of the summer. They made secret plans to marry in December. The one problem Arlene faced was having her father bless the marriage, and he did not. In fact the Senator told Frank he should have shot him in the head, the day he met him. As winter approached in D.C. their relationship turned cold like the snow that blanketed the banks of the Potomac River. Frank requested a transfer, and was denied. Lt. General Pritchard liked him, and felt Frank had a real future in the flying Army. As any officer knows; if a General likes you, this means that Stars are in your advancement future.

Frank had been in the Army now for 10 years, his life droned on for another year, and was then sent to England in 1940 to observe the R.A.F. when they were fighting the Battle for Britain. The experience Frank gained from this tour of duty would propel him with endless knowledge of flying over Europe and understanding the British military mind. Frank was in London when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Two days later he was on a ship back to Langley, and upon arrival he was promoted to Colonel. He started flying again with a B-17 squadron for bomb training and formation flying. Frank knew that the key to bombing Germany would be tight formation flying for the bomber squadrons.

Colonel Savage returned to England in April of 1942 as part of the 633rd Air Bombardment Group. He was assigned as Air Executive Officer and flew 16 missions with the group and five missions with the R.A.F. In August he returned to Washington, D.C. to help Major General Crowe in Army War Plans. In February 1943 he and Wiley were sent to England; Wiley would be the Wing Commander at Pinetree headquarters as Deputy Commander for General Pritchard, and Frank would be Commanding Officer of the 847th Bomb Group. Frank went on to fly 11 more missions, making his total 32 mission over France, Norway, Denmark and Holland. General Pritchard recalled him to Pinetree to be on his staff, he was promoted to Brigadier General in September 1943. Frank would be in command of the 914th and the 918th Bomb Groups, flying out of Kingsford and Archbury.

One of Frank’s best friends was in command of the 918th, Colonel Keith Davenport. Keith and Frank went way back to the days of the DC-2 and XB-15 program, which seemed so long ago. One of Frank’s main projects is hitting the submarine pens in France, they are a hard target; the altitude the squadrons were flying at is too high. The bombs from 25,000 could not concentrate enough fire power to damage the pens to any degree to justify sending mission after mission with no results. Frank, with Pinetree approval signed the squadron field order for the 914th and the 918th to make the bomb run at 9,000 feet. The logic behind the high level command decision was to make one more mission and inflict heavy damage, saving planes, bombs and lives (in that order) to use on other targets.

Frank was in the middle of reviewing his idea for a first time mission deep into Germany; Schweinfurt, the industrial war city was his target. No U.S. bombers had ever bombed German soil yet. As Frank rubbed his eyes in the dim light of his room at Pinetree the phone rang.... it was Keith Davenport at the 918th.

Captain Robin Waldron, MC, Flight Nurse

Welcome back to Archbury after your leave in London.

Thanks for checking up on me at the Eighth Air Hospital.

I told Sgt. McIllhenny to stock the O Club with your favorite Malt Scotch.

What was that brand again?

Two new replacements will hopefully arrive Archbury Infirmary within the next few days; they just flew in from the states.

Captain Gayle Hill, MC, Flight Nurse

Captain Robin Lise, MC, Flight Nurse

Both are real RNs.

Hope you gals can bring some medic lingo into this operation.

Sharpen up those knifes and rip up some bed sheets for bandages. Get a few new buckets to catch the blood.

Welcome home and “Giver Um Hell”

Colonel Harry B. Higginbottem

Deputy Commanding Officer

120^th Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing

Arch bury, England

From: RRWaldron@... <RRWaldron@...>
Subject: [918archbury] Reporting for duty
To: 918archbury@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, August 31, 2009, 6:08 PM

 

Captain Waldron here, ready to patch you boys up after you get back
(from London or Hamburg)

Archbury, England

Re: Renewal of hostilities in the hell-filled skies over Germany.

Cowboy,

It is certainly good to hear from the boys at the 918^th.

I have just been discharge from the Eighth Air Force Hospital in London.

You will remember that I got a face full of ‘dashboard’ in my eyes on my last mission.

The doc told me that my left eye has shot craps. However, the medics where able to safe my starboard eye and have regained my eyesight in the right eye. Got 20/30 at a distance, but 20/20 for reading.

You know what that means; I’ll be flying a desk for the duration.

Cowboy, I want you to keep this on the QT. While I was in the hospital in London, I met a beautiful blond Captain Flight Nurse. She has big brown eyes and sparkling white teeth that make the most stunning smile that I’ve ever seen.

I wrangled a recuperation pass from the sawbones at the hospital for a few days in London at the Savoy. Strictly by chance, the blond flight nurse will also be on leave at the Savoy.

Will return to Archbury on or about 10 September.

While I'm away on pass could you see how many of the old crew you could round up for a renewal of hostilities in the hell-filled skies over Germany.

Sure wish Colonel Kimura could join us. I heard some scuttlebutt at GHQ that a promotion and a pair of chickens are flying towards Kimura shoulders.

I’ve completed my novel ‘Piccadilly Lilly”. Many of you will see your photo and a few lines about yourself in the novel.

Please send me your updated addresses if you want a disc, otherwise will try to Email the novel to all of you.

Good luck and happy landings, and “GIVE UM HELL”

Harry

Harry B. Higginbottem

Colonel, Air Corps (ren.)

Deputy Commanding Officer

120^th Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing

Archbury, England

 

--- On Sat, 8/29/09, conagher_1880 <conagher_1880@...> wrote:

From: conagher_1880 <conagher_1880@...>
Subject: [918archbury] Hello?
To: 918archbury@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 3:47 PM

 

  Any of y'all still out there?  Has peace been declared?  Have all our Forts been shot down?

 

                                                 Col. S.G. "Cowboy" Lucky,

                                                 Commander, 918th BG (H)

From: Marilyn Schaecher <marschaech@...>
Subject: Fw: July 4th Video...and a Great Song.
To: higginbottem@..., bertrama@...
Date: Saturday, July 4, 2009, 9:01 AM

Yes, indeed.........

11 April 2009

22:09 hours local

Re: P.O. Ryan Hill, U.S.N.

To all personnel,

Happy Easter to you and your families.

Attached is a dispatch from our Captain Gayle Hill, M.C., Flight Nurse at the 918^th Bomb Group (H).

Her son Ryan is serving aboard the U.S.S. Boxer in the Indian Ocean against the African pirates.

Please send Captain Hill and her son Ryan your best wishes for a happy Easter and a safe voyage during this time of hostilities.

Good luck to Ryan.

God bless the U.S.S. Boxer and all who serve aboard her.

Harry B. Higginbottem

Harry B. Higginbottem

Colonel, Air Corps (ren.)

Deputy Commanding Officer

120^th Provisional Combat Bombardment Wing

APO 856

Archbury, England

From: Gayle Hill <opalgayle@...>
Subject: Message from Ryan
To: "Cindy W" <ninpoo74@...>, "Dennis Nagy" <ngydns@...>, "Gail Drillinger" <gdrillin@...>, "George Housley" <bopbop.george@...>, "Harlan Hock" <bsargs@...>, "Jan Leimbach" <dmltruk@...>, "Julie Manuel" <jeshortly@...>, "Karen Cooper" <krnhcpr@...>, "Kris Nagy" <kris@...>, "Marcia Paetau" <illinicu@...>, "NagyHome" <nagyhome@...>, "Sara McPherson" <wattyram82@...>, "Vicki Housley" <vhousley@...>, "Winki Grover" <winki21217@...>, "Bruce Poehlman" <bipoehlman@...>, "Frank Nagy" <arfnuj@...>, "Sandy Pratt" <Sandra_Pratt@...>, "Mary Lou Derhake" <mlderhake@...>, "Jerre Honke" <honke@...>, "Reid Marie Stroud" <ReidyLMA@...>, "Mia Solomon" <mia@...>, "Kim Pope" <kimpopealton@...>
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2009, 9:30 AM

I thought I'd share this message and pictures from Ryan.  If you'd like to send him a short "Hello", here's his address.  I believe he is somewhere in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden or maybe the Red Sea.  According to the USS Boxer website, they have been deterring piracy in these waters.  The USS Boxer is an amphibious assault ship.  God bless our men and women that are protecting our country!
hillrp@... 

 

Hey all,

The other day we had our 45th consecutive day at sea. After 45 days the ship is authorized to have a beer day. We had a bbq up on the flight deck. There were bean bag games (kinda like washers), people were throwing footballs around, and everyone was allowed to have 2 beers. All I got out of it was a headache. It was hot outside probably high 90's. So I spent about an hour at the festivities and then went back to my shop to watch movies and play video games.

Coming up soon we will be going to port. I cannot say exactly where or when for reasons you all have heard plenty of times before. Be expecting a phone call sometime next couple weeks. If you see a funny looking number its probably me =) I will try to call on the weekend but I cannot promise anything, I get off when they tell me I can.

Thanks for the package g&g. All those treats are nice to have I don’t get many here. The beef jerky didn’t last past the first day sadly ;P  Been working the sudoku puzzles when I have some free time.

Mom I havent received your package yet.. We are supposed to be getting more mail beginning of next week. I still appreciate it very much.

I cant wait to get home.

 

Pictures attached:
<<1.jpg>> <<2.jpg>> <<3.jpg>> <<4.jpg>> <<5.jpg>> <<6.jpg>>
1 Me in Hawaii outside the Hale-Koa millitary resort
2 Hale-Koa resort
3 Coconut I opened at a Japanese stronghold base from WWII in Guam
4 Looking down over a bay from a US stronghold base in Guam, Magellian landed in the cove off to the right
5 Riding an elephant named Bae in Thailand
6 A dog named Lucky that followed us around for most of the day in Thailand. You can see the mopeds that everyone drove

Hope to hear from you all again soon.

Love,
Ryan