29TH BOMB GROUP ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

There are many things we need to cover in this newsletter; a recap of the New Orleans reunion, the future of the 29th Bomb Group Association, the possibility of a farewell reunion, new items from our historian, possible disposition of our memorabilia and a memorial for our latest lost members.

I would like to thank the Nass family for the great job they did at the New Orleans reunion. It was a fun mix of 29th Bomb Group veterans and those that love and respect all they have done for us. There were wives, widows, sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters of the veterans along with extended family and friends. There were people from across the country and from as far away as France. There was even one veteran who was attending his first reunion. We were all there for one reason, to honor the veterans, both living and dead, of the 29th Bomb Group Association. I will leave it to the Nass family to fill you in on the event.
Ben Robertson, our president, will address the serious issue of the continuation of the 29th Bomb Group Association. There are some items that require immediate attention.
Joe Chovelak has many thoughts and considerations regarding all of the memorabilia that is under his charge. He has worked hard to gather everything and would like to find a good home for it.
Lastly, Anthony Ferraro and his family have a proposal for a farewell reunion in Washington, D.C. It would be great to see a large turnout for this event. They have put very much work into this and would like a quick response so the plans can be put into motion.
29th Bomb Group Reunion New Orleans November 1-3, 2007
We weren’t prepared for the emotion that struck us when the veterans of the 29th Bomb Group walked into the National World War II Museum in New Orleans last fall. All the scheduling, planning and delays were forgotten as we watched the greatest generation take in this spectacular tribute to their efforts to win the Second World War. It was a moment we will never forget.
A hundred and ten people, including thirty veterans, gathered in New Orleans for the 29th Bomb Group reunion on November 1-3. Folks came from as far away as France and as near as Monroe, Louisiana.
We enjoyed a New Orleans style reception on Thursday night with participants sporting Mardi Gras beads and big smiles. Our visit to the National World War II Museum on Friday was followed by a banquet and business meeting. Saturday found folks scattered among swamp or city tours, Katrina tours, shopping trips, French Quarter expeditions and riverboat excursions. A group photograph was taken of the veterans before the evening festivities by professional photographer Warren Johnson, son of AC Warren Johnson who was lost on March 10th, 1945. After the banquet and the posting of the colors we were entertained by Cajun Humorist Dave Petitjean, a genuinely funny man who passed out endless belly laughs with his self-effacing style.
Throughout the long weekend the proximity of the Hospitality Room and Joe Chovelak's wonderful Memorabilia Room provided a steady flow of participants wandering between the two venues. It was truly a time for reminiscing about the past and creating new memories.
Thank you all for attending. Special thanks go to Joe Chovelak for all his efforts to connect families and their stories. Moreover, we all deeply appreciate Joe’s hard work in gathering, cataloguing and maintaining all the photos, documents and research pertaining to the 29th Bomb Group. Out visit to the National World War II Museum is a testament to the value of these efforts at preserving this heritage.

Thanks goes out, too, to our treasurer, Pete Woytowitz, who took care of the finances, depositing checks and paying invoices promptly. Also kudos go out to Dan Halliday of the 6th squadron who designed the cover art for our program.
And an absolutely huge thank you to Allan Pawlikowski who helped guide us in our planning, faithfully sent out letters, stepped in as MC when one of us was delayed returning from a tour and was on hand for help and advice throughout the weekend. It was an extremely rewarding experience for the Nass Family to be entrusted with this reunion.
And finally, a copy of the poster that Boeing created for the 50th Anniversary of the building of the superfortress was signed by the attending veterans of the 29th Bomb Group. It now hangs on the wall at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans...a fitting tribute to a group of veterans who we all admire immensely.
Sincerely,
Steve, Larry and Sue Nass
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT, BEN ROBERTSON: I was not able to attend the 2007 reunion in New Orleans, and so will leave comments about that to others who were in attendance.
For some time there have been discussions among the officers and directors as well as various members regarding the practicality, advisability and desirability of conducting future reunions and activities of the 29th bomb Group Association. Opinion seems to be mixed – some people think the Association as an entity should be dissolved, the memorabilia deposited in some Army or Air Force archive and the residual proceeds of our treasury donated to an appropriate recipient such as the Air Force Academy to be used for scholarships. Then there are some who feel that the Association should continue as an entity functioning as it has up to the present, or at least to the date of a meeting or reunion designated and declared in advance to be the last official reunion of the Association. Still others (mostly honorary members) citing what they perceive as an increasing interest by younger generations in preserving the memory and accomplishments of the 29th BG in WWII, want to continue some sort of informal organization, perhaps under a name like “Sons and Daughters of the 29th Bomb Group” or “Descendants of the 29th Bomb Group” or other identifying name, but without the present official designation.
At the present time, some initial organizing effort for another 29th BG Association reunion is being considered for Fall, 2008 proposed at present to be held in Washington, D.C.
With this diversity of opinion and desire, I therefore ask that each member of the Association communicate his thoughts about these proposals, within ten days of receipt of this newsletter, to Allan Pawlikowski, our Secretary, so that the officers and directors will have an understanding of the preferences of the members, and can act accordingly. In your response, please answer specifically the following two questions:
1. Should a reunion be held in Washington, D.C. in September, 2008?
2. Should this be our last reunion as the 29th bomb Group Association?
3. Other comments.
When the Association was founded in July, 1985 by Richard W. Polleys, it was not anticipated that it should (or would) exist in perpetuity. It was formed to provide a central registry of those who served in the 29th BG in WWII; sponsor reunions for the members; and develop and provide an historical record of the Group and its participants. We are not an incorporated entity, but there may be some liabilities which would be extinguished by official dissolution.
One of the considerations regarding the continuation of the Association is, of course, the aging of the membership. Many members are no longer able to travel (or desirous of traveling) or endure the pressures of the activities of a reunion in a distant location. For example, in New Orleans, out of an attendance of approximately 110 people, only 29 were Group members. The others were honorary members, family and friends. Please don’t misinterpret my comments. If the children and families want to continue recognition of the 29th Bomb Group and its accomplishments, more power to them. It’s just that there are some compelling reasons for dissolution of the present form of organization.
Lastly, a subject which I did not think necessary of mention. A couple of members have recently bought copies of my book “Bringing the Thunder” stating that they did not know that it existed. It is a personal story of my WWII experiences, but also a historical record of the missions of the 29th Bomb Group. So, if there are others who do not know about it and would like a copy, just send a check payable to me for $25.00 (includes postage and handling) to 22647 Ventura Blvd., #107, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 and I’ll send a dedicated, autographed copy to you by return mail.
I encourage you to respond to Allan promptly.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR HISTORIAN, JOE CHOVELAK: It seems like a long time since the New Orleans reunion when in fact it was only four months ago. The reunion was a very pleasant gathering of young and old. Many veterans (29) brought a younger generation with them; in fact there were many grandchildren. It is very difficult for me to say anything about any future reunion, since the attendance was not very good. If there will be a reunion it will be interesting to see how large the attendance would be at a FAREWELL REUNION.
The Nass family hosted the New Orleans reunion and the arrangements went very well. As the historian I was very happy with the arrangements for the memorabilia room. We had three rooms the first was the hospitality room, next was the interview room and the memorabilia room. The rooms were connected and convenient to visit. Warren Johnson spent his time doing a composite crew interview; we are waiting to see the report.
The room got very exciting when we played our two new DVDs. The first DVD was hosted by Jack Burton (at Nashville in 1989) and his wife Mary and Fred Pawlikowski the new secretary. Also on this DVD there is a tribute of Col. Carl R. Storrie. The second new DVD was at (Kansas City and hosted by Harry and Naomi Mitchell in 1995. The tour to the Whitman Air Base, home of the B-1 bombers was fantastic. Finally the last portion of the DVD was a tribute to the SHUMATE CREW from documents and a VHS tape. The tape and the documents were given to us by Anthony Ferraro and his family. Both of the DVDs are available for purchase at $10 each.
The highlight of the reunion for me as the historian was the completion of the last lost crew report of the SHUMATE CREW. It took 23 years and help from so many members to get the job completed. Peter Woytowitz and I started the task at the first reunion at Dayton, OH. My original task was to find all of the lost crews and create a document to give to all of the friends and families. The task has been completed by the many lost crew books that were give to families and friends. At the New Orleans reunion I had the honor to give the visitors a copy of the lost crew book to read from any of the 21 lost crews. AMEN.
In 1985 I received a copy of the 3 rolls of microfilm of the 29th BG documents from General Harry Evans.. At this time we have reproduced the documents into a cd for anyone who wants to research our files. One of our great contributions to the 29th BG was the beginning of our web site in 2001, I think of this as our diary of comments from our members and guest who have added many thousands of comments. The man in charge of the web site is FRED BOUZEK who has kept the project going
Another project from Fred Bouzek is in progress. I have a book showing all of the 2500 members of the 29th BG on Guam during our tour of duty in 1945. All of these names are to be put on our web site for you and the world to see. The job of doing this project is a wonderful person and has volunteered to do the job. Maryjo Healey and her daughters, Lorraine and Diane are going to complete the task. I hope that many of you will go to the web site and enjoy the comments.
At this time I want everyone to think about the 29thBG Association. It cannot be forever but we can make some plans for all of us to remember and cherish. At some time in the future I plan on taking and sending the entire list of names of the 29th BG roster and giving this list to the Library of Congress. I have contacted some government agencies to help us complete the task. It seems so nice to think of all 2500 persons together for the rest of our lives. I will have more information on this some time in this summer.
This is the hard part of taking the 29th BG documents and provides a home for them. They have survived in cases, boxes, bins, file cabinets, in my garage and my den. The time will come and I will find this home after I have researched a little further. I will contact the many families who gave documents. Books, tapes, CDs, DVDs and assure them that their documents will have a safe and honorable new home. Further, I would like to see that these will be displayed with dignity so that we members have finished our task for the rest of the world to see our organization, The 29th Bomb Group Association.
In closing I wish to tell you that I will try and provide all of the items that we made for a reasonable time. There was no profit involved in our products and we will maintain these items until such time that all final closings are completed.
ITEMS AVAILABLE Note: Please add for postage.
Combat Diary 30 pages $ 7.00
29th BG CD 29th BG documents $35.00
DVD updated Pacific Theater $10.00
DVD Nashville & Col. Storrie tribute $10.00
DVD Kansas City & Shumate Crew $10.00
Note If there is something that I can help you with, give me note and I will try to help.
It has been my pleasure to help you and I look forward to meet all of you someday.
Regards,
Joe Chovelak Historian 29tth BG
A PROPOSAL BY ANTHONY FERRARO FOR A FAREWLL REUNION:
Hello 29th BG!
September 4-7, 2008 will be the very last reunion of the 29th BG, but only with your support! It’s being planned for Washington DC at the Sheraton National Hotel in Arlington, VA. This is a short cab right from Washington Reagan International Airport.

More detailed plans are to follow but for right now we need to know how many members are interested in attending. Rooms are $99/night plus tax. The conference fee is likely to be $130 which covers heavy hors d oeuvre Thursday night, dinner Friday and Saturday night, entertainment for two nights (including an Andrews Sisters act on Friday night!), and a few items to take home to remember the reunion. The hotel is going to allow us to have dinner atop the hotel in a special banquet room that overlooks the city on Friday night! We are working on guest speakers now and are interested in the type of speaker you would like to have.

A bus tour to the Udvar-Hazy Museum (branch of the Smithsonian about 45 minutes from the hotel) is planned to see the B-29 Enola Gay among other aircraft and the space shuttle as a separate tour that each would have to pay for. The hotel is within very short cab ride of The WW2 Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, USAF Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the other memorials like Vietnam and Korea. There are also lots of DC attractions for everyone to enjoy on their own, including the Smithsonian Museums, the government buildings and memorials, shopping in Georgetown, etc.

The hotel has also been gracious enough to provide a Memorabilia Room, Hospitality Room, and an Interview Room. I expect these will be very active with the membership visiting with our group Historian Joe Chovelak, to see the memorabilia and displays brought by the membership, and as a gathering place for our veterans to interact with the reunion attendees.

In order to have a successful last reunion I am estimating that we need to have 200 people attend, so please express your interest here as well as respond to the poll that will be coming in the next news letter. Right now everything is tentative until we have a good idea of interest in attendance.

Let’s make this Final Reunion of the 29th BG happen and be a very special one! Looking forward to seeing everyone again!
IN MEMORIAM: Our deepest sympathy to the families of the following members who passed away.
Combs, Robert S. Aircraft Commander, 43rd Squadron, Unknown date of death
Robards, Hayward M. MO 960 Central Fire Control System, 6th Squadron Armament Section, Unknown
date of death
Stubstad, Howard L. Central Fire Control Gunner, 52nd Squadron, Simeral’s crew, Died 11/14/2006
Broadhurst, Betty Wife of Glen Broadhurst, 6th Squadron, Died 12/15/2006
Henry, Tom A. Radar Observer, 43rd Squadron, Robertson’s crew, Died 10/17/2007
Holverstott, Helen Wife of Ben Holverstott, 52nd Squadron, Died 10/13/2007
DUES: Our 2007 fiscal year started on Oct.1, 2007 and runs through September 30, 2008. The dues are $10.00 per year and are strictly on a voluntary basis. These help cover the cost of getting out this Newsletter and Misc. expenses. Any help you can give is appreciated. Thanks for your support.
PICTURES: Tony Simeral commissioned an artist to paint his plane leading a formation past Mt. Fujiyama and donated a large amount of prints to the Assn. These prints measure 23" x 28" and are lithographed on heavy white stock, very suitable for framing. They are beautiful, to say the least and a few of our members have donated them to their Legion or VFW Posts as well as to other organizations. If you would care to purchase one or more, they can be had for $15.00 each or two for $25.00 post paid. Please make your check out to the 29th Bomb Group Assn. and send it to me. They will be sent out shortly after I receive your check.
WEBSITE: Have you checked out the 29th Bomb Group Association website. It’s at www.29bg.com
It contains much important information and a guestbook with comments from those that have visited the sight. If you have not visited it yet, give it a try.
RESPONSES:
You can respond to the questions asked in this newsletter by e-mail, USPS mail or phone. Please respond to me in one of the following ways as soon as possible:

apawliko@comcast.net
Allan Pawlikowski
2605 Paddock Lane
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-393-3139
Please answer the following questions:
1. Should a reunion be held in Washington, D.C. in September, 2008?
2. If yes, how many people would attend?
3. Should this be our last reunion as the 29th bomb Group Association?
4. Other comments?
Please send any requests for the Memorabilia items to Joe Chovelak.
Joe Chovelak

404 Harlowe Lane

Naperville, IL 60565
Respectfully Submitted,

Allan Pawlikowski