SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Pamela Luther
From: Los Angeles, California
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
Hello-- My father was a VMB612 pilot. I was wondering if someone could explain the image of the patch logo for me.
My father passed away 18 months ago and I was hoping to understand more about his past. He didn't say much about the war - just very general information.

The bomb and wings are obvious enough - is that a machine gun between the bomb and wings? What about the smaller (bombs?) toward the bottom? What is the significance of the number and spacing? Could you direct me to someone who might know?

I'm so happy this website is here - it's good to have the information available.

Thanks
Pamela Luther

Added: January 6, 2012

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Chad Meadow
From: Murfreesboro, TN
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
My father-in-law Tech Sgt. Earl Feldhaus Navigator Bombardier still hanging on in The Ohio Veterans Home near Ciccinnati. He still has a few lucid moments at age 85. Has anyone out there got any info on Earl. We have no idea how many missions he flew or what air medals he received. Please contact me at ctmeadow@comcast.net. Earl remained in aviation post war and is retired from GE aircraft engines. On family vacations he navigated like he eas " on a mission ". He is married to Anne ( Engel ) Feldhaus and has three children Earl Jr. Marilyn Meadow and Dale Feldhaus. Plus five grandchildren.

Added: November 19, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: C Luthy
From: Franklin, TN
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
For any VMB-612 family members who have loved ones that were declared MIA--
The Marine Corps POW/MIA section can request additional information on your behalf to help fill in the blanks of what happened during the loss. They also can collect family DNA samples in case their plane wreck is eventually found and remains need to be identified.

My MIA contact is listed below (hope he does not mind me posting)-- they are mailing us more information regarding our VMB-612 relative lost without a trace. I will post any additional information that I receive (Falgout plane lost Nov, 29/30 1944)

-------"I wanted to inform you Headquarters Marine Corps POW/MIA office has received your cousin's SSgt Freeman's military records.
In addition, we also obtained a photo to include, and I had our analyst team do a "Case Summary" of his loss and current status.
Semper fi,

Ron "Chuck" Williams
ASST POW/MIA Section
HQMC Casualty (MRPC)
Quantico, VA 22134
PH: 703-432-9518
FAX: 703-432-9248
Email: ronald.c.williams@usmc.mil

PS, of the 3000 missing WWII Marines lost in the Pacific, they only have DNA samples from @100 families. It seems like an impossible longshot but they find wrecks every month and continue to identify and send home remains...

Added: September 30, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: C Luthy
From: Franklin, TN
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
Please help. Can anyone from the unit help me understand how and when mission position reports were made? Were they made periodically enroute to the target or only after bombs were released to not give away their position?

The Falgout plane (Buno #35149) took off at 10pm on Nov. 29, 1944 and was lost without a trace and made no position reports.

The Madvay plane (Buno #35156) took off Nov. 26 at 10pm and made a position report after 6 hours and 45 minutes of flying (presumably on way back from target-- they were believed to have run into returning Jap planes that had bombed Saipan/Tinian).

Please ask surviving relatives this question and post-- we are losing these living treasures too frequently. I am trying to find out what happened to a relative on the Falgout plane and have heard 1) crashed after take off and made no poistion reports or 2) believe that on this bright moon night they flew in to bomb Chi Chi harbor and were shot down. If I hire a side scan sonar, I want to know where to start the search....

Added: September 19, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Kevin Bailey
From: Houston, TX
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
Am acting on behalf of R.S. Barricklow (who has no Internet, yet), nephew of Pilot 1st Lt. Myron Peterson, VMB-612, lost off Iwo Jima 28 July 1945. Lt. Peterson's aircraft listed as PBJ-1J-15, BuAer #35242 and was replacement a/c delivered to Saipan 21 March 1945. VMB-612 had no individual markings except white MB# / squadron call numbers on the vertical stabilizer. Mr. Barricklow is familiar with many details of his uncle Lt. Peterson's service, but cannot find one specific detail.

Does anyone have information on the specific call number on the vertical stabilizer of Lt. Peterson's lost aircraft?

'Bear' Barricklow has served in the U.S. Navy and is also a 25-year member of the Commemorative Air Force, both as groud Marshaller and as crew chief of the CAF's P-40 based in central Texas.

Any information is welcome. Thank you.

Added: September 17, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Fontaine Boutwell
From: Jacksonville, Fl
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
This goes out to all of you that are still with us, my father LtCol Ted Boutwell passed away today 09-11-11. He was 91 years old. He was a pilot with VMB612 and served 30 years. A special thanks for the call and the book that Dr Robert Reed sent to me last year. I have past the book along to my siblings and they have enjoyed your memories.

Added: September 11, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: tamara demuth
From: charleston,sc
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
my uncle was a gunner in the b-12 i was declared missing in action november 26th 1944. his name was john william knop. my father never talked about him much because it was to painful.does anyone have any information about him. i am reading the book UNBROKEN and cant stop thinking about him.thank you for serving our country!!

Added: August 21, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Hubert F. Ickes
From: Lynchburg, VA
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
I was an Automatic Pilot Mechanic In VMB 612 Starting in
1944 at Boca Chico Airbase in the Florida Keys, Then San Diego, Cal. onto Hawaii,to ANNAWIETOK TO SAIPAN TO IWO JIMA TO Okinowa.
I am proud to have been a member of this Group
which served so well against the Japanese in the Pacific!

Added: August 19, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: Michael C. Mazzola
From: Wayland, MA
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
I served as a member of VMB612 as an automatic pilot mechanic from 1944 through December of 1945. Love to hear from any of you. Mike Mazzola

Added: August 15, 2011

SUBMITTED BY:
Name: C Luthy
From: Franklin, TN
E-mail: Contact

COMMENTS:
Here is what else I know from the aircraft trouble analysis form:
Nov. 26, 1944 PBJ1-D Buno# 35156 took off of Saipan on a nite search firing mission (I believe to Chichi Jima).
First Lieutenant Edward Madvay- Pilot
First Lieutenant James W. Robbins - Co pilot
Master Technical Sergeant Robert C. Jones - Navigator?
Sergeant Robert J. Boylan
Private First Class John W. Knop

Conditions: 2000 feet; 12 mi; 50% ;030 deg 10kts; showers; operational
Mission: Nite Search firing mission to last approximately 10+ hours.
Pilot and regularly assigned crew listed. The plane had 738.3 hours.
At 0240 local time, he reported his return position. He was airborne 6 hrs and 45 minutes.
No other contact was ever made after this time.
He carried 1524 gallons of gas. Reasons for failure to return are unknown.

Many speculate that this plane was shot down on Nov. 27 by the Japanese planes either returning to or from the B-29 bomber runway attack on Saipan.

Here is what I have found on PBJ1-D Buno 35149:

Nov. 29, 1944 PBJ1-D Buno# 35149 took off at 2210 from Saipan on a nite search firing mission (I believe target is Chichi Jima main harbor).
First Lieutenant Cleo J. Falgout - Pilot
First Lieutenant John R. Johnston - Co-pilot
Staff Sergeant Thomas J. Freeman -Navigator (my dad's cousin)
Staff Sergeant Tony A. Nedik
Sergeant Richard H. Petrilli
Corporal Sandro J. Brusa

Conditions: Unknown, unlimited, 25mi. 30% 270 deg. 15kts, clear moon bright, operational
Mission: Nite Search firing mission to last approximately 10+ hours.
Pilot and regularly assigned crew listed. The plane had 952.6 hours.
Plane took off at 2210 local time on a nite-search-rocket firing mission.
No reports were ever received.
He carried 1524 gallons of gas. Reasons for failure to return are unknown.

Some speculate that on a clear night, the GungHo pilot Falgout flew straight into the enemy harbor firing rockets and bombing all that can be seen. The clear night may have made the plane easy to spot and was shot down? Only speculation. Any thing that can be found out would be great. I think that the 7th Army air corps also flew night snooper missions to the same islands? Does anyone have any other ideas where information could be gleaned? Thank you.

ABMC records

Cleo Joseph Falgout
First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps
Service # 0-023003
United States Marine Corps
Entered the Service from: Louisiana
Died: 25-Jan-46
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial
Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Purple Heart

Edward Madvay
First Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps
Service # 0-023042
United States Marine Corps
Entered the Service from: New Jersey
Died: 24-Jan-46
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial
Honolulu, Hawaii
Awards: Purple Heart

The Marine MIA office says that there are still 3000 Marine MIA's from WWII in the Pacific. Each month, new wrecks and remains are found --like a mass grave at Tarawa-- and thanks to sites like this and we hope that eventually one of these planes will show up. Only @100 families of the 3000 Marine MIA's have donated DNA -- .

I guess my dream scenario is that either someone will be out researching around Chi Chi Jima and find one of these wrecks (maybe while searching for George HW Bush's plane or the Huston/Leininger plane that are purportedly about 5 miles out of the main Chichi Jima harbor). That or some researcher ties in Japanese flak or fighter records of shooting down either of these planes.

the VMB613 site has many more photos and logs attached. I will try to send what files I have to the site administrator to be shared.

Added: July 24, 2011