After 89 days of combat service, the 492nd Bomb Group was officially disbanded, due in part to the horrific casualties suffered. August 10th is the 67th anniversary of this sad day, a good time to reflect on the sacrifices they made.

The 492nd attacked the oil refineries at Politz for the second time 67 years ago today with the most horrific losses of their existence. Today I'm remembering Sgt Miguel Reyes, a gunner on the Faucher Crew R-12. He was killed that day, but his body was never recovered.

James S. Brown was killed in action in the skies over Europe but his family knew little about the details of his service. I'm honored to have been able to help them out.

In 2002, my wife Lynne, my son Mike and I took the ride of a lifetime on a Collings Foundation B-24 Liberator! The experience is still fresh enough in our minds to generate a rush of excitement to this day.

I was on this website reading the B-24J 44-40131 aircraft page. I clicked on "Wider view of above photo" and a second photo also appeared, which was taken on Mission 54 to Erfurt. A B-24 is seen at a lower altitude with its number one engine feathered. The caption states, "We strongly suspect, but cannot confirm that the following photo is also of B-24J 44-40131." Time to do a little detective work.

The Willow Run assembly plant exemplified the industrial power of the United States in World War II.

Writers before and during WWII did not have the luxury of knowing what the outcome of the war would be. Many questioned whether or not Americans of the day could rise to the challenge of defeating the Axis powers. It was far from certain at the time.

Last week an article in the Valley Avocate, a local Northampton, Massachusetts publication brought out something that caught my attention and had me saying, "Wow, what a small world!"

We all witnessed the heroic rescue of the 33 trapped miners in Chile on television. I was totally impressed with the leadership, top to bottom. Especially 2,000 feet at the bottom with the actions of Luis Urzua, the mine shift supervisor. He reminds me of another unsung hero who similarly rose heroicly to the occasion at Stalag Luft III.

The mission to Bernburg was another bad day for the 492nd resulting in the loss of 12 planes. Sixty-seven men were killed and fifty-two more became POWs. There are a lot of men for us to remember. Today I'm giving extra thought to Billy Sheely, tail gunner on the Smiley Crew 910.

Here's a poetic tribute to Peter Val Preda (pilot, Val Preda Crew 601) sent to us by Peter Mills.

The second Politz mission resulted in the loss of 14 planes on which 76 men were killed and 63 more became POWs. There are a lot of men to remember. Today I'm thinking of Ernest Booth, the engineer on the Abbott Crew 609. His entire crew was killed over the Baltic Sea near Rugden Island.

Without Allied superiority of the air and sea, D-Day would not have succeeded. Thousands of airmen and sailors gave their lives during the five years leading up to June 6, 1944, which was the Army's turn to take the fight to the enemy. And that they did!

Memorial Day is a day for the remembrance of those who have died in our nation's service.

Don't forget, though, that it is also a good day to excercise reconcilliation.

It comes down to this:

Never before or since has this country been as truly united as it was during World War II.