My flying crew has been, since we first met in September of 1944, closer to me than anyone in the world save my immediate family.  In the following paragraphs I describe some of their history and some of the impressions that I gained of them as we trained together.

Pilot: 2nd Lt Paul Wagner (Buzz) was 20, from Albany, NY.  I was 18 when I enlisted and began flying B-17s just after my 20th birthday.  I was an instructor for 5 months before forming my crew so I was comfortable with my position and my ability to handle the B-17.

Co-pilot: 2nd Lt. Walter L. Thumler (Bud) was 20, from Seattle, Washington.  Bud clearly came from a well to do family.  He was a sleepy-eyed, slow talking new 2nd Lt.  It was clear that he thought co-piloting was beneath him and he let me know it at every opportunity.  He didn't impress the crew with his piloting skills but he was a good flyer and I figured it was only a matter of time before he came around.  It took a little longer than I expected but in the end my confidence in him was vindicated.

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Lawrence F. Crocker (Stud) was 20, from Brewster on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  Stud was a big one, he had wrestled on the Tufts College team before enlisting in the Army.  He was very quick mentally and he had a marvelous command of the English language.  He could be as amusing or as caustic as he chose at any given moment.  After a short period of mutual distrust, while flying, we gradually learned to respect each other's abilities and by the time we left the States I wouldn't have traded him for any navigator in the Army Air Corps.

Bombardier: 2nd Lt. Dante A. R. Villani (Dan) was 19, from Springfield, Massachusetts.  Dan was a very bright young man with a serious manner that masked his innate sense of humor and joie de vie.  He was a fine bombardier and team member and he was fun to be around.  He was not especially outgoing but he was quickly accepted by the crew and liked and respected by all.

Flight engineer and top turret gunner: Sgt. Ellis H. O'Neal, (Ellis) was 19, from Kokomo, Indiana.  Ellis had a tough job, he was supposed to be the resident expert on all things mechanical on the B-17 plus being the top turret gunner.  Since his normal station was standing next to me, he also caught all the little chores that I needed done during flight.  Ellis was a serious pragmatist who never smoked, drank or swore.  He was game to do anything that was needed on the aircraft and was an invaluable crew member without whom I could not imagine flying.

Radio operator: Sgt. Sidney Joseph (Little Joe) was 19, from Birmingham, Alabama.  Joe was serious all the way through.  His job as radioman required considerable cooperation with me in obtaining information like weather conditions, almost upon demand, during flying exercises and he performed remarkably.  He was sensitive and brooded over imagined insults but he was a good person and we all liked him although we all did sometimes take advantage of his vulnerability and thin skin.

Waist gunner: Cpl. Douglas W. Mann (Doug) who turned 21 while we were in training came from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Doug was our old man and the only one married when we formed the crew.  He was a short, barrel chested, good natured crew member who was always ready to lend a hand whenever needed.  Doug was the ultimate in reliability, if he said he would do something it was done quickly and properly.  He acted as our armor expert and performed his duties flawlessly always.  We all loved him.

Ball turret gunner: Cpl. Guido M. Mattana (Guy) who was 18 came from Detroit, Michigan.  Guy was our baby.   He was terrified of me because I had replaced his predecessor and he was prepared to suffer as a member of our crew.  He was pleasantly surprised to find that the crew teamed very well both in our flying and personal interactions.  He had a 16 year old high school sweetheart to whom he wrote every day.  His only vice was that he smoked, no booze, no girls and almost no bad language.  There were days when he was trapped (big as he was) inside his ball turret for six hours at a stretch. I don't know how he stood it.  He was a fine, likeable, competent crew member.

Tail Gunner: Cpl. William R.E. Stegall (Tex) was 18, from Bush, Texas.  Tex was our playboy.  He was tall, had an engaging smile and an easy manner that made him easy to work with.  He wasn't as serious as the others, he smoked, drank, used bad language and chased girls.  But he was a great guy to have on the airplane.  On long flights we all used to sing on the intercom and Tex was our song leader, also he always sang "Sunrise Serenade" on pre-dawn flights as the sun rose and I still think of him whenever I hear that song.  I was very happy knowing that I would have Tex to protect my tail in the event of attack, he was a real team player and was well liked by all.

At this time, when the crew was first formed, our average age was just a little more than 19, something of which we were inordinately proud.  We advertised in the base newsletter that we would stand free beer for any crew younger than we were (no challengers).  I think we ended up being the youngest stable combat crew, that flew together on all our missions, in all the Eighth Air Force.  Just why this has been a point of pride for all of us over the years is a puzzle to me but it is true and I am no better than the others, I brag about it at every opportunity.  I even named this book, "The Youngest Crew" to make the point once again.


From "The Youngest Crew" by Paul Wagner
Lagumo Press, Cheyenne, WY, 1997, ISBN 1-878117-18-1