16th Combat Camera Unit

Funeral of 16th CCU cameraman Richard Dille “Dick” Arbogast in Kunming on June 2, 1944. The full crew died when their B-24 crashed into a mountain between Lingling and Kweilin in August of 1944. (It is possible most of the flag-draped boxes shown in the images here are from this same crash.) Sgt. Dick Arbogast, whom Hal Geer called "my...

Sgt Richard Dille “Dick” Arbogast, killed along with the rest of the B-24 crew during crash 28 May 1944, in China. (Photo courtesy of Vindicator I.) See background of crash here. Sgt. Arbogast was 23 years old. His family received a last letter from him dated April 10, 1944. See more of his personal story at USAAF Memoriam.

Loss Of B-24J #42-73309 'Trouble Maker'(v1) And Crew This crew was lost on a 'routine' flight from Lingling Airbase (in Hunan province) for a short flight to a base at Guilin (in adjacent Guangxi province) on the late afternoon of 28 May 1944, departing during weather conditions 'overcast with thunderstorms'. The report lists the cause of the loss as 'unknown'...

Chinese interpreter explaining the procedure for serving a meal to a group of Miao (ethnic) workers at the Laohwangping (Laohuangping) Airfield, China, in January, 1945. The control tower for the airbase can be see in the distance on the left. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.

U. S. Army Engineers and Chinese engineers discuss plans of construction for Laohuangping Airfield, Guizhou, China. Pfc. Melvin G. Watchorn, Pfc. Peter G. Bergum, Lt. James E. Beard, Capt. James F. Sabel, Parker Kwan, Siang Ting Chang, and James Sun. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.

.50 cal machine gun being removed at Nanning Air Base during WWII by women laborers. 16 November 1944. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.

Members of CACW make a recording with the C-3-I Recording Unit at Guilin (Kweilin), China, during April 1944. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.

Chennault poses with USO Troupe at Kunming China, on October 26, 1944. Left to right: Ruth Carrol, Pat O'Brien, Chennault, Jinx Falkenburg, Betty Yeaton, and Jimmy Dodd. Photo by 16th Combat Camera Unit. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.

American actor, comedian, and exceptional humanitarian Joe E. Brown gives US show at 14th Air Force China base. Image courtesy of Tony Strotman.