396th Air Service Squadron

A B-29 bomber in China during WWII.

A B-29 in Guangxi province, China, during WWII.

"Here is a picture of a great bunch of guys. I will name those that I can starting with the two guys in front and working up left to right.... Chuck Hawkins...Rizzo...Zabecki...Martinez...Krewitz...Bell..Weidenbrener...Bensinger...Kennedy...Wozniak...Larry Hawkins...Ondira...Tevald..Besson...Wander...Wiley...Kelley...Brantl...Anderson...Blaske."

"Gas was flown in by 55 gallon drums and then transferred to the gas truck and from there to the planes. It was a miracle that we didn't have more problems than we did because as you can see there was no such thing as a filtering system.The system did work though."

"This is some of the 396th guys playing volleyball in our hostel area at Kwelin, China. I cannot identify all of them but I do recognize "Doc" Savage...Joe Wiley...Caples, and our 1st sgt. Ed Gardner. The unique mountain formation seen in the background of this photo was located alongside the runway at Kwelin, China and is still there to this...

"This is another of the eight P-40's that were built from the salvage yard at Kwelin,China.The guys that are running an air speed indicator test are Art Rodriguez...Major Matthews...?...Joe Cooper. Joe was the crew chief on this project." Notation of the nose of the plane seems to say "DEVIL'S KID" and "Mikado Raider II."

"This is the place we called home at Liangshan, China. The guys in the picture are Parker Fedeler, Ralph O'Connor, Art Rodriguez, and Albert Ondira."

"Jim Kruger (standing), Elliot Knecht (seated), and an unknown member of the 396th having their picture taken in the Orderly Room."

Retreat during Ichigo: "This is Captain Kelley our group chaplain holding roadside services for a group of G.I.'s during the evacuation of our base at Kwelin (Guilin) China."

"Here is a crew from the 396th doing some salvage work on the B-24 Miss Ginny.The two guys standing are Dowds on left and Kriewitz on the right. Sitting on plane far left are Rizzo and Gerdsen. On the far right are Mayfield and Blaske. Nothing went to waste in China."