Nose art of the B-29 "18th. C.B.," Saipan, 1945
Description:
Slide. Illustration of the SeaBee mascot holding a machine gun painted onto the nose of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "18th. C.B." Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. 1945
Price:
$120.00
Product:
Image Information
Donor:
Accession Number:
Date:
1945
Hometown:
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Items from the service of Technical Sergeant Lisle George Neher, Dfc, who served as a Central Fire Control Gunner on the Boeing B-29 Superfortress “Hell’s Belle” in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Neher was born on 24 August 1924 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Between 1935 and 1940, his family had moved to Buffalo, New York, before settling in Alexandria, Virginia. On 17 December 1942, he registered for the draft and enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps, having been a volunteer for the United States Civil Air Patrol. In September 1944, Neher and the crew of the “Hell’s Belle” deployed with the 881st Bombardment Squadron, 500th Bombardment Group to Isley Field on Saipan and was assigned to the 73rd Bombardment Wing, 20th Air Force. Neher received eight Air Medal citations for the numerous missions he participated in, included the five fire bombing missions that took place in March 1945. Neher returned to Alexandria in after being honorably discharged. He then became an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration before beginning his 33 year career as a United Airlines pilot. Neher died on 13 September 2016 and was interned with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery on 5 April 2017. The collection consists of 250 35mm Kodachrome color slides, primarily of the “Hell’s Belle” crew that included Captain Richard D. Sullivan [Aircraft Commander], First Lieutenant Bruce F. Craig [Copilot], Sergeant Jack N. Lebid [Radio Operator], First Lieutenant Richard M. Hufty [Navigator], Sergeant Angelo M. Campanini [Radar Operator], First Lieutenant. Edwin J. Seder, [Flight Engineer], First Lieutenant Warren G. Glover [Bombardier], Sergeant Elmo C. Steeves [Gunner], Sergeant George Andrews [Ring Gunner], Sergeant John M. Birchett [Tail Gunner]. Also depicted are Isley Field, relaxation centers on Hawaii, and natural scenery of both Saipan and Hawaii.
Geography:
Saipan
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials:
Bombers--American--Saipan
Air bases--American--Saipan
Nose art