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Marvin Neil Dugger, Marauder Man, Technical Sergeant
387th Bomb Group,
559th Bombardment Squadron
387BG 559BS "ENEMA PATROL"
29 Jun 44 to 2 Dec 44 damaged at Reims/Champagne, repaired and reflew. Pilot:
Keith B Fisher
29 Jun 44 to 9 Dec 44 returning with 16 x 250lb bombs on board, in poor
visibility, caught in prop wash, crashed sixty yards short of runway, fuel
detonated 14 to 16 bombs and fuel tanks exploded killing the crew, 29 attempting
to rescue the crew and several others injured. The Assistant Engineering Officer
of the 70th Air Service Group, 53rd Air Service Squadron was killed attempting
to rescue the crew. Medical personnel, fire fighters and military police
arrived. Some of the crew were removed from the a/c and placed in the waiting
ambulance parked near the B-26. Lt Countryman took the fire hose from one of the
fire fighters and was helping to extinguish the flames while the firefighter was
putting on an asbestos suit to enter the a/c and rescue another crew member.
When the fire reached the bombs they exploded killing all crew members including
the two already in the ambulance.
1.Lt James M Altman P: 2.Lt Neil H Weldon C/P; S/Sgt's Norbert A Hans TOG;
Leonard W McDonald E/G; Craig T Hudson R/G; Sgt Jack N McKnight A/G.
(The entire crew were killed and additionally twenty officers and enlisted men
killed 559th.BS lost its commanding officer Maj Robert E Murphy, Capt Franklin L
Watters 556BS, Cpl Dale D Au 557BS, Sgt Joseph F Boch 559BS, 1.Lt Mac I Finch;
(T/5 Charles P LaVoy, Cpl Inez G Garcia, Pfc Armando R Orante 1.Lt Laurence E
Radlinger, Sgt Lester C Crabb, Pvt James C Brasington,T/5 Leo V Page, Pvt Carlos
S Perez,T/5 Harold A Nelson,T/5 Oscar R Adams, T/5 Harry A Dixon, Pfc Joseph H
Sandstrom, all of 2047FFPA) (1.Lt Robert H Countryman 70SG,1.Lt Leonard A
Clifton 1288MP COAV)