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Contact Info
Home Town Saint Paul
Last Address
My nephew, Rick Van Bogart at, rjvbogart@hotmail.com, is assisting me with this site.
Date of Passing Mar 28, 2009
Location of Interment Rose Hills Memorial Park - Whittier, California
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Jim as he preffered, was know as "Van", or "Rumboogie", (a nickname given him in the Air Force, because he didn't drink, and would always give his "shots" to the other guy's.) Jim joined the Minnesota Air National Guard in 1939 and was in the 109th Obsevation Squadron at Fort Snelling Minnesota. He had acquired his private pilots licence prior to enlisting in the Army Air Force in April 1942, and trained at Fort Warren, Wyoming with the Quartermaster Company, Service Group (Aviation), and was sent to the B-26 Over Seas Training Base at Mac Dill Field Tampa, Florida as a pilot trainee. Then on to Walla Walla Army Air Base for combat aircraft maintenace and repair training. Then to, Galena Field Washington, Great Falls Air Base Montana, and Camp Stoneman, Pittsburg, California.
Originally headed for Europe with the 8th Air Force, Jim was redirected to the Pacifc and flew a B-26 Marauder with a group of medium and heavy bombers sent to join the 5th Air Force in Australia. A short stay at Townsville, then on to the Air Base at Iron Range. While at Iron Range, Jim helped Col Arthur Rogers install the first opperational nose turret in a B-24 Liberator, "Connell's Special", and flew the first test hops with it. He found out that it was actually a little faster with the turret. When Col Rogers returned from one of the first missions with it, his nose gunner held up three fingers as they taxied by... 3 Kills.
Moving throughout New Guinea and the Philippines Jim volunteered, and was called on to fly often, and flew transport, photo, training, escort, and combat missions. At one time he was currant in 14 differant aircraft, and was amoung the first to fly the Douglas A-26 Invader in the Pacific. After WWII, Jim remained in the Minnesota Air National Guard with the 109th Fighter Squadron until 1947, when he moved to Califonia. He became a 2nd Lt. in Squadron 21 Civil Air Patol, El Monte Wing . He was also a "Weekend Warrior" and trained with the 452nd Bomb Wing at Long Beach, Calif. in the Douglas B-26 Invader.
In 1950 His Air Force Reserve Unit became the first to be activated as a complete Air Force Unit. They were sent to, Itazuke, Japan. Then Miho, and flew bombing and close ground support missions in Korea. They moved to K-9 Air Base Pusan, Korea in May 1951, and he flew 58 misions with the 728th "Cannibals" Squadron in the A-26 "My Baby" 44-34686. He also flew the F- 86 Saber with the 5th Fighter Interseptor Squadron before coming home in 52'.
Other Comments:
"I remember coming back from a mission, off the China Coast, in a P-38, when I heard, "Mayday, Mayday." I looked all around, then spotted a TBM smoking and going down. I radioed back, "I got you." Then I saw him hit the water with a terrific splash. I flew cover for him until Air Sea Rescue arrived."
(This pilot went on to become the 41st President of the United States, George H W Bush.)
Remembrance Profiles -
5 Airmen Remembered
Edwards, Benny, SSgt, (1950-Present)
Giaridini, Elmer, SSgt
Hetrick, Clarendon, TSgt
Moore, Robert, Sgt, (1950-Present)
Wetter, Paul, SSgt
1942-1944, B-26 Marauder
From Year 1942
To Year 1944
Personal Memories
I flew a B-26 with a group of 6 other planes, including B-24's to Australia and joined the 90th Bomb Gp at Iron Range.
Image
B-26 Marauder Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model Martin B-26 Marauder Length 58.23 ft | 17.75 m Width 64.99 ft | 19.81 m Height 19.82 ft | 6.04 m Engine(s) 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-41 Double-Wasp air-cooled radial-piston engines generating 2,000hp each. Empty Weight 22,381 lbs | 10,152 kg MTOW 34,200 lbs | 15,513 kg Max Speed 282 mph | 454 km/h | 245 kts Max Range 675 miles | 1,086 km Ceiling 23,507 ft | 7,165 m | 4.5 miles Climb Rate 1,250 ft/min (381 m/min) Hardpoints 1 Armament 1 x 7.7mm machine gun OR 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in nose. 1 x 7.7mm machine gun in ventral position OR 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in side fuselage position. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail position
Internal Bombload Capacity of up to 5,200lbs (2,359kg). Accommodations 7 Operators France (Free French Air Force), South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.