Ex-Pow Hopes a German Cellars Holds His Airmans Wings

Another grand moment in our nations history is shared by this WWII Bomber Pilot--Lt. Bernerd Harding. I discovered this unique story when I was investigating weather timelines in South Carolina. The internet is an interesting phenomenon to cruise through while sipping one's favorite beverage on a rainy afternoon ... Lakotahope

Norma Love - AP Writer
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Sixty-five years ago, 1st Lt. Bernerd Harding huddled in a cellar with a few other airmen captured by German farmers and buried his pilot's wings, fearful he'd be beaten or shot as an American bomber pilot.

By NORMA LOVE

Now, at age 90, Harding wants his wings back. He's headed to Germany on Sunday and hopes - with the help of a German doctor - to find the farmhouse cellar and dig up the 3-inch-long metal wings that he had proudly pinned to his shirt. The house was in rural Klein Quenstedt (pronounced klyn KWEN'-shted), Germany, southwest of Berlin, he said.

"I know exactly where the wings are. They're not very deep. I won't need a shovel," he said in a firm, clear voice during a telephone interview from his Milford, N.H., home.

A month after the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Harding was a 25-year-old B-24 pilot flying his 14th mission when he was shot down. Harding, a member of the 8th Air Force's 492nd Bomb Group, was leading nine other B-24s in the 859th squadron on a daylight mission to bomb an aircraft manufacturing plant in Bernburgh on July 7, 1944. He was carrying 11 other soldiers on his plane.

He had just dropped his bomb load when the support planes that kept German fighters at bay were diverted to protect bombers in another squadron. Shortly afterward, German fighters crippled his plane, nicknamed Georgette, and Harding ordered his crew to parachute.

"Our inboard engines were on fire. We lost every control. I gave the order for everyone to bail out. I bailed out last," Harding said.

All 10 planes in his squadron, carrying about 100 crewmen and pilots were shot down, he recalled. At least half died, he said. Of the 12 men aboard Georgette, only one died that day, shot in the head by his German captors, Harding found out later. The others were all captured and survived the war, but have since died.

Harding landed in a freshly cut wheat field. Three farmers, two with pitchforks and one with a gun, captured him and herded him into the cellar. They held him until German army officers could take charge.

Two other airmen who had been shot down were already being held when Harding arrived. He dug a hole and buried his wings.

"We were there a while. We heard a wagon rumbling over the cobblestones," he said.

A young German who spoke English ordered the airmen to take the body of a dead American airman off the wagon.

After several hours, German soldiers loaded the captured Americans into a van that took them to Halberstadt Air Force Base. About 100 other Americans had been rounded up from 36 planes shot down that day, Harding said. Three days later, they were loaded onto a train to Frankfurt, interrogated and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in Barth.

After 10 months in the POW camp, the Russian army was approaching from the East. The German captors told the 7,500 prisoners to leave. The next morning, the Germans had fled, Harding said. The Russians freed the prisoners.

As the years passed, Harding didn't think much about his wings. He wasn't sure how the German villagers would treat an American pilot who had bombed their country.

Then last year, he attended services at Arlington National Cemetery for six airmen whose remains had only recently been discovered with the help of German villagers. Harding began to think Klein Quenstedt residents might help him recover his wings and close a chapter in his life.

Early this year, a friend of Harding's found a Web site about an old water mill in Klein Quenstedt owned by Dr. Ulrich Heucke (pronounced HOY'-kuh), a village resident. The friend e-mailed Heucke describing Harding's quest and asked for help.

Heucke, 41,became intrigued because of his interest in history, and wrote back. He began interviewing older village residents who remembered what had happened.

One resident remembered a dead airman with his parachute wrapped around him. That fit Harding's description of the dead man he helped take off the wagon.

Heucke sent Harding pictures of several houses that might be where he was held, but Harding didn't recognize them. The pictures showed the front of the houses, and Harding had entered through the rear.

Heucke plans to take Harding and his family to four farmhouses Wednesday in search of his wings.

"There were some places I definitely know American airmen were in. Others I just suspect," Heucke said.

The village hasn't changed much, but some buildings have been remodeled, Heucke said. Most of the older farmhouses are still standing.

He said chances of Harding finding the pin are slim. But people in the small village of 750 want to help.

"We will just go around. It is the last hope to find the place," he said.

Heucke also has arranged for Harding to fly over the village to see if that helps pinpoint the house.

"I would like to get to know Bernerd Harding after the time we communicated," Heucke said. "It is very interesting that a man 90 years of age is coming here, making a journey to see this place."

Harding just hopes that he finds the right cellar and that no one has poured concrete over the floor in the years since he scratched his shallow hole in the dirt.

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On the Net:

U.S. Air Force 492nd Bomb Group: http://www.492ndbombgroup.com/

Navy, Families of 3 Killed in 1946 Plane Crash Clash Over Bringing the Remains Home

The survivors buried the 3 killed under a wingtip and the U.S. Navy considers the site a final resting place like the U.S.S. Arizona's site. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command has offered $200,000 to pay for a flight. Personally, I believe the families of the deceased should be allowed to bring them home. During World War II, most of the military men killed overseas were buried overseas. But, I believe there were some that were brought home. Of course, there are over 50,000 military personnel still listed as missing and periodically, some remains are found and brought back to Hawaii for identification. This accident also happened after the war--whether or not this has any bearing, who knows?. .... lakotahope

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Families: Find 3 sailors killed in ‘46 polar crash

SAN ANTONIO — The Navy and families of three sailors killed in a 1946 plane crash in Antarctica are clashing over whether to bring the men home.

Petty Officer 1st Class Fred Williams, Ensign Maxwell Lopez and Petty Officer 1st Class Wendell Hendersin died when their PBM-5 Mariner went down in a storm.

The six survivors wrapped their remains in parachutes and buried them under a piece of the aircraft’s wing tip. The Navy considers the site a final resting place, akin to the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor.

Recovery supporters say glacial movement could cause the site to break off into the sea.

They’re forming a nonprofit to raise money for a recovery effort and want to meet with President Obama. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command has offered $200,000 to pay for a flight.

Information from: San Antonio Express-News, www.mysanantonio.com

Russia's Sale of the S-300 Air Defense System to Iran

The S-300 would be a tremendous boon to Iran's Air Defense network. This is the top of the line system from Russia and it rivals any systems the U.S.A. has in place at this time. Russia's Prime Minister Putin has claimed recently that he doesn't want anyone to interdict Iran's attempts at gaining peaceful nuclear power. He doesn't want the U.S. or Israel to do any pre-emptive strikes against Iran. He has firmly stated that it will not be tolerated and he believes Iran has only "peaceful" intent in pursuing nuclear capabilities for power. The following article is informative and delivers some notable points to ponder while dealing with Russia's re-arming of countries that are at odds with U.S. policies. Namely Venezuela and Iran. Both countries are obtaining missile weapons systems. .... lakotahope
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The S-300: Why so important?

September 12, 2009 - 1:09 PM | by: Michael Tobin

There has been a great deal of mention recently about Russia’s potential sale of S-300 air defense systems to Iran and Israel’s interest in stopping that sale. It’s been reported but not proven that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disappearance last Monday was for a Secret meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was an effort to prevent that sale.

To understand why the S-300 is so important, first you need to understand that Iran does not have a conventional, modern military that can defend a line on a map. Its fleet of fighter planes is so old it includes a US F-14 Tomcat given to Iran before the Islamic revolution. If Israel were to order air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities with their modern F-15s and brand new fleet of F-16Is (The ‘I’ indicates customized for Israel) Israeli fighter crews would make such easy work of destroying the Iranian air force, prudence dictates that Iran never clear a single fighter for takeoff. According to KT McFarland Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan, the S-300 “Is a game changer.”

The S-300 is Russia’s version of the Patriot or Arrow missile system. It is a state of the art surface to air defense system involving radars, which can track 100 targets at a time, and interceptors or missiles, which can be fired simultaneously at 12 different inbound targets. The S-300 would not put an impenetrable virtual dome over Iran but it would dramatically increase for Israel the complications and risk of a strike.

Although the weapon is designed to be defensive, there is no guarantee it will only used for that. Israeli Rocket Scientist Uzi Rubin, a designer of the Arrow system, fears that Iran could give missile batteries to its allies or proxies closer to Israel’s border. “They don’t hesitate to pass weapons along to Syria or Hizbollah,” Says Rubin. And Iran need not aim the S-300 only at Israeli targets. KT McFarland says, “If they deploy it on he Afghan or Iraq borders. It could even threaten US and allied aircraft.” In Iranian control, the weapons system would be nearly as effective as actual nuclear weapons in terms of increasing tension and stoking the embers of paranoia in the region. “The S-300 could destabilize the whole Middle East,” According to Rubin.

There is also a tremendous political element if Russia makes this sale. This would be the leaders of a major world power approving Iran’s nuclear program in such certain terms that they are “putting an umbrella of protection over it,” according to Rubin. Russian experts would need to train the Iranians on the system. It would require parts, upkeep and updates with changing technology. If the S-300s are delivered to Iran it is more than a weapons sale, it is an alliance. According to Rubin it means that “Russia is back in the game in the Middle East.”

Iran's Plan to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons Worldwide

Overall it is a grand idea, but one that doesn't quite fit into the rhetoric that has been spewed from Ahmadenijad in the past. For one, he has stated the intention of wiping Israel from the face of the earth. No secret there! Iran has always wanted Israel to dump its "nuclear weapons". However, Israel has as yet to admit to possessing nuclear weapons--I think we can say they have nuclear strike capability.

Fundamentalist Islam--the goal to to suppress and erase all religions but Islam. Straight up and no ifs ands or buts. Iran is fundamentalist to the core and Iran scares the other Arab nations in the middle east. Saudi Arabia is doing its best to distance itself from Iran and whatever their intentions will be.

Putin of Russia just recently stated that he will not tolerate any more sanctions or active strike against Iran. He believes Iran is trying to develop a peaceful nuclear base. But, in the same statement, said, "It is unacceptable for Iran to have Nuclear Weapons......" Go figure!!!! .... lakotahope
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by Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Sept 10, 2009
Iran is proposing to set up an international system to scrap and prohibit nuclear weapons worldwide, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's senior adviser said in an interview published Thursday.

Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi told The Washington Post that the Iranian package of proposals submitted Wednesday to the United States and other powers calls for the elimination of existing weapons and measures to prevent countries without weapons from acquiring them.

But he stopped short of promising that Iran would bow to international demands and halt its uranium enrichment program, which Washington fears is aimed at building a nuclear bomb but Tehran insists is for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

"The methods of preventing development of nuclear weapons and a widespread system for preventing the multiplying and the proliferation of nuclear weapons are a part of the package," Hashemi said.

"Since nuclear weapons are an international threat, with the cooperation of all countries we can design an international framework that, basically, prevents research, production, multiplying and keeping nuclear weapons and also moves toward destruction of present nuclear weapons," he was quoted as saying.

"Iran is ready in this path to offer any and every kind of cooperation and effort. No country must be exempt from this international framework against nuclear weapons," Hashemi told the daily.

Iran has long called for Israel to abandon a stockpile of nuclear weapons it is widely believed to possess.

Hashemi gave no direct reply when asked repeatedly if the Iranian package contains a promise to stop uranium enrichment.

He appeared to reply affirmatively when asked if the proposal for a new framework aimed not only at eliminating existing nuclear stockpiles but also at clearing up doubts that countries like Iran aimed to build such weapons.

"Since today the threat of nuclear weapons comes from countries that have them, and to be secure and safe from future activities of countries that in the future will join the nuclear club, this framework must be widely implemented from now on," he said.

He suggested Iran's goal -- rather than trying to build a nuclear weapon itself -- is to establish an international system in which nobody will be allowed to make such weapons.

"Iran not only does not want to make nuclear weapons, but is actually intensely against nuclear weapons," Hashemi told the newspaper.

"In all truth, Iran is trying to establish a new regime to prevent nuclear weapons worldwide, which are an international anxiety," he was quoted as saying.