MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL AIR RESERVE STATION, Minn. -- Last month I briefly wrote about the history of the 440th Troop Carrier Group and its ties to Minneapolis. To learn more and share our collective history and heritage, retired Colonel Mike Huttner will tell our story followed by an opportunity for us to discuss the pros and cons of bringing the “North Star Wing” back to Minnesota. Come out to the 934th Services Club, August 8 at 6 p.m. to learn more about our heritage and discuss re-activating the 440th in Minneapolis. The Services Club will open at 5 p.m. Pizza will be provided and drinks available for purchase.
Why does this matter? Why should you attend? Consider that we all share our collective experiences and traditions, building the future on the foundation of the past. Our airlift mission today, is directly tied to the mission that was created out of necessity during WWII. Did you know that prior to Pearl Harbor no provisions had been made for the development of troop carrier aviation? At the time of Pearl Harbor the development of the troop carrier mission was still in its infancy. Only one troop carrier group was in existence, the 50th Transport Wing, and its mission was more to provide an air link between the Army's North American air bases than for combat. Yet 30 months later, the 50th Transport Wing, redesignated the 50th Troop Carrier Wing, equipped with the C-47 Dakota, would play a significant role in the invasion of Northern France and every major campaign, including crossing the Rhine in 1945 to end WWII.
As many as 1,200 C-47s and more than 1,400 gliders had been staged in Europe by 1944. These aircraft were used in large armadas of more than 800 planes. Yet within these extremely large formations, individual crews accomplished the mission on an individual basis, dependent upon reliable aircraft cared for by the thousands of maintenance and ground support personnel who helped get them airborne.
Each aircraft had its own unique history, both on the ground and in the air. In the case of “Miss Yank,” a 96th TCS C-47, # 42-100965, Colonel Krebs, the 440th Troop Carrier Group Commander and his crew were shot down over Holland during operation Market Garden. Except for the navigator, who was captured by the Germans, the entire crew escaped detection for six weeks before making their way back to American lines. Tragically, another 96th TCS aircraft, “Bama Belle,” C-47 # 43-15067, was destroyed when a parapack toppled onto a bundle containing 28 landmines injuring and killing several ground personnel. There are hundreds, if not thousands of similar stories, and we all share in their significance through our collective experience.
Collective experience leads to tradition and the military is full of tradition. All of these traditions are dearly held, not to honor individuals, rather as a part of who we are, strengthening our bonds by honoring our past, building the esprit de Corp for the future. Similarly, unit heritage is not about individual units, rather our heritage lies in the larger organization, with common bonds, customs, courtesies and traditions. Come learn more August 8 about the history that underpins our rich unit heritage.