| Show t S. S L L. Pilots Home From Nazi Front r Discount Deeds See Bitter Fight Persons who think nazi Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- many is going to fold told up like a n ahouse ahouse house of cards should realize that the Huns are now fighting on and defending their home soil soU warned Capt Robert obert E E. E Erickson young Salt Lake fighter pilot who is visiting his parents and wife wire while on leave after completing over fighter missions over Europe Capt Erickson son of ot Mr and arid Mrs R R. T. T Erickson Bl Blair ir st st. and husband of ot Mrs Barbara Pass Erickson Blair st sL said that although victory ov over x Hitler's HIt l le le- le gions glons is Inevitable le his opinion is they will defend every every inch of German German German Ger Ger- man soil bitterly The modest young pilot was re reluctant reluctant reluctant re- re to talk ab about ut his exploits as a a. pilot of P and Mustangs but did admit he had three enemy planes to his credit with four tour or five He told of one incident when h he got one of his three confirms My group was on an at escort missIon mission mission mis mis- sion over Bremen Just a year ago agon n next month when wo were Jumped by about German fighters at about feet All we could do was circle and try to protect the ilie bombers because we were so outnumbered beted I I. I saw a nazi fight er scream in on the plane ahead of ot me mc sending it down I I. closed in fro from the rear and gave him hima a few bursts My second burst knocked o one e of his wings of off arid nd then he exploded in a huge puff of ot black smoke said Capt Erick Erick- son He told of how the Germans had hada hadair hadair a air superiority from rom the time he went over Aug 1943 until about Jan of this year and then on Day D-Day in which he participated lc lending ding air c cover ver to the land forces not one nazi pla plane e was seen in five days He added that he felt a bit lilt frightened every time he went up upon upon on a mission and said he had had motors shot out of his planes and at one time had to make a a. crash landing in the channel close to the English shore Capt Erickson a graduate of South high school and former BY BYU U and andU U of U student Joined the thel army lImY air forces in July 1942 graduating as a a. fighter pilot from Williams field Ariz in April 1943 He went to England in Aug 1943 and after asking for for- foran an extensIon ex extension extension ex- ex tension of duty so he could parti participate participate par par- ti in the invasion of of- fortress E Europe rope he received his leave He arrived in Salt Lake City Saturday Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day and is 1st scheduled to report to toa toa toa a west coast station for reassignment reassignment reassignment reassign reassign- ment Nov 13 I I 5 sue e i if I I f Y fir r tir r Q I I I I Capt Robert E. E Erickson Three enemy planes plan to his credit J l 50 9 fi 44 s 41 l r rf f i IV f fr Capt apt Glannin A. A Cloward Almost lost his bedroom slippers Brag Rags is the description Capt Gannin A. A Cloward applies when speaking of the distinguished distinguished distin distin- g flying cross air medal with two oak lea leaf clusters presidential presidential citation and nd campaign ribbons ribbons ribbons rib rib- bons which he wears discounting a bit th the fact that they were richly richly rich rich- ly earned in 68 combat missions over Italy and France Capt Cloward who is visiting with his sister and in brother-in- law Dr and Mrs Wallace M. M Clinger 1712 Yalecrest ave re returned returned returned re- re turned to the United States Sept 30 after nine months months' overseas duty into which he crowded those 68 missions missions and and a lot of mem mem- ories Joke JoIce at Death Chief among his memories he said is the way ways the Yanks can joke in the face of death He told of a tent mate who coveted a pair of captains captain's bedroom slippers We were flying in formation and hit some pretty rough flak One burst much much too close for comfort knocked my plane up and out of ot formation just like it was a rubben rubber rubber rub rub- ber ben b ball JI As we bounced along I completely out of ot control the calm voice of my buddy called over the radiophone Well Cloward Cloward Cloward Clow Clow- ard I I. guess guess I get those bedroom slippers sUppers And for a while it it looked like he ways was going to Captain Cloward who led lcd his own group of Mitchell B 25 bombers bombers bombers bomb bomb- ers over the coast of southern France on Day D-Day participated in inthe inthe inthe the actions at Anzio beachhead and at Casino The organizational presidential citation was earned he said for accuracy in a bombing raid on Toulon 5 Years Years' Ser Service ceHe ce He spent five years in the service ice as a commissioned officer having been commissioned a second second second sec sec- ond lieutenant in 1939 in the field artillery u unit it of R ROT O 0 T C while at atthe atthe atthe the University of Utah He entered entered entered en en- military service that year and was stationed at Fort ort Lewis Wash h. h before being transferred to the air forces in May 1941 U. Capt Cloward has won three pairs of wings in the army air forces force He received his aerial observer observers observer's observers observer's ob ob- ob- ob server servers server's s wings which he earned at observers' observers school Bro Brooks ks field Texas in Aug 1941 and aerial flexible gunnery wings which were Yere awarded h him m at aerial gunnery gunnery gunnery gun gun- nery school Las Vegas Nev Aug Augi 1942 1912 Graduation from Williams Williams Williams Wil Wil- liams field Chandler Ariz earned his pilots pilot's wings Capt Cloward is the son of Dr and Mrs R R. E. E Cloward 1064 La Jolla ave Los Angeles He will go to Los Angeles on termination termination termination tion of his furlough to rep report rt to the center at Santa Monica 1 he said |
