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Show Veteran Bombardment Group Will Return 15th AAF IN ITALY First Lieutenant Lieuten-ant Gene A. Walker, 20, of (NSA) Delta, Utah, a co-pilot with the 454th Liberator Bombardment Group, will return to the United States soon, according to an announcement an-nouncement from the group's wing commander, Brig. Gen. Fay R. Up-thegrove, Up-thegrove, of Olean, N. Y. The veteran group, which will receive additional training and e-quipment, e-quipment, before embarkation for the Pacific theater of war, has been serving with the 15th AAF in Italy for the past eighteen months. During this time, the 454th has flown 243 missions against stategic targets in German-held Europe, contributing to the German downfall down-fall by the bombing of Ploesti, Vienna, Vi-enna, Steyr, Munich, and numerous other targets whose loss crippled Nazi resources, supplies, and com-l.iUnications. com-l.iUnications. For one such mission, the bombing of Linz, Austria, in July, 1944, the group received the Distinguished Unit Citation. Under the command of Coi. John A. Way, of Prague, OUla., members ofthe 454th group have won an impressive im-pressive array of awards, including one Distinguished Service Cross, 2 Legion of Merit Medals, 18 Silver Stars, and over 4855 Distinguished Flying Crosses. The have flown over 7,000 sorties, destroying more than 300 enemy aircraft and dropping drop-ping over 13,000 tons of bombs m during strategic, tactical, and morale mor-ale bombings that German military mili-tary leaders have labeled as the cause of Germany's defeat. After returning to the United States, the 454th heavy bombard ment group looks forward to carrying carry-ing its devastating bomb loads a-gainst a-gainst the third, and last, enemy of free nations. In the words of the group commander, Col. Way: "Today's target, has been demolished; demol-ished; tomorrow's target Japan." |