High Plains View News - Prairie Hen Journal

IN EVERLASTING MEMORY
By Tim Gibbons - Photos by Tim Gibbons

On a windy southern Colorado day a final chapter of the prairies closed in memory of ten United States Army Air Force Airmen who died when their B- 24J bomber crashed on the Maul Ranch four miles east and four miles south of Kiowa on August 9, 1944.

Dave McPherson plays taps at the ending of the ceremony.

Sixty-three years later, following a year long search by Chuck Marvel and his son, Bill, the site of the crash was dedicated and a memorial constructed.

The dedication ceremony took place on August 9 along the dusty Maul Road. Wishing to respect the property of Bob Newhouse, who had donated a piece of his land for the memorial, the ceremony took place on the road itself.

Members from the Elbert County Road and Bridge Department manned the road on either side of the memorial, assisting people with parking and getting traffic through.

The ceremony started with welcome introductions from Marv Maul and Bill Marvel, followed by an invocation by Chaplain Major Peter N. Fischer, United States Air Force Academy.

Speeches were made by Chuck and Bill Marvel, who had launched their search for the crash sight the previous year on August 9 and by Marv Maul and Bryce Gresham, who had been among the first people to arrive at the crash 63 years ago.

In his welcome, Bill commented that he and his wife, Pat, “have an unusual distinction in that had it not been for one of the men who died on this airplane, we not only would not be here today, neither one of us would exist.”

Bill's father, Chuck, had been introduced to his wife, Val, by Tech Sergeant Harold E. Humphrey on June 6, 1944, the same day the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy.

The crash site for the B-24J bomber is located four miles east and four miles south of Kiowa on Maul Road. Due to the curves on Maul Road, the travel distance is six miles.

Two months later, Harold, also known as “Humpy”, perished in the Elbert County field along with the nine other crewmen when their B-24J bomber, serial number 42-78535, suffered an engine failure in the number four engine (outer engine on the right wing). The right wing failed in flight as a result of the fire and the crew was unable to jump from the spinning aircraft.

Chuck asked and was granted the right to be among the sixman honor guard that escorted Harold's body back to Johnson City, New York. Later, the members of Harold's unit, including Chuck, donated money to buy a plaque in his memory.

Chuck recounted that years later as he traveled through the area where his old base had been, he and Val stopped to find the plaque.

“I couldn't remember what it said, but when I saw it again I knew it was fitting,” Chuck said.

Meadow Lake airport pilots performed the, ‘Missing man’ formation over the dedication ceremony. The pilots, Loyd Remus (leader), Air Force Colonel, Ret. Lee Wolford (missing man), Air Force Colonel, Ret. Jim MacDougald and Air Force Lt. Colonel, Ret. Bob Hall, flew homemade RV 4’s and an RV-6 for the formation.

The plaque read, “In EverlastingMemory, Harold's Pals”. Marv Maul and Bryce Gresham recounted their tales of that day, August 9, when they saw the bomber plummet to the ground and rushed to help.

“My mom and dad, brothers Lloyd and Walt, jumped into the car and came to the crash site as quickly as we could,” Maul recalled. “But when we got here it was pretty obvious we were not going to be able to do anything to help those airmen. The only recognizable parts of the plane were the number one and two engines [left wing] and the twin boom tail which was characteristic of the B-24 bombers.”

“We called inside the fuselage to see if there might be some survivors we might possibly help, but no sound whatsoever. We tried to remove the tail section with a pick-up my uncle had brought along...tried to get at some of the survivors, but we were unable to.”

The newly dedicated memorial sits along the side of Maul Road.

Gresham recalled that he had been working on a silo at the time of the crash and had rushed to help along with the others. A year later found him in the battlefields of Europe.

“Within a year's time after this happened, I went to Europe,” Gresham said at the ceremony. “With the bombing and destruction that was there, this [crash] was kind of pushed to the back of my mind for the last 60 years until BillMarvel called me.At first I didn't want tohelp find it, and then I thought, well, his dad [Chuck Marvel] wants to find out where his friend lost his life.”

Gresham was able to take the Marvel to the exact site of the crash.

The last speaker was Bill Marvel who recounted the story of the search that began a year ago following the death of his mother and Chuck's wife, Val. It was a final tribute to the man who had brought Chuck and Val together.

Chuck Marvel, above, and Bryce Gresham, below, speak during the ceremony on August, 9

Following the location of the site on August 9, 2007, Marvel organized an effort to create a memorial on the crash site.

The memorial now sits on the edge of the field where the bomber crashed, a silent testament to the brave men who died that day.

As the final speaker left the podium, the roll was called and a bell rung after each name. The only other sound to be heard was the restless prairie wind as it carried the chimes of the bell over the field where the bomber and crew had died.

2nd Lt. Charles W. Swallow, pilot, Beverly Hills, California

2nd Lt. Vincent J.Mannix, copilot, Elmhurst, New York

2nd Lt. Martin F. Affeldt, bombardier, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania

Tech Sergeant Harold E. Humphrey, radio instructor, Johnson City, New York

Corporal Bill Fowler, engineer, Greenville, Mississippi

Corporal George A. Ritzel, radio operator, Evansville, Indiana

Corporal Elmer M. Mihalik, armorer-gunner, Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

Corporal Edward S. Meszaros, ball turret gunner, Cleveland, Ohio

Private First Class James V. Lenavitt, nose gunner, Kittanning, Pennsylvania

Private First Class John A. Hoffman, tail gunner, Bernalillo, New Mexico

With the final notes of the bell fading, the sound of bag pipes filled the air with, “Amazing Grace”. Half way through the song, a squadron composed of three RV-4 planes and one RV-6 plane, flew directly overhead. As they crossed the memorial, one of the planes rose, splitting from the formation, a final tribute to the men of B-24J bomber 42- 78535.

The benediction was delivered and as the playing of taps closed the ceremony, the planes droned across the sky, joining the silent guardians of the air in their watch over the crash sight.

“And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod, the high untresspassed sanctity of space, put out my hand and touched the face of God.” -High Flight, Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee, RCAF, died December 11, 1941

For more information visit, www.b24memorial.com.