3rd Bombardment Group reunites at Elmendorf

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Gross
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFNS) --  Several members of the 3rd Bombardment Group reunited here Aug. 12 through 16 to honor an important chapter in the 3rd Wing's history.

The 3rd BG, which was also known as the 3rd Attack Group, was stationed in Australia during World War II and is today's 3rd Wing.

The members who reunited here were the same men responsible for stopping the Japanese advance in the South Pacific during World War II. They also sank a convoy of up to 24 ships during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea March 4, 1943, and participated in bombing Japanese forces in Rabaul, New Britain, Nov. 2, 1943, also known as "Bloody Tuesday."

"I don't know if we all thought a lot about it," said retired Col. Bill Beck. "We were there and that's all there was to it."

Colonel Beck served as a pilot for the 3rd BG from March 1942 through June 1943. He said his times with the 3rd BG were, "Good times to look back on."

The 3rd BG was one of the first air-combat groups to deploy during World War II. Originally stationed in Savannah, Ga., the 3rd BG was assigned to Australia Feb. 25, 1942, two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese began forming a line from Alaska's Aleutian Islands all the way down to Australia. However, the 3rd BG was placed in Australia before the Japanese troops could advance any further south, preventing them from advancing farther and forcing them back north.

Members from the 3rd BG recalled moments and battles they were involved in to help push the Japanese away from Australia.

"The Battle of the Bismarck Sea was significant because bombers had attacked and sunk major naval ships," said retired Brig. Gen. William Webster, a pilot for the 3rd BG. "The dramatic part of coordinating an attack like this is you have 50 to 60 fighters up above, and there's spent shell casings falling all over just like rain, and the B-25 (Mitchell) as loud as it's ... and guns firing, it's really a test of the ear drums."

General Webster also recalled moving to Charters Towers, Australia, when the group first arrived. He said the tents were hot and they had to worry about diseases such as malaria, "jungle rot" and "dengue fever."

In addition to the diseases, General Webster said they worried about the meals they ate, such as canned bully beef, canned cheese and powdered eggs and milk.

This was the life for the 3rd BG Airmen while stationed in Australia during World War II. Many stories and memories can be told from the remaining veterans of that era.

The group has had 19 reunions since the early 1980s. This is their 20th reunion and scheduled to be their final one.