Sergeant John H. A. Lane, Jr., my father, served during World War II with the United States Army Air Forces. Dad was assigned to the 393rd Bomb Group whose Commanding Officer was Major Charles "Chuck" W. Sweeney. The 393rd and the 509th Composite Group were once stationed at Wendover Army Air Field in Utah which was commanded by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets. Tibbets briefly commanded the 393d Bomb Squadron during his tenure in the 509th Composite Group.
The atomic bomb dropped by U.S. Air Force pilot Charles Sweeney devastated the Japanese city of Nagasaki August 9,1945. Three days after Colonel Tibbets bombed Hiroshima, it confirmed the arrival of the nuclear age and pushed a petrified Japan to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945 - thus ending the Second World War.
My father's military service took him to bases in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Mississippi, Nebraska, Utah and the Tinian Islands in the Marianas.
Dad's military occupations are listed on his Separation Qualification Record as:
• Airplane Armorer: Armament chief on B-29 was in charge of loading bombs and ammunition. Maintained turrets and Bombay door, racks and armament system.
• Gunner Armorer: Was gunner on B-24 flew as waist-gunner and instructed in air to ground gunnery.
During his military career, my father was awarded the:
• Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon with two battle stars. One star denoted his participation in the air offensive Japan Campaign and the other for his participation in the Eastern Mandates Campaign.
• American Theater Campaign Ribbon
• Good Conduct Medal
On October 17,1945, Dad boarded a ship from Tinian. Six days out, bound for San Francisco, I was born in a small New England village. Upon his honorable discharge, February 5,1946, we met for the very first time. I am an only child who proudly bore two sons and am now a retired educator.
One of Dad's greatest thrills was his reunion with Major-General Charles Sweeney at the Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, NH when the WWII planes flew in for a visit back in August of 1998.
Throughout his life, Dad maintained an interest in all things that flew. He died on his birthday -November 12,1999. He is sorely missed.