Freeman Army Air Field
Seymour, Indiana
CLASS 43-I
October 1, 1943
Class Graduation Date (1943) No.
Enrolled 		 No.
Graduated 		2nd
Lieuts. 		Flight
Officers		 Eliminated Killed  Held Over
43-I October 1 220 218 197 15 1 0 13

 

Twingine Times
October 1943

Cadet graduation held in hangar 5.  Another Cadet graduating class is on its way to greater deeds and glory.  Class 43-I held its commencement ceremonies in Hangar No. 5 this morning, at eleven o'clock.  The program, impressive as always, in its deep significance, was presided over by Colonel E. T. Rundquist, who introduced the guest speaker of the day, Major Joe M. Kilgore.

Formal Ceremony

The proceedings followed the formal pattern - including the presentation of awards to particularly meritorious cadets in two fields of endeavor.  Foe excellence in physical training two men were honored: Robert King, who had a Physical Fitness Rating of 85, and a point total of 244; and Robert Greit, with a P. F. R. of 81 and a point total of 245.  For outstanding performance in Ground School work, an award was made to Robert W. James with an average of 97 %. Visitors, crowding the Hangar, milled proudly about the happy graduates.  The day, always fraught with emotion, was filled with joy for the attending mothers, dads, wives and girl friends.  The ceremony of pinning the Silver Wings over the breast pocket, marked the end of many months of rigorous and serious work, and the beginning of a new and open world for winners of the highly coveted insignia.

Twingine Times
October 1943

Three Flying Musketeers Awarded Wings Together

Here's a real story of pluck and perseverance. Three cadets in today's graduating class, who were overseas together as enlisted men, have come all the way from there, through cadets; the hard, rigorous life of a cadet deters some students but not these men. Serving in a bombardment group in Puerto Rico sort of welded them together; a bond of steel friendship is not to be severed by the difficulties of flying training. The happy and proud moment of affixing those gleaming wings to each others breast pocket, is reimbursement enough for all of it, there affirm

Lts. Craig Kennedy, John E. Jurica, and Joseph Kerber, can be seen in that very order all the time. When interviewed, they fell in with Jurica in the center (he's the tallest). flanked by the two shortest fellows. Sheepishly they admitted that they always stand that way. There was much joshing and kidding, but hardly-hidden was the deep affection and loyalty they feel for each other.

Un-separated for Years

It's been a year, un-separated, for them. Having been in the same bomber crew at Herinquen Field, Puerto Rico, was the reason for their putting in for cadet training at the same time. Kerber spoke quietly. "We'd been in the back end of a plane long enough, wanted to be up there in the front for the real action."

Strangely, they've been in the same squadron, same barracks since their initial step at Nashville. Such sustained good luck has them feeling mighty confident about the future too. Their luck goes back to the transport crossing to the States. The ship they were on blew its water pumps, and drifted about for half an hour. At 6 a. m. it started up again. Jurica and Kennedy were on guard. Suddenly with a hiss and swish of water, two torpedoes crossed the stern of the ship. "That started a merry chase, but we got away," said Jurica, who was married last week to a Pfc. in the Marines. "I'm mighty glad we did too", he said, probably thinking of that. "We really took off like a ruptured duck." Lt. Jurica, who was bombardier of the original crew, was also an instructor of Dutch Cadet bombardiers, at Curacao, before assignment to Herinquen.

All three of them had one sentiment to voice in closing, "We want to go further than Puerto Rico - we want to be sent to Tokyo."

Alphabetic Listing of Class 43 - H
Click on Underlined names for more information

Aldredge, Cleo D.

43 I

Alevy, Victor I.

43 I

Almon, William J.

43 I

Amo, Wilton D.

43 I

Angier, John F.

43 I

Antos, Donald J.

43 I

Arant, Albert F.

43 I

Bacon, Lyle E.

43 I

Beall, Donald E.

43 I

Beck, Alvin B.

43 I

Bedette, Richard J.

43 I

Beebe, Donald E.

43 I

Beiser, Theodore R.

43 I

Berquist, Raymond K.

43 I

Bertram, John C.

43 I

Besser, Charles A., Jr.

43 I

Bigham, William E., Jr.

43 I

Blevins, Mack A.

43 I

Boland, John E.

43 I

Bontecou, Fredrick H., Jr.

43 I

Bowers, Richard E.

43 I

Boyd, Graham F.

43 I

Brann, Patrick G.

43 I

Breed, Tracy S.

43 I

Brines, Grover S.

43 I

Brinkman, George E.

43 I

Broughton, Richard N.

43 I

Brounstein, Louis

43 I

Brown, Arthur L.

43 I

Brown, Billie B.

43 I

Brown, Clifton H.

43 I

Budge, William C.

43 I

Burns, Estel G.

43 I

Calo, Edward W.

43 I

Carlson, Richard W.

43 I

Chance, Woodrow W.

43 I

Chaney, Don M.

43 I

Charters, Edward V.

43 I

Clanton, 1st Lt. Jess B.

43 I

Clark, Bryon B.

43 I

Clark, Glen L.

43 I

Cleary, John J.

43 I

Cochran, Wayne E.

43 I

Collier, John D.

43 I

Coyner, Joseph D.

43 I

Crawford, James S., Jr.

43 I

Creighton, John R.

43 I

Cronin, August J.

43 I

Densmore, Alfred J., Jr.

43 I

Dibs, Edward N.

43 I

Drago, Anthony A.

43 I

Dryden, Philip C.

43 I

Duda, Charles V.

43 I

Duffield, Richard B.

43 I

Dunn, John F.

43 I

Dysinger, George L.

43 I

Eilenberg, John E., Jr.

43 I

Elbert, Edward A., Jr.

43 I

Feller, Oscar

43 I

Fjelsted, Marquis A.

43 I

Forey, Mervin F.

43 I

Frampton, Joseph

43 I

French, Joseph H., Jr.

43 I

Friend, 1st Lt. Leon E.

43 I

Galt, Robert, Jr.

43 I

Gardner, Charles S., Jr.

43 I

Gardon, Carl A.

43 I

Gerber, Robert E.

43 I

Germany, Stewart B.

43 I

Gilbert, Grosvenor

43 I

Gilliam, Fredrick G.

43 I

Gittins, Clarence E.

43 I

Glascoe, Roy E.

43 I

Glidewell, James F.

43 I

Grab, Donald R.

43 I

Greis, Robert A.

43 I

Grey, Dominick A.

43 I

Gunster, Robert H.

43 I

Haidinyak, John A.

43 I

Hain, Donald S.

43 I

Halweg, Albert H.

43 I

Hammond, Thomas S.

43 I

Harrocks, Thomas L., Jr.

43 I

Hasselman, John J.

43 I

Hawkins, Dallas L.

43 I

Hayward, Richard E.

43 I

Heape, Rudolph H.

43 I

Heinz, John F., Jr.

43 I

Herman, John L.

43 I

Heussler, Robert W.

43 I

Higbey, Russell P.

43 I

Hilger, Frank W., Jr.

43 I

Holgate, William R.

43 I

Hornsby, Jefferson C.

43 I

Hosie, Francis K.

43 I

Hughes, James E., Jr.

43 I

Ihlenburg, Fredrick H., Jr.

43 I

James, Robert W.

43 I

Jens, Frans E.

43 I

Johansen, Alfred P.

43 I

Johnson, Allan J.

43 I

Johnson, Charles E., Jr.

43 I

Jones, Dana L.

43 I

Jones, John S.

43 I

Jones, Robert P.

43 I

Jordan, Sterling L.

43 I

Jorgensen, Nicholas N.

43 I

Joyce, Robert D.

43 I

Jurica, John E., Jr.

43 I

Kawalec, Frank J.

43 I

Kelly, James M.

43 I

Kennedy, Craig E.

43 I

Kerber, Joseph F., Jr.

43 I

Kerley, Thomas W.

43 I

Kerr, Jean L., Jr.

43 I

King, Robert, Jr.

43 I

Kline, Harold E.

43 I

Koch, Robert B.

43 I

Koehler, George A.

43 I

Koether, Julius P.

43 I

Kohler, Elmer K., Jr.

43 I

Kohler, Gerard W.

43 I

Kozel, Edward

43 I

Krapf, Lester D.

43 I

Laabs, Herman H.

43 I

Lackey, Lacy G.

43 I

Lamb, John C.

43 I

Lambert, Hugh N., Jr.

43 I

Lambert, William H.

43 I

Laney, Guy F.

43 I

Larsen, Arnold E.

43 I

Latham, Robert

43 I

Lee, James M.

43 I

Lewis, 1st Lt. Terry S.

43 I

Livermore, Arthur L.

43 I

Lower, Charles

43 I

Lyon, Irving W., Jr.

43 I

MacDougall, William R.

43 I

Mader, Robert C.

43 I

Malloy, Donald W.

43 I

McCauley, Robert A.

43 I

McElroy, Clinton E., Jr.

43 I

McGough, Herbert J., Jr.

43 I

McKain, William K.

43 I

Miller, Campbell

43 I

Morley, Francis R.

43 I

Moscheau, Robert H.

43 I

Mullen, Vincent D.

43 I

Muse, Rex W.

43 I

Nations, John D.

43 I

Naugler, Robert A.

43 I

Newhouse, Richard V.

43 I

Nielsen, Leslie

43 I

Nisbet, Robert C.

43 I

Nobles, Bruse F.

43 I

Norton, Maurice D.

43 I

Nowacki, John C.

43 I

O’Donnell, James R.

43 I

O’Neill, 2nd Lt. James D.

43 I

Orphan, Andrew G.

43 I

Packard, David S.

43 I

Pappas, Christ

43 I

Paulson, Richard

43 I

Perry, Richard M.

43 I

Pickup, John W.

43 I

Powell, 1st Lt. Roy B.

43 I

Pullan, Thomas H.

43 I

Ramsey, Winton G.

43 I

Reed, Edward B.

43 I

Rios, Trinidad O.

43 I

Roberts, John P.

43 I

Robertson, Allan E.

43 I

Roebuck, 2nd Lt. Vincent A., Jr.

43 I

Roth, George L.

43 I

Rumley, Martin C., Jr.

43 I

Sayre, William R., Jr.

43 I

Scal, Richard C.

43 I

Schlegal, Vincent G.

43 I

Schlintz, Paul H.

43 I

Schneider, August E.

43 I

Schoenhaus, Harry C.

43 I

Sellars, William N.

43 I

Shatts, Garvin P.

43 I

Smith, Donald O.

43 I

Smith, Marvin A.

43 I

Smithline, David A.

43 I

Stallings, Wilson D.

43 I

Stein, William H.

43 I

Stepczyk, Bronislaw J.

43 I

Sterling, Roger C.

43 I

Stevens, Beryl H.

43 I

Strasenburgh, John B.

43 I

Tatum, John B.

43 I

Tedrick, john

43 I

Thorough, Jerome S.

43 I

Tumbleson, Jimmey M.

43 I

Uhden, Henry R.

43 I

Underwood, James F.

43 I

Varnell, James B.

43 I

Waterman, Larned A.

43 I

Weber, Robert E.

43 I

White, Dana C.

43 I

Wilson, Warren H.

43 I

Wing, James L.

43 I

Wolbrink, Leslie C.

43 I

Wyrick, Clair E.

43 I

Yablonowski, Edwin M.

43 I

Yates, Henry B.

43 I

Yocum, Walter E.

43 I

Zeagler, J. C.

43 I

Zoerb, William J.

43 I

Jurica, John E., Jr.
Photos courtesy of "Missing Aircrews""
 http://www.missingaircrew.com/crew/jurica/

2nd Lt. John E., Jr. Jurica—Co-Pilot

2nd Lt. John E., Jr. Jurica was the co-pilot on my uncles plane when it was shot down on 25 June 1944. The Jurica family believes John is the officer standing second from the left next to Lt. Coleman in the crew picure below. A special thanks to Paul Jurica (Nephew of Co-Pilot John E., Jr. Jurica) for helping with the search for information about John and other crew members. Paul has done a great job helping with the search.


 

Name Position Rank Serial Number Last Known Address Contact Listed
John E., Jr. Jurica Co-Pilot 2nd Lt 0-813010 Mrs. Susan V. Jurica
426 Center Street
Freeland, PA		 Mother
Select One:

John E., Jr. Jurica Picture's

Please submit information about 2nd Lt. John E., Jr. Jurica.

Jurica, John E., Jr. is in the back row, 7th from right
Malden AAF, Malden. Missouri

Jurica, John E., Jr. is standing, jacket open,
directly below the left person in the plane.
Graduating Class 43-I, Primary Flying School, Union City, Tenn.
Courtesy of Paul Jurica, Nephew

2LT. JOSEPH F. KERBER, John Jurica's (above) buddy, in the Twingine Times article (top), and from Logansport, Indiana, met a similar fate.

Jan 20. 8 killed, 2 hurt B-17 collision, Dyersburg, TN. Only 1 plane crashed. Lt William Lawson O'Donnell, Brookline Mass. Lt Joseph F. Kerber Jr, Logansport, IN. Collision near Gates, TN.

Courtesy of Paul Jurica
2nd Lt. John E. Jurica, Jr.
Purple Heart		 2nd Lt. John E. Jurica, Jr.
Air Medal
Freeman Graduate Brought in B-17 After Fuel Was Cut

Lt. Clair Wyrick, who was graduated from Freeman with Class 43-I last September, brought his B-17 in "on a wing and a prayer" on the last 200 miles from a mission over Czechoslovakia, according to an item which appeared recently in the Seymour Daily Tribune.

The Flying Fortress "Pegasus" which Lt. Wyrick was piloting ran into trouble over France on May 12, 1944, when its No. 1 and 2 engines were knocked out as German fighter craft roared head-on through the bomber formation.  The No. 3 engine cut out for lack of fuel 200 miles from the home base of the "Pegasus".  Lt. Wyrick worked frantically to transfer fuel from the left to right tank, but discovered enemy fire had pierced the fuel lines,.  But lady luck was riding with the plane that day, and it landed at its home base without further mishap.

Lt. Wyrick's wife, Mrs. Hazel Wyrick, now resides in Toledo, Ohio, and both lived on South Walnut street in Seymour while he was in cadet training here.

Twingine Times
June 30, 1944
James D. West
www.IndianaMilitary.org
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