The Bellingham Herald (WA) 12 Feb 2001, Mon
James Watson Lapp, 82, of Sumas, died Monday Feb 5, 2001 at his home. He was born January 6, 1919 to Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp in Sumas, Washington where he remembers a wonderful childhood.
Inducted into Service on March 27, 1941 at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma), WA, his basic training was at Camp Roberts, Calif and Santa Ana, Calif where he attended Cadet Training Pre-Flight School in October 1942. Jim graduated from Navigation School as Second Lt. on May 29, 1943 from Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif. As a crew member on a B-47 in June 1943, he became Combat Ready Crew in August 1943 and was sent overseas (England) in own plane, B-17. From there, Jim went into the 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron, and flew four (4) Combat missions, the fourth mission being the one he and crew were shot down. This mission was on October 14, 1943 when orders were given to bomb the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. (And as many know, this battle was so bitterly fought and ended with such devastating losses that it became known as "Black Thursday" and generally acknowledged as the most savagely fought air battle in history.) Jim's crew hit their target and were shot down by Flak-ME109 and crash landed 15 miles south of Ments, Germany. They were captured by civilians and Hitler's Youth and interned in Stalag Luft III for eighteen (18) months. On January 27, 1945, the men were marched out of the camp and ended up in Stalag Luft VII-A, and then liberated by General George Patton on April 29, 1945.
Jim was discharged into the Reserve on January 21, 1946 and then recalled on March 18, 1949 in Navigation Instructor School at Mather Field, Calif. As instructor at Ellonton, Texas, he was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa), Florida on February 1, 1950 into the 305th Bomb Group with a B-29 plane. Again, Jim went overseas in August 1950 - 1951 to Okinawa, and flew fifty-three (53) missions over Korea. He returned to MacDill AFB on March 1951 and transitioned to B-47's at Bunker Hill, Indiana and Lincoln, Nebraska. Retiring on June 1, 1964 as a Regular Lt. Col of the United States Air Force, Jim returned to Sumas, WA and built his home. Jim was a member of The 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron; The American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc; Ex-POW Fourth Corner Chapter - Bellingham, WA; Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association (Black Thursday); Stalag Luft III, Germany; U.S.A.A. since 1951; 305th Bombardment Wing @ MacDill AFB, FL; The Retired Officers Association; National Association for Uniformed Services; Life Member of the DAV, Chapter 19, Bellingham, WA; The Mighty Eighth AF Heritage Museum, Pooler, GA (Savannah); American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA and Commander of the Post in 1966.
Preceded in death by his parents, Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp, Alice and Jim's infant daughter, Linda Kathleen Lapp, and his second wife, Marian Dickson Lapp. Survivors: wife Mrs. Martha Anne Lapp, Sumas, WA. Sister: Mrs. Nelda Mae Chapman, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sister and bro-in-law Mrs Grace L. Ahrens and Carl W Ahrens of Seattle, WA. Brother F. Jay Lapp, Clinton, WA. Former Wife: Mrs. Alice Lapp, Sumas, WA...
At his request no service will be held. Memorials may be made to American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA or Whatcom Hospice Visiting Nurse Foundation.
James Watson Lapp, 82, of Sumas, died Monday Feb 5, 2001 at his home. He was born January 6, 1919 to Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp in Sumas, Washington where he remembers a wonderful childhood.
Inducted into Service on March 27, 1941 at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma), WA, his basic training was at Camp Roberts, Calif and Santa Ana, Calif where he attended Cadet Training Pre-Flight School in October 1942. Jim graduated from Navigation School as Second Lt. on May 29, 1943 from Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif. As a crew member on a B-47 in June 1943, he became Combat Ready Crew in August 1943 and was sent overseas (England) in own plane, B-17. From there, Jim went into the 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron, and flew four (4) Combat missions, the fourth mission being the one he and crew were shot down. This mission was on October 14, 1943 when orders were given to bomb the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. (And as many know, this battle was so bitterly fought and ended with such devastating losses that it became known as "Black Thursday" and generally acknowledged as the most savagely fought air battle in history.) Jim's crew hit their target and were shot down by Flak-ME109 and crash landed 15 miles south of Ments, Germany. They were captured by civilians and Hitler's Youth and interned in Stalag Luft III for eighteen (18) months. On January 27, 1945, the men were marched out of the camp and ended up in Stalag Luft VII-A, and then liberated by General George Patton on April 29, 1945.
Jim was discharged into the Reserve on January 21, 1946 and then recalled on March 18, 1949 in Navigation Instructor School at Mather Field, Calif. As instructor at Ellonton, Texas, he was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa), Florida on February 1, 1950 into the 305th Bomb Group with a B-29 plane. Again, Jim went overseas in August 1950 - 1951 to Okinawa, and flew fifty-three (53) missions over Korea. He returned to MacDill AFB on March 1951 and transitioned to B-47's at Bunker Hill, Indiana and Lincoln, Nebraska. Retiring on June 1, 1964 as a Regular Lt. Col of the United States Air Force, Jim returned to Sumas, WA and built his home. Jim was a member of The 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron; The American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc; Ex-POW Fourth Corner Chapter - Bellingham, WA; Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association (Black Thursday); Stalag Luft III, Germany; U.S.A.A. since 1951; 305th Bombardment Wing @ MacDill AFB, FL; The Retired Officers Association; National Association for Uniformed Services; Life Member of the DAV, Chapter 19, Bellingham, WA; The Mighty Eighth AF Heritage Museum, Pooler, GA (Savannah); American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA and Commander of the Post in 1966.
Preceded in death by his parents, Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp, Alice and Jim's infant daughter, Linda Kathleen Lapp, and his second wife, Marian Dickson Lapp. Survivors: wife Mrs. Martha Anne Lapp, Sumas, WA. Sister: Mrs. Nelda Mae Chapman, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sister and bro-in-law Mrs Grace L. Ahrens and Carl W Ahrens of Seattle, WA. Brother F. Jay Lapp, Clinton, WA. Former Wife: Mrs. Alice Lapp, Sumas, WA...
At his request no service will be held. Memorials may be made to American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA or Whatcom Hospice Visiting Nurse Foundation.
The Bellingham Herald (WA) 12 Feb 2001, Mon
James Watson Lapp, 82, of Sumas, died Monday Feb 5, 2001 at his home. He was born January 6, 1919 to Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp in Sumas, Washington where he remembers a wonderful childhood.
Inducted into Service on March 27, 1941 at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma), WA, his basic training was at Camp Roberts, Calif and Santa Ana, Calif where he attended Cadet Training Pre-Flight School in October 1942. Jim graduated from Navigation School as Second Lt. on May 29, 1943 from Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif. As a crew member on a B-47 in June 1943, he became Combat Ready Crew in August 1943 and was sent overseas (England) in own plane, B-17. From there, Jim went into the 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron, and flew four (4) Combat missions, the fourth mission being the one he and crew were shot down. This mission was on October 14, 1943 when orders were given to bomb the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. (And as many know, this battle was so bitterly fought and ended with such devastating losses that it became known as "Black Thursday" and generally acknowledged as the most savagely fought air battle in history.) Jim's crew hit their target and were shot down by Flak-ME109 and crash landed 15 miles south of Ments, Germany. They were captured by civilians and Hitler's Youth and interned in Stalag Luft III for eighteen (18) months. On January 27, 1945, the men were marched out of the camp and ended up in Stalag Luft VII-A, and then liberated by General George Patton on April 29, 1945.
Jim was discharged into the Reserve on January 21, 1946 and then recalled on March 18, 1949 in Navigation Instructor School at Mather Field, Calif. As instructor at Ellonton, Texas, he was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa), Florida on February 1, 1950 into the 305th Bomb Group with a B-29 plane. Again, Jim went overseas in August 1950 - 1951 to Okinawa, and flew fifty-three (53) missions over Korea. He returned to MacDill AFB on March 1951 and transitioned to B-47's at Bunker Hill, Indiana and Lincoln, Nebraska. Retiring on June 1, 1964 as a Regular Lt. Col of the United States Air Force, Jim returned to Sumas, WA and built his home. Jim was a member of The 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron; The American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc; Ex-POW Fourth Corner Chapter - Bellingham, WA; Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association (Black Thursday); Stalag Luft III, Germany; U.S.A.A. since 1951; 305th Bombardment Wing @ MacDill AFB, FL; The Retired Officers Association; National Association for Uniformed Services; Life Member of the DAV, Chapter 19, Bellingham, WA; The Mighty Eighth AF Heritage Museum, Pooler, GA (Savannah); American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA and Commander of the Post in 1966.
Preceded in death by his parents, Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp, Alice and Jim's infant daughter, Linda Kathleen Lapp, and his second wife, Marian Dickson Lapp. Survivors: wife Mrs. Martha Anne Lapp, Sumas, WA. Sister: Mrs. Nelda Mae Chapman, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sister and bro-in-law Mrs Grace L. Ahrens and Carl W Ahrens of Seattle, WA. Brother F. Jay Lapp, Clinton, WA. Former Wife: Mrs. Alice Lapp, Sumas, WA...
At his request no service will be held. Memorials may be made to American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA or Whatcom Hospice Visiting Nurse Foundation.
James Watson Lapp, 82, of Sumas, died Monday Feb 5, 2001 at his home. He was born January 6, 1919 to Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp in Sumas, Washington where he remembers a wonderful childhood.
Inducted into Service on March 27, 1941 at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma), WA, his basic training was at Camp Roberts, Calif and Santa Ana, Calif where he attended Cadet Training Pre-Flight School in October 1942. Jim graduated from Navigation School as Second Lt. on May 29, 1943 from Mather Field, Sacramento, Calif. As a crew member on a B-47 in June 1943, he became Combat Ready Crew in August 1943 and was sent overseas (England) in own plane, B-17. From there, Jim went into the 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron, and flew four (4) Combat missions, the fourth mission being the one he and crew were shot down. This mission was on October 14, 1943 when orders were given to bomb the ball bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. (And as many know, this battle was so bitterly fought and ended with such devastating losses that it became known as "Black Thursday" and generally acknowledged as the most savagely fought air battle in history.) Jim's crew hit their target and were shot down by Flak-ME109 and crash landed 15 miles south of Ments, Germany. They were captured by civilians and Hitler's Youth and interned in Stalag Luft III for eighteen (18) months. On January 27, 1945, the men were marched out of the camp and ended up in Stalag Luft VII-A, and then liberated by General George Patton on April 29, 1945.
Jim was discharged into the Reserve on January 21, 1946 and then recalled on March 18, 1949 in Navigation Instructor School at Mather Field, Calif. As instructor at Ellonton, Texas, he was transferred to MacDill Air Force Base (Tampa), Florida on February 1, 1950 into the 305th Bomb Group with a B-29 plane. Again, Jim went overseas in August 1950 - 1951 to Okinawa, and flew fifty-three (53) missions over Korea. He returned to MacDill AFB on March 1951 and transitioned to B-47's at Bunker Hill, Indiana and Lincoln, Nebraska. Retiring on June 1, 1964 as a Regular Lt. Col of the United States Air Force, Jim returned to Sumas, WA and built his home. Jim was a member of The 96th Bomb Group - 339th Squadron; The American Ex-Prisoners of War, Inc; Ex-POW Fourth Corner Chapter - Bellingham, WA; Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association (Black Thursday); Stalag Luft III, Germany; U.S.A.A. since 1951; 305th Bombardment Wing @ MacDill AFB, FL; The Retired Officers Association; National Association for Uniformed Services; Life Member of the DAV, Chapter 19, Bellingham, WA; The Mighty Eighth AF Heritage Museum, Pooler, GA (Savannah); American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA and Commander of the Post in 1966.
Preceded in death by his parents, Archibald A. and Josephine E. Watson Lapp, Alice and Jim's infant daughter, Linda Kathleen Lapp, and his second wife, Marian Dickson Lapp. Survivors: wife Mrs. Martha Anne Lapp, Sumas, WA. Sister: Mrs. Nelda Mae Chapman, Las Vegas, Nevada. Sister and bro-in-law Mrs Grace L. Ahrens and Carl W Ahrens of Seattle, WA. Brother F. Jay Lapp, Clinton, WA. Former Wife: Mrs. Alice Lapp, Sumas, WA...
At his request no service will be held. Memorials may be made to American Legion Memorial Post #212, Sumas, WA or Whatcom Hospice Visiting Nurse Foundation.
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