Pvt Herbert Bugbee (radio)
12 Aug 44 mission to Versailles aboard 42-97387 "Maude Maria"

T/Sgt. Herbert Bugbee and his brother, Russell Bugbee, nephews of Mr and Mrs Alfred Dutcher, of Gladwin, are both stationed with U. S. forces in England and have enjoyed several reunions. Herbert has received the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters for meritorious performance of duty. Recently he wrote a letter to his mother, Mrs George Bugbee, of Mt. Pleasant, while on active duty. His letter is a radio gunner's "play-by-play" description of a mission on a B-17 bomber. It was scribbled on the back of a mimeographed time sheet and is printed below:

Dear Mom: Just took off a few minutes ago and I'm now way up in "the blue." Just called the navigator and he said the altitude was 15,400 feet. We'll go up a little higher and assemble with the group. We're going to go over the target at an altitude of from 25,000 to 30,000 feet. The temperature will be about 40 degrees below zero so you can see it is plenty cold up here. We wear electrically heated suits, gloves and shoe inserts. I now have on an oxygen mask as it is necessary to wear one when above 10,000 feet. Today is the first day it has been suitable for flying for a week and a half. As I look out now I can see about half ground and half clouds below us. Some days it is just an ocean of white fluff below and it looks so beautiful one feels it would be fun to jump in the stuff. It sure is beautiful up here—little patches of every color in the rainbow. I just looked out and I see a dozen ships circling the area. We'll be forming in formation soon. It's about 50 percent clouds over here but it's usually better over the continent. You saw the B-29's at Sioux City didn't you? So you have an idea how big they are. The wing span is 103 feet and the body is 80 feet, if I remember correctly. I get a 48-hour pass tomorrow and I'm going to meet Russ. Didn't see him two weeks ago. We're about 17,000 feet now. Just got a time signal over the radio. It's 8:30 which is 2:30 a. m. back in Michigan. Judging from the planes I see Jerry's sure going to get a pounding today! The sky's just lousy with planes. I don't believe I've ever seen them quite this thick before. Well I just finished copying code for an hour and a half solid. We're coming on the target soon and so I'm going to put on my flak suit. Now is the moment! All there is to do is sit and wait . . . Well, it's all over now. The flak was terrible but none of it came near our ship. Didn't see any go down either—a perfectly boring raid! Write soon, Herb Gladwin County Record 1/3/1945

Tombstone photo is from the Riverside Cemetery Website. Copyright permission was received from the Clerk's office of the City of Mt. Pleasant to use this photo.

2 Lt Lyle J. Doerr's Crew
12 aug 44 mission to Versailles aboard 42-97387 "Maude Maria"

including Pvt Herbert Bugbee (radio)