LATEPASS THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

BY RICHARD LAPHAM, PRESIDENT

449th Bombardment Group (H) B-24 Aircraft

Long Range Heavy Bomber

WWII European Theater

15th Air Force, 47th Bomb Wing

449th Bombardment Group

Bomb Squadrons: 716, 717, 718, 719

January 1944 – April 1945

Grottaglie, Italy

Bombardment Targets

Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, Yugoslavia

254 Combat Missions

In 475 days of combat, 111 B-24 bombers lost, 199 Axis fighters destroyed

Personnel Loss/Intered or Evaded

396 KIA / 63 DED (other deaths) 359 POW / 186 Evaded / 9 Interned

Distinguished Unit Citations (DUC)

Bucharest, Romania, April 4, 1944

Ploiesti, Romania, July 9, 1944

II was excited when we opted for Nashville as the site for our 26th Group reunion, mainly because of the accolades from family and friends about the great music and honkytonks that the town had to offer. But it turned out to be much more than this Californian could have imagined! It definitely was a remarkable event, beginning with the brilliant colors of the fall season and perfect sweater weather. It was ideal for exploring every aspect of Nashville and the surrounding areas from Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame, downtown honkytonk row, the quaint town of Franklin, walking distance to the Parthenon, and the banquet highlight of Ray Steven’s CabaRay dinner show.

And we could not go to Nashville without a hearty welcome from Peter and Georgette Kennedy (718th, MIA) who just happen to reside there. They offered invaluable guidance and were a significant help in making Nashville plans come together. To top it off, the Kennedy’s hosted a 449th board member dinner in their beautiful home located in the

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