American Battle Monumnets Commission Search Engine

I just found a website to search for people buried in American Military Cemeteries throughout the world.

You can search by name. (Or if you want you can search by unit by clicking the UNIT link.)

Take a look...

Newspaper Articles: Lt. Charles W. Moore

Several weeks ago I was sent two articles about the 355th Fighter Squadron's Lt. Charles W. Moore from James Best, one of his nephews.

I think these are important to post on our blog today as we remember the fight for our country's independence.

More Photos from Jon's Trip to France

Jon Teboe flying the same flight path Lt. Perkins flew. It was Perkins' last flight. He crashed and was killed in the morning of June 13, 1944.





John Torchio arranged the flight. He is a WW2 historian and through his research learned the path of the last flight Perkins flew.




The town of Notre Dame de Cenilly's church. Perkins was first buried here until his remains were moved. This was very near where Perkins' last flight took place.




John Torchio shows Jon Teboe the barn that Perkins flew over during his last flight.




John Torchio shows Jon Teboe the place where Perkins flew down to strafe a convey of German soldiers on June 13, 1944.








Down the road from the barn is where Perkins' P-51 crashed.




John Torchio looks at his research notebook on Lt. Perkins of the 354th Fighter Group. This is where Perkins' body landed.





John Torchio points to where Perkins' body and plane landed.





John Torchio points to where the engine of the P-51 came to a stop.


What an incredible trip I had. Much thanks to John Torchio and all the people he arranged for me to meet!!!!

Trip to Crulai, France

Jon Teboe, Francesca Esquenazi, Charles Simonson and Zev Esquenazi. We had a great time meeting Charles and family at his home in 2007. He told us about his time in the second World War in the 354th Fighter Group.





Charles Simonson shows us the village of Crulai where he crashed in France in August 1944. Last week, I was lucky enough to visit the village of Crulai, France where Charles was pulled from the wreckage of his plane and was hidden from the Germans by the townspeople.





The Mayor Joel Buffard of Crulai, France, Jon Teboe, (Andre Briand ), Etienne Cohu. They are about to take me on a tour of the places where Charles Simonson stayed while being hidden from the enemy in 1944.





The Mayor of Crulai Joel Buffard, Jon Teboe and Etienne Cohu at the crash site of Charles Simonson's plane in August 1944.





Jon Teboe and Etienne Cohu at the site of the crash of pilot Charles Simonson in August 1944. Cohu was one of the townspeople who pulled Simonson from the wreckage and saved his life.




The building at the top in the middle of this photo is the barn where Simonson was first hidden.




Etienne Cohu and Mayor Joel Buffard show me where the townspeople first hid Simonson from the Germans in August 1944.





Jon Teboe, Etienne Cohu and the Mayor Joel Buffard stand in front of the barn where Simonson was first hidden from the Germans in August 1944





Etienne Cohu and Brigitte Briand in front of the barn where Simonson was hidden from the Germans in 1944. Much thanks goes to Brigitte who did much of the translating for me! She helped make the interviewing much easier!!! I was lucky she was around to help!

FLYING PERKINS LAST FLIGHT PATH

Jon Teboe shoots the flight path of the last flight of William R. Perkins. Much thanks goes to John Torchio who arranged this fantastic flight!

He also has been researching the life and death of Perkins for many years and has been a great source of information.








This is the center of the village of Notre Dame de Cenilly. Perkins crashed near here. At the bottom of the church's WWI Memorial, a plaque honoring Perkins is placed.









Perkins strafed these roads and this barn on the morning of June 13, 1944. We interviewed an eye witness last week who told us about Perkins' final flight. John Torchio arranged this amazing interview!




Just to left of this photo is where the plane crashed.

From the Official History Record of the 356th Fighter Squadron:

Here is a page from the official historical record of the 356th Fighter Squad of the 354th Fighter Group concerning Lt. Perkins' death....





This is from the June 1944 records. The next paragraph talks about the first sighting of a V1 rocket(aka buzz bomb) over the 356th's camp in England...

FANTASTIC NEWS

I just got an email from the man in France who knows where the crash site of William Perkins is!

He has agreed to meet me on May 13 to show me!

This is fantastic news....