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39th Bomb Group (VH)
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Bombardier's Badge
Gunner's Badge

airmedal.gif [The Air Medal]

with
br_oak2.jpg [Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster]

Unit Citation
and Awards

arpuc.jpg [The Presidental Unit Citation]

with
Oak Leaf Cluster

Service Awards

amcamp.gif [The American Campaign Medal]


apcm.jpg [The Asiatic-Pacfic Campaign Medal]

2
with

star1.gif [Bronze Star]


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Sgt Edward T. Reilly
Tail Gunner
Sgt
Edward Reilly
1945

My life began in Easton, Pennsylvania. A city on the Delaware River... A year later my parents moved, with me to Phillipsburg, New Jersey, just across the river. I attended St. Phillip and St. James School there until half way through the senior grade and then entered college at Lafayette College in Easton Pa. It was Jan 1943, I was still not 17 years old, and the war was on. My father had served in the army in WWI, and I wanted to serve in the Army too, but not in the infantry as he did. I wanted to be an Army AF pilot...I took the written test for acceptance into the pilot training program that June and was sworn into the Enlisted Reserve Corps and told that I would be called into active service when I reached the age of 18, the following January.

I did my basic training in Miami FL. There were 72 of us trainees in my training squadron. I attended Gunnery school and was shipped to Lincoln Neb. where we were introduced to the B-29. The most important occurrence in my life up to that time was joining Crew #7......

Ed Reilly
1st Crew Reunion
09/02/80

After the war, I returned to Lafayette for another year. Then I took a job with a financial corporation, which was expanding. I convinced a beautiful Yvonne Peterson to marry me and then I opened offices and managed for them in Gadsden Alabama, Philadelphia Pa, Albuquerque New Mexico, and San Francisco, Ca. I joined another finance corporation there and worked in Sacramento California. There I took a job with the State Of California, and stayed 25 years. I served as a Management Analyst performing a series of studies involving work processes and staffing. Later I was promoted and transferred to Fresno as Asst Deputy Director, in charge of personnel activities. I later transferred to San Diego, in charge of Human Relations activities. I did subsequently serve for 6 months as Deputy District Director in charge of all Administrative activities. I retired in Dec 1991. 3 members of crew 7 (Elmo, Ralph and Biff) attended my retirement party.

My wife of over 52 years Yvonne and I have 2 children, Peggy and Sean. Peggy and husband Marty Bell live in Miami only a block away from us.. They own and operate a tree nursery.. They have a 24 ft boat and regularly go out for the big ones. Sean is in a special training and development program in San Diego and visits us usually twice a year. Peggy spent over 20 years as a Flight Attendant for Eastern and Pan Am (both now defunct) and during the Gulf war she volunteered to transport our troops to the war zone... I advised against it but she did it, and was awarded a medal by the Air Force for her efforts.

We have a grandson, Jamie, who is currently 7 years old and enjoys going to Marlin, he is remarkable.

Editor's note: Ed has been instrumental in providing copies of various military orders, crew and personal photos from his collection pertaining to his service with the 39th Bomb Group for use on this web site. Without his willingness to share this material and his personal accounts as well as the other member of the crew, P-7's section would much less than it is.

Additional Note: Of the photos Ed supplied for the Crew 7's section of this web site one was of "4 Meatballs" that were on 44-69810 named "Old P-7". One of which was credited to Ed. By having this photo, I was able to enlarge the photo with scanning software, and making it possible to read (partially). By matching these names other 3 names against Replacement Crew P-11 roster, it was possible to honor these 39th Veterans also for their accomplishment.

Many thanks for your contribution to this site.



Elmo Huston, Flight Engineer of Crew 7 notified us that
Edward T. Reilly took his Final Flight 15 August 2007
.

Crew 7 Main Page
60th Squadron Crew Index

Source: Ed Reilly; Elmo Huston