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E D I T OR S g t . L l o y dA . C o e n

A S S C r D lT C R S Sgt. Dino Lorenzetti

S g t . R i c h a r dM . H e r l z

A R T E D I T O R Sgt. Vincent Pacelli

To those many Personswho helPed lo

developthis book, from a vague idea to an

o c l u a l r e a l i t y , g o e s o u r h e o r t f e l rt h a n k s a n d

op p r e c i a l i o n .
 *

T-crnu,lxrrud

Three hundrerl and sixty - six days 2go, a General, hidden away in the archives
of the War Department, signed his name to a vital slip of paper, thus causing the ila-
scence of the 312 th Depot Repair Squadron. Now, it wasnf t as simple as that, for it took
many days of planning and research, so that this org anization might find its correct niche
in the vast expanse of the Air Service Comand. From far off cities and towns throughout
our land men wefe sent to Rome Army Air Field, scene of activation, after having been
schooled in the various trades pertaining to atcraft. Soon the 312th was well under way.
pratical training
Slowly the group took shape. Officers were assigned, men wefe given
so that th.y could apply their theoretical knowledge, and we were fast becomlng, a well-
knit squadron. \Me survived the rigors of basic training all over again, and rnuch before
it was thought possible, we were soon exposed to the dry and arid climate of North
*Whatever doubts we may have hado whether' we could fulfill the job that \^-e
Afrjca.
in hand
were trained to do, were soon dispelted, for the men stepped m and worked hand
with out- fits that were rnrell on their way towards a second yeat ovefseas,

We may have had a fer,v uncomfortable rnoments, but they seem insignrficant on
retrospect. We have iearned how to live among ourselves; men of all creeds and denom-
inations; likes and disiikes; and for many of us, it was a lesson well worth being
taught.

This book should be nrore than a souvenir, for, although we have lived with one
another tor this pedod of time, there are many of us who would like to know rnore
about each other. Let this be a record of our years' affairs, and a medium fot better
understanding of our feilow sr"rldier.

-
ry
-l
_l
ll- Declicatarg

ill On '/Louernber9, 1q43

,SecondAieutenavil?awl €. Qrice

1A, 1q43
On V(,auunlse,^

Tliqht Od{icen'Cecil R. lf,illiarnd

On Awil rl1,1944

Corporal Charled€. Colletti

Aa a taken o{ o!,u, La4tinr4 redpecl tl2ia baoh id

cleclicateclta tb, mem"oraa{ thede ,nen, whu latt their liuca

in line a{ dutg.
i
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i

T h i s y e a r b o o k p r e s e n l sm e w i l h t h e o p p o r t u n i t y
lo sincerely express my lhanks lo every officer and
e n l i s l e dm E n i n m y c o m m a n d f o t t h e f a i l h f u l s e r v i c e
h e h e s r e n d e r e di n l h i s , o u r f i r s t y e a r o f o p e r a l i o n a s
a u n i l . O u r s q u a d r o n ' . se x c e l l e n l r e p u l a l i o n ,a n d e f f i -
ciencyrating is only the refleclion of your lechnical
l a l e n t a n d t h e f r d e l i l ya n d c o n s c i e n l i o u s n e w
s si l h w h i c h
you have conducledyourselves.

'Wf
Zilp A{4tceDd.

MAJOR REGINALD R. VENABLE Commanding Officer - graduate of Virginia Mi-

litary Institute where he received his Ats and the National University Law School
where he added an LLB - entered the insurance field and was connected with the
Aetna Casualty and Surety Co. , Hartford, Conn - was called from the reserves October
Lg+2 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant - commanding oflicer of the 42Oth
prov Squadrons January t943 - prornoted to First Lieutenant same time - appointed
to Captain June Lg43 and assumed command of this organization August Of the same
year - promoted to Major April Lg44 - married and present home address 1630 Mon-
ument Avenue, Rjchmond, Virginia.

CApTAIN JOHN JOBE - Engineerirrg Oflicer - the longest service of all our officers
for he enlisted in the army March t927 - after forging his way to the top rank in
the enlisted cadre he was conrmissioned Second Lieutenant Joly L942 assigned
to this squadron May Lg43 as a First Lieutehant and was promoted to Captain
September L943, a rank which he now hotds - is married and has a daughter Iris Jean
aged nine - horne address 5227 Avenue P L12, Galveston, Texas.

9
CAPTI\IN JACK D. MC CI-ELLAN Tech Supply Officer graduate of Marshall
Cotlcge, fexas, majored in petroleum engineering and attained his BS after gra-
duating he entered the petroleum industry and was well on his way to a career
when he answered the call L94L - conrmissioned a Second Lieutenant May 1942 and
was assigned to the 312 th M"y L943 - promoted to Captaiq February L944 - rs
married anrl home adCress413 Washington South, San Angglo, Texas.

CAPTAIN WTLLIAM P. PFIILLIPS Flight Surgeon z\ttended the University of

Loyola and the University of Loyola School of MeJicine - received both a BS and
MD - was occupied in his profession as a physician and surgeon until the outbreak
of war - entered the Fhght Surgeon School of i\viation Medicine, Randolph Field,
Texas - assigned this organlzation August L943 during our rigorous stay at Camp
Kilmer - appointed to present rank December 1943 - is married and home address
1000 Loyola Avenue, Chicago, llI.

FIRST LIEUTENANT JOHN M. DELA GRANGE Assistant Engineering Officer -

attended CAA Flight School and became Flight' Instructor in L94O- taught at Cum-
berlando Maryland and with the Pioneer Flying Service of West Virginia UniversitR
Morgantown, West Virgrnia - was ieducted at lvlaxwell Field April L94L and received
wings as a service pilot after conrpleting OCS corrrsesJune L942 - promoted to First
Lieutenant November L9+2 - assignedto this squadron from 41 st DRS January LgM -
married and home is at 802 Trost Avenue, Cumberland, Maryland,

FIRST LIEIITENANT RICTIARD F. BLAKE Adjutant graduated John Marshall

College AB and entereJ the Federal Service in the Finance Section of the Post Office
Department in Chicago - inducted Camp Grant lllinois March L942 and assigned to
Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas - waded.through various clerical duties and
was appointed to attend OCS Miami Beach Florida October L912 commissioned
January L943 and assigned 41 st DRS April 1943 as Statistical Oflicer - transferred
this organization Janaary Lg44 and was promoted to First Lieotenant February 1944-
single and honre ls 324 South Kamlin Avenue, Chicagb, Illinois,

FIRST LIEUTENANT ROBERT J. EVANS - Assistant Engineering OfTicer - Attended

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York when the army interrupted his education -
accepted as Aviation Cadet January L942 and commissionedNovember the same yeat -
assigned this organization Nlarch Lg44 and along with Lieutenant Peterson is one of
the newest members of this squadron - is single and resides at RED 1. Corning
New York.

10
 SECOND LTEUTENANT LENNART F. SWEDBERG - Assistant Engineering Cfficer -
attended Ohio Wesleyan University and after graduation was connected with the
Stone and Webster Engineering Corp in the Accounting Dept - inducted August7942
at Lowry Field and accepted January L943 for Aviatron Cadet Technical Officers
School - coffimissioned April 1943 as a Second Lieutenant - received this training at
Yale University, New Haven, Conn and majored in bornbsights anC armament'-
transferred to Air Service Command, Mobile, Alabama, and from there to Dyersburg
Sub - Depot, DyersburpJ,Tenn, as Assistant Engineering Oflicer - assignedthis squadron
June L943 and is now on Detached Service as Bombsight OfIiger, Industrial School,
Bari, Italy - is married and has a son two months old - home addressDelaware, ohio.

SECOND LIEUTENANT ROBERT A. RAUSCII - Assistant Engineering Officer-born

in Philadelphia, Pa and attended the various rlgors of schooling - graduated Penn
State College majoring in Animal Flusbanily - was State and county cow tester and
in charge of all records pertaining to the production and heredity of cpws - was too
tame while a war was in progress so enlisted in January L942 as an Aerial Gunner -
'bit
found even that a too pink - teaish so applied for Aviation Student Training and
won his wings February .L943 as a Flight Officer - commissioned a SecondLieutenant
December L943 and transferred to 3L2 th January L944 - has recently been assigned
as a combat pilot in a P 47 squadron - married and is sweating out a little Rausch -
home address 447 Hopeland Street, Dayton, Ohio.

SECOND LIEUTENANT VERNON J. A. PETERSON Assistant Engineering Officer -

attended Moorhead State Teachers College majoring in Math, and after one year
transferred to North Dakota State College and attained a BS in Mecbanical F'ngine-
i

ering - enlisted Jurre L942 for Air Force Ground Crew Cadet Training and was
called to Air Cadet School January L943 - assigned this organization March LgM -
is married and has a daughter Linda Lee - home address 604 - 3 rd Street South,
Moorhead, Minnesota.

11
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L E L D p o s s e s s e sa r a r e c o m b i n a t i o n o f
l s i S g l . R U S S E LW
f i n e c h a r e c t e r i s t i cwsh i c h m a k e h i m t h e e p i t o m e o f a l l g o o d
l e a d e r s .H e i s u n a s s u m i n gq, u i e l , d i g n i f i e d a n d r e f i n e d ,a n d y e t

t w h e n t h e s i t u a l i o nw a r r a n f s ,f o r c e f u l , a n d d e l e r m i n e d . H e h a s
h a n d l e d h i s d i f f i c u l t i o b w i l h a f i n e s s e ,l a c l , o n d i m p e r i a l i t y
which has won him the undying loyalty of us, his men.