This story began about the first of November, 1998 when dh, a retired businessman and ex-USAF Korean Jet Fighter pilot, decided to check out a vague story of a terrible WW2 aircraft accident.
This hazy story had been bothering him for now too many years.

After making a call to the the Bank at Bruning Nebraska, the president suggested that dh contact Virginia Priefert, the current Bruning Army Air Field historian. Virginia said it was a true story but due to the War Time news restrictions very few facts were ever known .

dh was hooked!

In viewing the recently released government documents and in retracing the events leading up to this accident dh realized that he had a deep emotional connection to those 28 airmen.
He now hopes that his gathering of the facts of the accident will provide closure for himself and all the others who have now become involved with this tragic event.

dh is not writing a book

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Briefly the facts are as follows...

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During World War II, a military passenger plane disintegrated in flight near a line of violent thunderstorms in Northern Nebraska, a few miles Southwest of a small town called Naper. There were 28 fatalities representing the crew and all passengers. Hence the name The Naper 28

The singular and most unusual element of this story is, with the exception of a Flight Surgeon passenger and the aircraft crew chief

all of the passengers and crew were P-47 fighter pilots.

The Crash occurred .. 2025hrs (8:25PM) August 3, 1944

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A deep sense of gratitude from dh to Dewaine Erickson, Larry and Vi Carpenter, Virginia and Stub Priefert (and Shep). Their valuable advice and efforts in the research made this website possible.
(All involved consider Larry C to be the best "people finder" going !!)

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Click on the Links below to read about this tragic event
If you have problems opening any links PLEASE contact dh

Please email your comments

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