COL. MILTON WAYNE JOHNSON
COMMANDING OFFICER 417th BOMB GROUP
OCTOBER 16, 1918 - JULY 18, 2003

(Painting by Joe Nedela, 674th Squadron)






COL. JOHNSON'S AIRPLANE: ROFF-RIDER
(Joe Nedela, Artist)


Col. Johnson shoots down Japanese airplane.
Saidor, New Guinea
(Joe Nedela, Artist)

********RECENT PICTURES OF NEW GUINEA********


Airfield at Saidor, New Guinea


Coral Steps Area at Saidor, New Guinea


This is a little further inland from the town of Nadzab, the first place the 417th was based in New Guinea


Finesteere Mountain Range, New Guinea


672nd crew members at the Red Cross lemonade jeep
after returning from a mission


Can't wait for that great Air Force food!


Bomb Run over Wewak


417th Bomb Group Logo


Fighting the War
Lt.Mercer,Capt.Blackwell,Lt.Weir,Capt.Bliss,Lt.Palmer,Capt.Krumloff,Maj.Nelson(672Sqdn.CO)


672nd. tent area at Saidor, New Guinea


No Mission-No Work---PLAY BALL


Saidor, New Guinea: The road home starts here


Saidor, New Guinea: Home away from Home


The start of another mission


The Big Assed Bird
672nd Sqdn.: Pilot, Lt. Douthwaith (center standing), 2gunners,crewchief


Saidor, New Guinea: Capt Lindblad and Capt Finley catching up on the news


Rehashing the last mission with the last beer ration
Capt.Lindblad,Capt.Fowler,Lt.Staurt,Capt.Bliss,LtMcGee,Lt.Kunselman


Lt. Kunselman, Chef; Lt.Gressens awaiting the treat, a toasted cheese sandwich, we had these quite often in the evening


672nd steak fry, someone made a deal or was it a steal


672nd. Sqdn.: Pilot Lt. Max Palmer (center) and gunners


This A-20G was rescued from the jungle of New Guinea about 15 years ago and restored by the Australian Air Force. It is to be returned to New Guinea a soon as their Museum is ready for it.


One of the "ditched" airplanes from the 5th Air Force raids on "Black Sunday". This had been a maximum effort raid on Hollandia, New Guinea prior to the Allied Invasion. The raid was very succesful but bad weather at the home fields and low fuel tanks forced many pilots to "ditch", 26 airplanes were lost due to weather.


Col. Charles Lindberg giving technical tips to Col. Ellmor (417th CO) and Maj. Jackson (672nd CO).


672nd. Sqdn.: Capt. Ben Blackwell in A-20G cockpit


Australian Troops inspect damage at Japanese Base, Hansa Point, New Guinea. A frquent target of the 417th Bomb Group


Lt. Woods in Base Hospital, Saidor, New Guinea. Fresh air makes for quick healing.


Morris Field, Charlotte, North Carolina, February,1944
Lt. Kunselman, S/Sgt Alderman, S/Sgt Tony Duran just before leaving for the South Pacific


Saidor, New Guinea, April 1944
Lt. Kunselman, S/Sgt Alderman, S/Sgt Duran
672 Squadon Crew


672nd Squadron Tent Area, Saidor, New Guinea


A-20G attacking Japanese airfield, New Guinea


Group and Squadron Insignas


Japanese airstrip at Hansa Point, New Guinea: a target of the 417th Bomb Group


672nd. Squadron crew: Lt. Posner (center) and gunners


"The old swimming hole"
Lt.Staurt, Lt. Palmer, Capt. Blackwell, ?


Maj. Nelson presnting the "largest medal" of WWII to Lt. Kunselman for flying the 1000 sortie of the 672nd Squadron, just adding a little humor to the War.


Japanese Flag that some one bartered for
Lt. Mercer, Lt. Dickey, Lt. Kellog, Lt. Keane, Capt Healy(Flight Surgeon)


672nd crew: Pilot, Lt Fairchild on right; Gunners, Sgt Beria and Sgt Muller


"Looks like an out"


September 1944
Building our tent platform, Noemfoor, Dutch East Indies


"Beautiful South Sea Island Beach"


672nd Crew Members
Sgt Faust, Sgt Jennings, Sgt Guerin, Sgt Wright, Sgt Griffen, Sgt Sullivan


A-20G at The Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio
This is the A-20G that the museum allowd the 417th members to get in at our reunion there in 1997. It was restored again after we were there.


Capt. Lindblad, tonsorial artist: Lt. Kunselman in the deluxe barber's chair


LT. Doug Fairchild, New Guinea-1944

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES ARE FROM OUR ABORTED 2001 REUNION


Dinner out at Ruby Tuesday's


Still eating


Picnic at the Kunselman-Perry home


417th Members attending the 2001 Reunion


Dinner at Ruby Tuesday's


5th Air Force Memorial Wall, Air Force Academy Memorial Gardens
Marge & Myles Alderman, daughter Patsy Eaton, Del Duran,
Bob Kunselman, daughter Jan Perry, Tony Duran & daughters Kathi & Diane