AAF Serial # 42-7674
December 6, 1943
On a cold December day in
1943, the crew of the "Exterminator" flew into the history
books. At the time, they were on a search mission east of
Fresno, California. They were looking for another B-24 from their
base that disappeared on December 5, 1943. The missing aircraft,
later known as the Hester Lake B-24, failed to return from a
cross-country training flight. Ironically, both aircraft would
be found in the cold, clear waters of a high mountain lake, more
than a decade later.
Both
aircraft were assigned to the 461st Bomb Group, 766th Squadron and were
training at Hammer Field in Fresno, California. Hammer Field, now
called Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FYI), was a third phase
training base for heavy bomber aircrews during World War II. Many
Army Aviation training fields would become civilian airports after the
war.
Most military airplane
accidents fade into distant memory shortly after the investigation into
the cause has been completed. The wreck of the
"Exterminator" would prove to be a different story.
It would continue to make the headlines for many years to come.
There were eight crewmembers
onboard that day, but only two would survive the ordeal. Those
two, 2nd Lt. Marion C. Settle, copilot from Wilkesboro, North Carolina,
and Sergeant George J. Barulic radio operator, from Newark, New Jersey
would parachute to safety seconds before the aircraft slammed into the
frigid waters of Huntington Lake.
The remaining six crew
members were, Captain William H. Darden, pilot from Ports,
Virginia, 2nd Lt. Samuel J. Schlosser, navigator from Brooklyn, New
York, Staff Sergeant Franklin C. Nyswonger engineer, from Green Bay,
Wisconsin, Sgt. Richard Spangler, gunner from Weed California, Sgt.,
Donald V. Vander Plasch, gunner from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and Sgt.
Richard E. Mayo, assistant gunner from Prestonburg, Kentucky.
Huntington Lake, which is
only four miles long and less than a half mile wide, must have looked
like a great meadow and a perfect emergency landing field to the pilot
and copilot as they tried unsuccessfully to deal with their in-flight
emergency. Just what that emergency was, has never been
determined.
Project
outline
The Fresno
Air Museum is currently seeking funding and support from both the public
and privet sector for this project.
Our objective is to return this aircraft to it’s home in Fresno
and create a flying memorial to the 461st Bomber group.
To do this we will recover and restore the aircraft to flying
condition and when completed it will be displayed at the Fresno Air
Museum where it will remain for all time for all to view.
The recovery of this aircraft is quite important not only for the people
of Fresno but for all people. There
are only an estimated 2 flying B-24s left in the world.
We have the perfect opportunity to recover and return to flying
status a piece of history that if left alone will deteriorate in to
nothing.
