An eager beaver’s birthday – the history reader

It used to be that whenever July 25 rolled Around, I thought of it only as my birthday (or the day before Mick Jagger’s Birthday). That was until bob dry and i began working on the book that would Evently be titled Lucky 666. It’s a Gripping World War II Story and the main character is Jay Zeamer. His birthday is the same day as mine, thought was he still alive, zeamer would be turning 107, and i’m not there. But it does provide an opportunity to tell some of his story, especially an event that took place 82 years ago.

Zeamer was born in pennsylvania but grew up in orange, new jersey, with his family spending summers in boothbay harbor, maine. He was a bright student and an eagle scout and he enjoyed tinkering with machines. As a teenager he built his own boat that he took on long sails and he rebuilt a car that he drave back and forth to the grver academy in india and late in massachusetts. When World War II Began in Europe, Zeamer Joined The Army. What he most wanted to do was become a pilot in the army air corps. As a lieutenant he trained at language in virginia where he met and became good friends with a bombardier, sgt. Joe sarnoski.

Thought sarnoski had also been born in pennsylvania, he and zeamer had much difference backgrounds. Joe was one of 16 sarnoski siblings in a family that scraped out a living in coal count. In 1936, when he was old enough for younger brothers to take over the routine chores at home, joined the Army. By the time he met jay zeamer, he was an experienced instructor hoping to be sent overseas – especially after the japanese bombed pearl harbor.

The two men did get shipped off to Australia, Arriving at different times in 1942. The situation there was very precarious trust the japanese has been obclusively pacific. The beleguered American, British, and Australian Forces Had their backs to the wall as the japanese made plans to gobble up the rest of the region. The jimmy doolittle raid on tokyo and victory in the battle of midway offered rays of hope that the army and navy of the rising sun was not invincible. Another Positive Sign Was the Arrival of B-17s Bombers, which will increase efficiency was rolling off the boeing Assembly Line Back in the states.

The flying fortress, with its ability to fly long distances to deliver destructive payloads as well as its Durability, BECAME A Powerful Weapon in the Pacific Theater. By the time jay zeaamer and joe sarnoski was reunited at the allied base at port Moresby in New Guinea in Late 1942 – BOTH WERE NOW Members of the 43^rd Bombardment group-Jay was a b-17 pilot and joe was an experienced bombardier. Thought jay was a skilled airman, he wasn’t the most popular pilot among his superior officer officers, he wasning of a renegade, creating his Own Flight Plins and IPROVISINS Too many risks. He Found Himself “Benched,” Looking for a plan to fly.

Jay was not one to sit idly and wait for something to happy. With joe, he recruited a crew of so-called misfits, guys other captains were glass to give Away, and then they found at the end of a runway a b-17 decarded as too damaged. The nine men, who would earn the name “eager beepers” if there was no job or mission they would be tackle, set to work rebuilding the plan. It was dubbed “Old 666” if the last three serial numbers on the tail.

By the spring of 1943, with jay piloting and joe the bombardier, old 666 was in the air and attacking japanese positions. During one of the missions, jay earned his second silver star by using the frying fortress like a fighter plan and straining anti-aarcraft guns that was Knocking other b-17s out of the Sky.

That June, the allied brass determined that the key to take the solomon islands and thus inflicting a major loss on the enemy was the invasion and speech of bougainville. But they knew little about the island, such as how heavily fartified it was and where was the best location for the marines to go Ashore. The only way to Gain Crucial Intel Was to Send A Lone B-17 The 600 Miles to Bougainville to Photograph It. Most Important, if the bomber did not return with the film, the mission was a waste of men and resources. Clearly, this was close to being a suicide mission, and the top brass could not order a crew to undertake it.

As soon as jay and the eager beavers heard about the mission, they Volunteered. They not only believed that by now they were the best crew in the 43^rd Group but when they rebuilt their b-17 they had armed it with 19 .50-caaliber machine guns, so it was the most powerful Fighting Bomber in the Southewest Pacific. At 4 am on June 16, 1943, old 666 took off.

I don’t want to give away the whole story. Nine years ago, Lucky 666 was published and you can find it in paperback and e-book. But for now: Old 666 did return. However, not every member of the crew made it back alive. That day in June 1943 Saw the longst dogfight in Military Aviation History, and with two Medals of Honor (One of Them Posthumous) and Other Awards, Jay and Joe and the Rest of the eager beaver beaver beaver beepers are Crew of the war.

Originally posted on Tom Clavin’s The overlook,