The crew of "Old 59", and well-wisher Barbara Vatter (American Red Cross Nurse at Yangkai) pose for a photo as the crew, after many, many combat missions, prepares to return to the USA. Once back in America they were scheduled to participate in a war bond tour. Frank Bates had noted, "That's Bill Murphy holding the bull." The crew stands...

GIs resting at barracks area, likely at Yangkai, during WWII. Smiley on right.

Barracks area in Yangkai, Spring 1945. Hunter Toms, Joe Burns, Bill Gornick, Syd Nyreen.

The first village on the way to Yangkai, China 1944.

There were no hangars at Yangkai AB, nor any airbase in China. This required all aircraft maintenance to be performed in the open, regardless of weather conditions. These 491st Bomb Squadron mechanics are changing engines on squadron aircraft #444, "Shark Mouth", in the spring of 1944. Frenchy Beaudetter, George Butsika, John Burns, John Aspinwall, Karl Hammett, Frank Bert, Frank Bates...

Howard Mealey, Stengle on the B-25 "Rum Runner", tail number #445, Liuzhou, June 1944. The aircraft had crashed landed after returning from a mission and the men are in the process of salvaging all useable parts. (Info courtesy Tony Strotman)

Johnson, Macaluso, Gornick, Lemmon pose with a crashed "Rum Runner" B-25 in Liuzhou June 1944. William "Wild Bill" Gornick completed his required 200 combat flying hours on "Rum Runner" as it crash landed following a mission against Tien Ho airbase. Bill assisted the maintenance personnel with salvaging all the useable parts they could until he left for the USA a...

Johnson, Macaluso, Wild Bill Gornick, Lemmon pose with a crashed "Rum Runner" B-25 in Liuzhou June 1944. William "Wild Bill" Gornick completed his required 200 combat flying hours on "Rum Runner" as it crash landed following a mission against Tien Ho airbase. Bill assisted the maintenance personnel with salvaging all the useable parts they could until he left for the...