396th Air Service Squadron

"Lester Herring And Larry Hawkins, Great Members Of The 396th Service Squadron... I Remember Larry Wanted To Be A Pilot But Could Not Qualify So He Made Himself A Great Mechanic."

Yang Tong Airbase In 1944:"All the runways in China were made of crushed stone. They started the base with the larger stone and each layer that was added was of a smaller stone. The final layer of the runway surface was was made of finely crushed stone that was rolled and rerolled by Chinese coolies pulling a huge stone roller...

"This rig was dreamed up and built by Sgt.Miller and Sgt.Blumer. The 396th needed something that could handle all the heavy objects that had to be moved in the process of salvaging and repairing the aircraft we worked on. They built this rig on a 6x6 chasis and there wasn't much that it couldn't handle. They received a lot of...

This page is dedicated to all the members of the of the 12th Air Service Group that served with the 14th Air Force in the China Theatre of operations during World War Two. These men came together from all walks of life to form a group that did a job under the most adverse conditions in the world. Supplies and...

Jose Martinez, airplane mechanic with the 396th, standing in front of the Huangguoshu waterfall in Guizhou (Kweichow) province, China. Image courtesy of Elmer Bukey.

Guilin Engineering Area--396th Air Service Squadron men, first row (left to right): ?, ?. Back row: Knecht, ??, Rhoads, ??.

A member of the 12th Air Service Group poses for the camera in China during WWII.

On a ferry with Chinese soldiers crossing a river in southwest China during WWII.

Buildings at an American airbase in China during WWII.

GIs line up at base supply at a base in China during WWII.