Hope this Winter edition of Dog Tags finds everyone in a comfortable place, snug, safe, and warm. It’s that time of year when you can kick back before the fireplace with a warm drink, a good book (or this Newsletter), pet the dog (or cat), and catch up on your reading. Contrary to popular belief, it can and does get cold and nasty in Texas, sometimes.
Have all of you made your lists of New Year’s Resolutions; I have? Some folks believe it’s a waste of time, and that may be the case for many. But at my age, I live by lists; of what I’m going (or need) to do tomorrow, next week, and next month. Idle time is wasted time, and even the smallest accomplishment is a victory and a step forward. For me, since I have more to do in retirement than I ever imagined, it’s not unreasonable to organize my time and plan ahead for the coming year. I’ve already made my list of personal goals, and thought it would be a good idea to come up with a few for the Museum as well, priorities if you will, and here they are. (1) recruit sustainment doners; (2) recruit more (and younger) volunteers; (3) increase outreach to include more senior communities (4) increase our Membership base. There, four simple goals, all reasonable and attainable with liberal applications of elbow grease. So, make your own lists, check them twice (throw in a few for the Museum), and start checking them off; you’ll feel better for it.
This past year the Museum was recognized for certain of its activities and accomplishments. Among the more notable was coming in First Place in the Museum category in the annual “Fort Worth Favorites” survey determined by on-line voting. Another was our Curator, Tyler Alberts being presented with an award by the County Historical Commission recognizing his work for bringing attention to the historical aspects of Camp Bowie Blvd. and the west side of Fort Worth. MMFW also gained exposure and notoriety for our participation in the local Veteran’s Day Parade; providing our mobile displays at various locations for Veteran’s Day functions; for the excellent in-house diorama created by Bill Leaf to commemorate Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day, and more recently our table and display at the Amon Carter Exhibit Hall at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo.
Ron Lane, John Kalvelage, and Belle Brownlee
The Stock Show event was a five-day set-up for MMFW in a prime, 30 foot, indoor location next to the Roundup Inn; and as Johnny K. so aptly remarked, “…Tyler did a lovely job setting up the exhibit…” with a sampling of all the wars represented in the Museum itself, and there “…seemed to be more traffic than ever!!”. He was right, and the great thing about the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo is that there are “Cowboys” from all over the country in attendance, many of whom are also veterans. I personally spoke with visitors from as far away as New York and Connecticut, who expressed great interest in the museum and the work that we do. All in all, it proved to be an excellent public relations event, and provided great exposure for the Museum.
John Kalvelage, Rodger Brownlee and his sister, Belle Brownlee
Kudos to all our Board Members and Volunteers who juggled their time and schedules to enable us to successfully operate these events and the museum simultaneously. It’s a lot of hard, but rewarding, work.
Also during the past year Tyler has practically doubled our exhibit square footage with the use of display cases generously donated by the Kimbell Art Museum; the donation of artifacts just keep coming in; and we have also taken positive steps toward making our M3 Stuart tank and White Halftrack ready for display, and ultimately operable.
Major William Leaf Jr, Infantry, retired
William Leaf Jr. was born at Madigan Army Hospital, Fortt Lewis, Washington in 1954. His mother took him back to Muskegon, Michigan where his Father joined them after his discharge from the Army. They soon moved to South Bend, Indiana where Bill attended St. Joesph’s High School. He spent a year at IIT in Chicago, then a year at SMC (JC) in Dowagiac, Michigan where he was on the track team. Bill was training for the National JC Marathon when a foot injury stopped him. His family had moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he joined them and attended Central State University in Edmond, Oklahoma as part of the ROTC program. He ran track for a year and had the school record for the 3000m Steeplechase that year.
He received a reserve commission as an Infantry 2 LT in 1979, and a BS in Education. After Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, he was assigned to 2nd Bn 41st Infantry Regt 2nd Armored Division as a Platoon Leader. After a year he was moved to HHC XO and took part in Reforger ‘80. Bill was then moved to 1st (Tiger) Brigade HQ and took over Burba Gym and the recreational athletics program for the Brigade. During this time Bill took part in several running events and was the 1981 III Corps and Fort Hood Champion in the 3000m Steeplechase during the III Corps Track meet.
In 1982 Bill completed his 3-year active tour and moved back to Oklahoma City, OK. He joined the 2nd Bn 180th Infantry TLAT (Tow Light Anti-Tank) of the Oklahoma National Guard. At first, he was overstrength in the BN HQ, then Platoon Leader in C co. Finally, he was selected as HHD Commander and promoted to Captain. Since the TLAT Battalions were designed to attach out their Companies to support other units, they did not have a full Bn staff, only Personnel (S-1), Operations (S-3) and Supply (S-4) shops.
Bill started wargaming with Avalon Hills “Blitzkrieg” in the late 60s, before moving on to miniature battles. Wanting to get organization and tactics correct for the Armies he built and fought, Bill did extensive research. Of particular interest were the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact Forces. Since 2nd 180th did not have an S2 (Intelligence) position, Bill filled in at that position creating briefings for the Companies, both while at home stations, during field exercises, and Annual Training. During one Drill at Camp Gruber where 2 companies were exercising, Bill brought his 1/72 scale models and using the parking area of an unused range, set up a Soviet Motorized Rifle Battalion in a movement to contact formation. The platoons would bring their vehicles to the line and use the TOW sights and Binoculars to spot the Soviet models at a scale distance of 3000 meters. The lead Soviet companies were arrayed according to Soviet Doctrine; Scout cars, tanks, APCs, and Air Defense vehicles were all positioned as they would likely be on a battlefield. Closer to the platoon were US and NATO vehicles in the defense. After all of the crew members rotated through the sights and Binos, Bill took them on a walk through of the area, pointing out how the Soviet units were organized and deployed. Not only did the TOW crews get training on vehicle ID, but where to look for the other vehicles in a Soviet Platoon, Company, etc.
During his time as HHD Commander, he was also a member of the OKNG High-power Rifle Team. He made 2 trips to the Wilson Matches (NG National Championships), 1 to the 1986 5th Army Reserve Component Championship matches and a trip to Hawaii to compete in a Rifle match sponsored by the Marines. He also made the Governor’s Twenty during the Oklahoma State NG matches.
Among the various artifacts that the Military Museum of Fort Worth has on display, there is one that many people may overlook, tucked away as it is in a case behind the large, cutaway B-36 Bomber engine. The artifact is also part of an aircraft engine; how it came to the museum, I will leave for others to tell, and instead I will tell the story of the aircraft it came from and its crew.
At 2:50 p.m. on April 4, 1943, 25 B-24Ds of the 514th Bomb Squadron of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), itself part of the 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy), took off from their base at Soluch Field, near Benghazi, Libya, in North Africa. Their mission was to conduct a high-altitude bombing attack against harbor facilities at Naples, Italy. When the mission concluded, all aircraft save one, returned safely to their base that night. Missing was the Lady Be Good, serial number 41-24301. The Lady Be Good was a new aircraft, named after a 1941 movie (and title song of the same name *). Its nine-man crew, also new and inexperienced, was on its first combat mission. The members of the crew were:
- 1st Lt. William J. Hatton, pilot — Whitestone, New York
- 2nd Lt. Robert F. Toner, copilot — North Attleborough, Massachusetts
- 2nd Lt. DP Hays, navigator — Lee's Summit, Missouri
- 2nd Lt. John S. Woravka, bombardier — Cleveland, Ohio
- T/Sgt. Harold J. Ripslinger, flight engineer — Saginaw, Michigan
- T/Sgt. Robert E. LaMotte, radio operator — Lake Linden, Michigan
- S/Sgt. Guy E. Shelley, gunner — New Cumberland, Pennsylvania
- S/Sgt. Vernon L. Moore, gunner — New Boston, Ohio
- S/Sgt. Samuel E. Adams, gunner — Eureka, Illinois
Left to Right: 1lt William Hatton; 2lt Robert Toner; 2lt D.P. Hays; 2lt John Woravka; Tsgt Harold Ripslinger; Tsgt Robert Lamotte; SSG Guy Shelly; SSG Vernon Moore; SSG Samuel Adams
The mission started off well, with the Lady Be Good being one of the last to take off. The plan called for her to catch up with the other aircraft, and once assembled in two waves, the group would fly across the Mediterranean Sea and hit the target. Unfortunately, Sahara winds produced a dust storm causing poor visibility that scattered the planes and forced many of them to abort the mission. Nevertheless, a small number of planes attempted to reach the target, with two of them bombing an alternate target. Short of Naples, the Lady Be Good, aborted, dumped its bomb load into the sea, and turned for home. Flying alone, she was last heard from reporting that her radio direction finder was not operating correctly, and requesting help. Flares were shot up into the night sky but she was never heard from again. A search was conducted, but no sign of her was ever found, and her disappearance remained a mystery when the war ended. The crew was listed as Missing in Action.
In November 1958, British geologists working for an oil company reported seeing a crashed aircraft while flying over the desert. In March 1959, a ground team found the aircraft and reported its location, along with aircraft information and names found on clothing, to officials at Wheelus Air Force Base, near Tripoli, Libya. In May 1959, officials from Wheelus, and the Army Quartermaster Mortuary in Frankfurt, Germany, traveled to the crash site to investigate. What they found was the Lady Be Good in a remarkably well-preserved state. 
The plane had made a surprisingly good pilotless belly landing, skidding some 700 yards before breaking in half and stopping. Besides being relatively intact, the B-24’s .50 caliber machine guns were still in working order, with the investigators actually firing one of the guns, the aircraft’s radio was still functional, and one of the engines was also found to be in working condition. Three of the engines had been feathered when it crashed, indicating that Lady Be Good had run out of fuel. On board, they found survival equipment and food, all properly stored, and even a thermos of tea, still drinkable. All that was missing was the crew and parachutes, indicating they had bailed out.
Parts of the aircraft were salvaged, some to be taken back and tested to see what effect sixteen years of sitting in the desert had done to them; others parts were used to make needed repairs to the investigator’s aircraft, for their return to Wheelus. In August 1959, an extensive ground search was conducted, which turned up some personal effects and random items of crew equipment, but still no human remains or clues to the eventual fate of the missing crewmembers; It was as if they had vanished into thin air. The ground search being completed without result, the investigation was closed down, and the fate of the crew remained listed as MIA.
Then in February, 1960, in the same general area, British Petroleum employees came across human remains, and once again Army Mortuary personnel returned to the scene to investigate. What the British Petroleum employees had stumbled across turned out to be remains of five of the missing airmen. Along with more personal items, a diary kept by 2Lt. Robert Toner, was discovered. It told an amazing tale; Lady Be Good had indeed overflown its base in the darkness, and as the plane began running out of fuel, the crew made a decision. Believing they were still over the ocean, they decided to parachute out rather than try to land the plane. Leaving the plane on autopilot, eight of the men made and survived the jump. Once on the ground, firing their pistols and signal flares into the air, they were able to meet up.
They took stock of what they had. It was not very much, with only a half canteen of water between them. Investigators determined they were fifteen miles north of the crash site. Had they walked south to the crash site, they would have had food, water and a working radio with which to call for help. Instead, thinking that they were close to the coast and their base, they headed north, not realizing that they were almost 400 miles away. They managed to survive for over eight days in the searing heat. Five of the men walked 85 miles before becoming too exhausted to continue. Three men continued on, trying to find help. T/Sgt Harold Ripslinger had also kept a diary, and although it was in poor condition, it told the same story of hardships endured by the crew on their long walk. His last entry had been “Still struggling to get out of dunes and find water”.
Investigators found the remains of Sgt. Guy Shelley 21 miles north of the main group, and Sgt. Ripslinger’s remains were found another 26 miles further on. In May 1960, the search for the last two men was called off. However, in August, 1960 the remains of 2Lt. John Woravka were found. He had been the only crew member that had not met up with the group after bailing out of the aircraft. Evidence at the scene indicated that his parachute did not fully open, and he likely died on impact. The remains of the ninth airman, Sgt. Vernon Moore, have never been found. However, his remains may have been recovered and buried by a desert patrol of the British Army in 1953. They were unaware that any missing air crews might be in the area, and thus the remains were recorded but then buried without further investigation; this was in the same general area as Shelley and Ripslinger. This information came to light only in 2001, but given the political situation in Libya at the time, no attempt has been made to recover these remains.
Seven of the eight air-crewmen were buried near their home towns, and the eighth was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. At least two books and numerous newspaper and magazine articles have been devoted to this subject. Various items from the Lady Be Good went to the Air Force Museum, Air Force Academy, and the Army Quartermaster Museum. Over the years, souvenirs were also removed from the aircraft by search party members and various oil exploration teams passing through the area.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I first became aware of the story of the Lady Be Good in 1959/60 when as a fourteen-year old, I read a feature story that ran in PARADE Magazine, the Sunday newspaper supplement. Not long after the story ran, it was followed by a television special with newsreels of the Lady Be Good in situ.. At the time, the mystery of the missing aircrew had not been solved, and that missing part of the story captivated and endured in my imagination for many years.
In his article, Dale has captured the essence of the story of the Lady Be Good and its crew, one of the more intriguing MIA stories of WWII. Come see our small part of the story at Military Museum of Fort Worth.
* “…Oh, Sweet and lovely Lady, Be Good. Oh, Lady Be Good to Me. I am so awfully misunderstood, So Lady Be Good to me…..”. This verse is from the popular song that was written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1924 broadway musical, Lady Be Good. The song remained popular and was recorded by numerous artist, including Count Basie in 1939, 1n 1941, a musical film of the same name was produced, and the song was performed by the chorus.
The song and the lyrics were popular and evocative of the emotions of many young, lonely American servicemen who soon found themselves in the middle of a life-or-death drama far from home, perhaps looking for a chance romantic encounter with that Lady Be Good. It is not surprising that one young American aircrew chose it as the namesake of the ”Lady” they would fly into combat.
