A-26 crews of 670 Bomb Sq. at Melun-Villaroche, France, winter 1944/45.
From left to right: Robert L. Kirk (BN), Robert J. Rooney (P),
uncertain Johnson, Hugh A. Monroe (P), Unknown, Unknown, Unknown
"On March 15, 1945 Robert J. Rooney was promoted to Captain. He was a West Pointer (class of June, 1943). On 21 March 1945 he made his final mission. In 1945, I was in the 670th BS and shared an eight man tent with Rooney. On 21 March 1945, I was 20 feet behind Rooney's airplane when it was chewed up by Anderson's airplane. I had to dodge the pieces of both planes as they came at me. Six lives were lost in that event. Back on 18 July 1944, on a mission, Rooney's plane was badly shot up. He received a piece of flak through his seat that lodged in his body. He crash landed at Ford, England and was operated on and kept in the hospital for over two months. He rejoined the squadron after we had moved to France at A-55 and resumed flying missions. Rooney was a very happy and friendly guy. He was well liked by everyone he came in contact with."
Submitted by Wayne Downing on 13 June 2007.
"Goin' Home" courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Band