World War II Honoree

James Virgil 'Jimmie' Wine

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Moniter, Washington

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 19 MAY 1942 AT WENATCHEE IN CHELAN COUNTY, WASHINGTON. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED VIA AFRICA TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XX BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 468TH BOMBARDMENT 'GENERAL BILLY MITCHELL' GROUP, 794TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT KHARAGPUR AIRFIELD IN THE BENGAL PROVINCE OF INDIA. AS PART OF OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN, HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE AND LOGISTICALLY STAGED A BOMBING MISSION THROUGH PENGSHAN AIRFIELD (A-7) NEAR CHENGDU, CHINA. ON 20 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW IN THE RIGHT SEAT AS A PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'CALAMITY SUE' (SERIAL # 42-6368). IT WAS ONE OF 75 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE IMPERIAL IRON AND STEEL WORKS AT YAWATA, JAPAN. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF KAWASAKI KI-45 'NICK' FIGHTER PLANES. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT BY DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION OF ANOTHER B-29 WHICH HAD BEEN RAMMED BY ONE OF THE JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HE MANAGED TO BAIL OUT BEFORE HIS BOMBER CRASHED AND BURNED IN A FOREST WITHIN FUKUOKA PREFECTURE ON KYUSHU ISLAND, JAPAN. ON 31 AUGUST 1944, HE WAS KILLED IN A FIREFIGHT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STEAL A JAPANESE PLANE AT ASHIYA AIR FIELD.