Imphal, The Hump and Beyond 
Imphal, The Hump and Beyond
U.S.A.A.F. Combat Cargo Groups of the Second World War
1st Combat Cargo Group, 4th Combat Cargo Squadron
The Final Mission
(A tribute to Arthur B. Curtis)
T/Sgt. Ben Deatherage
| Throbbing propellers thundering by overhead, A grim Reaper formation with one slot missing. A dip of their wings, then off into the mirrored blue, Last farewell to an airman----his final mission. Whose only vice was the obsession of flying, To this adventurous spirit, a flying salute.
Ho cargo to deliver---no more updrafts to ride; No ice to fear----no more headwinds to fight; No longer hemmed in by a confining ceiling. Forever free from the terrestrial grasp of gravity; Only a hump tested badge of courage remaining. Those silver wings of the Army Air Force.
Now he rides the wings of the wind, The winds of eternity. Oh! Zephyr breeze, blow him not off course, Just a gentle tailwind in the stellifurous expanse. Zephyr, God of wind, guide him to that restful place, In his flight to Gods inviolable base.
A Friend is gone, A bond is broken. His courage was known, But his feats were mostly unspoken. For him there never was a quid pro quo, To fly was the only way to go. (Ed. Note For details on the fate of Arthrur B. Curtis, see "Buddies") T/Sgt. Ben Deatherage from his book 'Silhouettes of Fear' 1998 See Recommended Reading Page for information on purchasing this book. |
Back to T/Sgt. Ben Deatherage Page
Back to 4th Combat Cargo Squadron Crew Stories
Back to 4th Combat Cargo Squadron Page
Back to 1st Combat Cargo Group Page
Back to Combat Cargo Group Home Page
| I am looking for former members of
the 3rd Combat Cargo Group, 1st, Combat Cargo Group, 2nd Combat Cargo Group and the
4th Combat Cargo Group. In fact I would like to hear from anyone who flew over the
Hump during WW II, or flew any Combat Cargo Missions at any time (Berlin Air-Lift, Korea,
etc.) Please e-mail comment, suggestions, corrections,etc to: bill@comcar.org Imphal, the Hump and Beyond Copyright © 1999 Bill Bielauskas All rights reserved. Notice to all Viewers: All stories and images within "Imphal, The Hump and Beyond, U.S.A.A.F Combat Cargo Units of the Second World War", are Copyright ©1999, to the Veteran who submitted the text and/or photographs and to Bill Bielauskas, Webmaster at "Imphal, the Hump and Beyond, U.S.A.A.F. Combat Cargo Units of the Second World War". All rights reserved. No part of this page, or those connected via links, either text, or images may be used for any purpose other than personal use. Storage, reproduction, modification on a retrieval system or transmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Copyright © holder(s) is prohibited. This includes storage on another Internet Website other than "Imphal, the Hump and Beyond, U.S.A.A.F. Combat Cargo Groups of the Second World War" Bill Bielauskas 10 Cayuga Trail, Wayne, NJ. 07470-4406 |