[Music] a [Music] [Music] as World War II entered its final years since 1939 the world had been caught up in one of the most devast ating and brutal conflicts it had ever known but by late 1943 and into 1944 the tide in Europe had begun to change pockets of resistance began forming in France danger was a constant and many executed if captured from out of their hiding places underground and burned out buildings the French Resistance both men and women would infiltrate the German High command befriend the troops on the ground and radio back the Intel received including German troop movements and locations of weapon stock piles realizing how crucial this information was to our war efforts a plan to Aid the French Resistance had to be put into place in August of 1943 several squadrons would be selected from the anti- submarine bomber groups patrolling off the coast of the United States Eastern seaboard flying heavy B24 liberators these handpicked pilots and Crews deployed overseas to England and work together with England's Royal Air Force to give Aid to the French Resistance and compose one of the most important and dangerous air missions of World War II eventually becoming known by the code name operation carpet bagger [Music] recogniz [Music] [Music] [Music] in the spring of 1942 World War II was decimating the European Countryside however the Eastern Coastline of the United States had been on high alert after several sightings and attacks on Allied Shipping by the deadly German submarine known as the uboat since Germany had managed to park their submarines so close to American beaches and had been doing this since 1942 or possibly earlier Air Force and army air bases began to spring up along the Eastern Seaboard from Miami's 36th Street airport to Chatham field in Savannah Georgia up to dowfield in Maine all these states began anti-submarine squadrons and sent heavy bombers known as B24 liberators and other aircraft out to sea to patrol the coastline along with the Navy who were simultaneously conducting their own patrols even the Gulf of Mexico had its own airfields guarding the coastline from outposts like galvaston Gulfport and Drew field in Tampa Florida from January 1942 to 1943 German uots red Havoc specifically off of the coast of North Carolina in the areas of Cape Hadis and okre Coke Island known as the Outer Banks on January 19th 1942 a German ubot sank the 337 ft us freighter the city of Atlanta sinking the ship and killing all but three of the 47 men aboard the same ubo attacked two more ships just hours later as for the German war vessel this classification of it being strictly a submarine was not entirely accurate actually the ubot was more of a warship that could dive and remain underwater for short periods of time and could only travel approximately 60 Mi before having to resurface for air they often attack ships while on the surface with deck mounted guns however they were equally capable to destroy ships from below water level these German war vessels were considered by experts to be be some of the best warships ever designed but as the threat from the Germans increased so did the preparation and retaliation by the United States as their defense systems were quickly strengthened on April 14th 1942 the first German OT caught by the American Navy in US Waters was sunk 16 Mi southeast of Nags Head North Carolina within the next couple of months three more uots were Sun all along the North Carolina coast bringing a total of four uots destroyed and representing the most enemy kills of any state all in all over the next 6 months 397 ships had been sunk or damaged and more than 5,000 people killed even though these battles happened in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Eastern State Coastline off the coast of North Carolina near Cape hatas saw the most enemy activity and sightings giving this the area nickname torpedo Junction and although this was going on just a few miles off our American Shores the government kept this information classified as not to disturb the American public to this day a German submarine lies just 10 mil off the coast of Wilmington North Carolina in 120 ft of water and a cold steel watery grave holds the bodies of those lost German soldiers floating silently inside sealed hatches so ask anyone who lived near the Outer Banks of North Carolina they would be the first to tell you how close the United States came to being overrun by Germany in World War II and had basically parked right in our backyard to the point of having their homes and communities labeled with the Fright ing nickname torpedo Junction all of this proves to be a constant reminder of how close Hitler's reach came to American soil specifically the North Carolina coast before all this Atlantic wartime activity started and before 1939 when Hitler began putting his master plan of Germany reclaim CL in the glory they had lost in World War I in a small town known as tii North Carolina a young man in his 20s named Henry D McMillan Jr was living his life in the 1930s growing up his family meant everything to him he was very close to his mother Louise Bland McMillan and his hardworking father Henry McMillan senior they lived in a small but comfortable home and church was an important part of their [Music] life I'm sure Henry D McMillan was rocked in this chair many times as an infant his father dude McMillan bought it for Henry D's mother Lou Bland McMillan around 1900 and you'll notice behind me the picture of tii Presbyterian Church which is still standing in tii Henry D's grandfather Abram Francis Bland became a contractor in County when he returned after the Civil War and he helped build the church Henry D's grandfather also built the grocery store in TI in 1908 for his son HD McMillan better known as dude and his son's ran even as a young boy he had an inclination for the military and no matter what he did he was always the center of attention in a small town like TI there wasn't much to do but he was always looking for adventure in some form or another he discovered he could make good money in the thriving jukebox business by buying selling and servicing them in local diners and dance halls throughout the area and that's what Henry would do for the next 5 years or so but even though he was a hard worker he was always on the lookout for girls and one day while installing a juke box in one of the small local community houses in a town called called Warsaw not far from his town of tii he spotted a girl that immediately caught his eye and Henry caught her eye as well her name was Rachel and they hit it off immediately and when they weren't together they would ride each other constantly dearest Henry D I suppose you will be the least bit surprised to hear from me but I've been thinking about you quite a bit today and finally decided to write did you or have you gotten a card about the Dan I hope you can come we were well Alice Richard and I still planning to go see you real soon Richard wants to let us go fishing and maybe we'll go Friday maybe be good till I see you I love you Rachel and as the letters continued so did the relationship Henry thought he had finally found the one girl that would settle him down but it wouldn't be long before Henry's old habits would get in the way he was athletic handsome and having his pick of any of the young ladies in the area was never a problem before he met Rachel he used to boast to his friends why just make one girl happy when I can make them all happy and it was this attitude that would always come back to haunt him especially in a serious relationship like the one he was involved with now experience the past like never before with history hits award-winning original documentaries and adree podcasts with our expert historians like Dan snow Susanna lipam Lucy Worley Mary beard Tristan Hughes and myself Matt Lewis sign up for an exclusive discount using the link in the description and embark on your historical Journey from the wonders of ancient Egypt and the life of an berin to the rise of Napoleon bonapart and the discovery of shackleton's endurance get history Wherever Whenever exclusively on History hit when we were kids me and my brother were in tii at the McMillan home and we went exploring and we happened to wander in this room and found an old Foot Locker and some other stuff that belonged to Henry D and we found his old cowboy boots and his dog tags they gave those boots to my brother Jimmy and that really made his day well you know we wanted to know more about Henry D and they told us that he was very adventurous very outgoing and he had a great personality when the war broke out they said that he wanted to do his part so he went and joined the army aircore oh another thing they said Henry D always had a lot of girlfriends Henry D's reputation with the girls and the rumors that would fly around town would have eventually make their way back to Rachel in Warsaw North Carolina which was not far away and news traveled fast she had finally had enough of Henry D's so-called adventures and called it quits on their relationship and even though it would be several years before Japan would rain down its Infamous attack on Pearl Harbor sending all our young men to war Rachel sent what would probably be as close to a Dear John Letter that Henry D would ever receive even though he was several years away from enlistment in the Army Air Corp Henry D I suppose you will be both surprised and annoyed at hearing from me however I grant you'll not be bothered with a letter just a note to let you know that I want my ring I thought you'd at least be decent enough to send it back will you please send it either today or tomorrow because I'm going to the lake and I want it before I leave Sunday I here it's quite a habit with you taking Rings maybe you're a hoarder if so I suggest you try the dime store just Rachel so for the next few years Henry D carried on his normal getting the most out of his life as he could but just like always that adventurous Spirit of Henry D's would finally pull him in the direction of no return yesterday December 7 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and Air Forces of the Empire of Japan during this Infamous attack on Pearl Harbor a family friend Rafel Sims IV great grandson of the Civil War hero Admiral Rafel Sims who commanded the CSS Alabama was one of the few that were able to get airborne and in his case it was off the deck of the cruiser the USS St Louis his family stated that pilot Sims I fourth was almost shot down by Friendly Fire several times during the fight ironically later during World War II like his great-grandfather Admiral Sims pilot Sims IV also served served on a warship with the same Alabama namesake the battleship USS Alabama with World War 2 raging in Europe and now after Pearl Harbor America was thick in the fight as well and Henry D always said everyone else will be coming home with all these Great War Stories I don't want to be left behind so with that he closed up shop packed up said his goodbyes to his family and friends and set a course to Fort Brag North Carolina when Henry D went to join the Army Air corps they asked him about the scars on his legs they of course came from when his legs were broken he and his friends jumped on a freight train and one of the boys fell and he was about to get hurt by the closing of the door Uncle Henry D shoved him out of the way and in doing so the door shut on Uncle Henry D's legs and broke them both saving his friend from certain death on a trained Box Car So to avoid any complications about his injuries he told them they were just birth marks en listed in the Army aircore on August 6th 1942 from there he was sent to Harlington aerial Gunnery School in Harlington Texas this was an intense sixe training program in both air to a and surfac to- a Gunnery the aircraft used in these exercises ranged from heavy bombers like the B17 Flying Fortress and the B24 Liberator and Fighters like the p63 king cobra the at6 Texan and bt13 Valiant within a few months Henry D McMillan Jr graduated as an aerial Gunner on October 21st 1942 and was also promoted to Sergeant on his graduation not long after this on the west coast one of the most important military figures to come out of World War II Clifford hefin who had been stationed in California along with Major Robert fish and in command of the 46th anti submarine Squadron was making preparations to move his units to the east coast the 46th flew into Cherry Point Marine station in North Carolina in March 1943 they eventually began changing aircraft and training in the B24 Liberator due to its long-range capabilities and Firepower which was much more Suited to submarine warfare also a general order was issued by headquarters to change the 46th to the 22nd anti- submarine Squadron heavy and immediately after that they were moved to bluthal Airfield in Wilmington North Carolina around that same time Henry D McMillan Jr also arrived at the Cherry Point Airbase to join up with the 25th and submarine wing and assigned to the 22nd anti submarine Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hein the next few months at bluthal Airfield Henry D was involved in final training and submarine Patrol missions off of the coast of North Carolina specifically the Outer Banks better known as torpedo Junction and had obtained that nickname from all the German ubot activity in that region of the Atlantic and the devastation to Allied shipping those submarines caused there Henry D McMillan or ma as he was known to his commanders and friends was attached to Pilot Lieutenant Wilmer Staples crew as a waste Gunner an engineer in the B24 Liberator my dad Lieutenant Wilmer L staple was a highly decorated pilot he began his career in World War II flying the bombers what I remember the most about my dad's War Stories from his original crew back in 1942 my dad always talked about Henry D McMillan Jr What a fine great young man he was and he was always one of my dad's topnotch crew members and they were flying the B24 Liberator Mac also trained occasionally at Camp Davis which was like harling gun was an air Gunnery school and less than 20 mi from Wilmington the area surrounding Camp Davis had been an old Civil War Fort known as Fort fiser and provided a perfect area for Gunnery practice and ironically Henry D's grandfather Abram Francis Bland was also stationed at Fort fiser during the Civil War as a member of the first regiment North Carolina artillery division the closest town to Camp Davis was Holly Ridge and the crew used to joke about the town being so small and in a humorous play on words called it a Boom Town boom you're in boom you're out but most of Mac's time was spent at bluthal throughout 1943 in submarine Patrol [Music] missions but orders came down that Hein was to choose 12 Crews from the 25th anti- submarine Wing specifically the fourth anti submarine Squadron based out of Langley field Virginia in the 22nd out of bluethenthal and prepare them to move overseas where they would eventually land at the US Army Airbase in dunwell England Mack was now getting ready to taste the real battle he was looking for with a chance to fly off the coast of Europe and face Hitler's War Machine firsthand and that adventurous spirit that had drove Henry D McMillan Jr to enlist climb to the rank of Sergeant and be handpicked as one of the 12 Crews flying overseas with Lieutenant Colonel hlin and Major Robert fish and two others who would later become leaders major Rodman a stclair and Major Robert Boon was about to be severely tested against the bulk of the German ubo Fleet in the Bay of bisque and from the air by Hitler seasoned loffa fighter pilots in August of 1943 Henry D McMillan and his 22nd anti submarine Squad deployed to dunswell England to fly German ubo patrols over the Bay of bisque once there Henry Dey knew this action would be far more intense and dangerous than any missions he had flown back in Wilmington North Carolina not only did they have to contend with more of a concentration of German OTS there was also the constant threat from the German Luft wafa providing cover from the skies to all of of this heavy enemy action while Sergeant Henry D McMillan was patrolling the Bay of bisque he was still flying with the same crew that had been together since early 1943 at bluthal Airfield Wilmington North Carolina Wilmer staple crew where Henry D worked as a waste Gunner engineer and occasionally a dispatcher and still part of the 22nd anti- submarine Squadron he was flying several Patrol missions a month and also encountered heavy enemy activity I listened to a lot of my dad's War Stories everything from his missions in the states to his overseas missions in England and Germany some of the things I remember the most were all the amazing amounts of metals that my dad received one of the most distinguished Awards and medals was the distinguished flying cross metal his whole career he did nothing but fly and he did retire in 1960 it wasn't long after this that things started to change at dunswell for Henry D his crew and the rest of the anti-submarine squadrons rumors started circulating about possible reassignments and maybe even moving to other air bases in England no one could be sure but change was definitely on the horizon as the end of October 1943 approached those rumors were verified as fact on October 19th 1943 as noted in Henry D McMillan's flight log he flew one more 13-hour anti-submarine Patrol combat Mission with staple they then proceeded to have an extended break with the exception of one 3-hour training mission on October 26th it was during this 6-day period that the plans for one of the most covert and dangerous operations of World War II would be put into action on October 24th 1943 Lieutenant Colonel hefin commander of the 22nd anti submarine Squadron along with Major Robert fish and a few other Squadron leaders were called into a top secret meeting at bovington Airbase west of London it was there they met with the upper echelon of the eth Air Force under the command of Brigadier General Iris e eer also in attendance were several top ranking officials of the US office of strategic services or OSS under the command of OSS department head William Donovan and also the OSS would eventually become known as the CIA during this top secret meeting briefings were underway to issue a new assignment to Lieutenant Colonel hefin and his 22nd Squadron along with the fourth from this point forward they were no longer needed for anti-submarine patrol as those duties were to be assigned to the US Navy in the 22nd and 4th were deactivated in their place they were handed a new directive and operating under the code name Carpet Baggers on this mission they were charged with the responsibility of parachuting sabur intelligence agents weapons and supplies to the French Resistance and other resistance Pockets deep into German occupied territory and they would be operating as direct Air Command of the USS while also working closely in conjunction with British Intelligence Officers of the Special Operations Executives known as the s soe along with this assignment came the redesignation of the two squadrons what was previously the 22nd and the 4th would become the 36th and the 406th squadrons lieutenant colonel Heflin assumed command of the 406th with Captain Robert Boon as his operations officer while Major Robert fish would command the 36th Squadron with Captain Rodman stclair acting as his operations officer both squadrons were then ordered to move operations to the alen Barry airbase and were attached to the 482nd Pathfinder Bomb Group currently stationed at Albury with this new directive in place the command returned to dunwell and orders were given to pilots and air Crews to prepare for the mass movement of their aircraft to alen Barry Airbase now Sergeant Henry D McMillan was taking one more step closer to that Adventure he had signed up for back in Fort Brag North Carolina however this operation as everyone could plainly see could possibly be one of the most dangerous missions they had been assigned to up to this point in the war upon the return of hefin fish and the rest of the commanders attending the top secret dun well meeting the carpet bagger mission was put into action and a flurry of activity began the ground crew Personnel began the immense task of reconfiguring the massive B24 liberators from anti-submarine bombers to stealth-like aircraft with the ability to fly low-level night missions without German radar detection enabling them to airdrop supplies and French Resistance Personnel to other resistance forces hiding out on the ground there were many modifications that needed to be completed in a short period of time among these would be the removal of the lower Gunner's ball turret compartment and leaving a hole in the belly of the plane approximately 44 in in diameter it was lined with a smooth metal and a plywood floor was made to cover the exit there was also a handrail attached to the side of the exit area along with two strong points for parachute static lines that deployed when the Personnel or supplies were dropped from the Joe hole the reason behind this moniker was the custom of calling secret agents or spies Joe's or in the case of female agents josephin other modification included removing the nose guns for better sight navigation since landmarks on the ground needed to be seen to guide the crews to to their target drops the aircraft were also painted black and black curtains were fitted in any windows that might emit light from internal equipment such as radios that could be seen by the enemy on the ground while all of this and many more modifications were being made by the ground Cruise in alberry on October 24th 1943 a select group of command commanders pilots and air Crews transferred for temporary duty to the Tims for Royal Air Force Base in bedfordshire north of London this was due to the fact that the Royal Air Force pilots had been flying these types of missions for quite some time they were to team the Americans with the British for training in classrooms and in the air the goal was to teach these new American carpet bagger air crews in the perilous techniques of flying 500 to 600 ft above ground level which consisted of mountains and constantly changing terrain and in the black of the night they also had to learn the methods of keeping the heavy aircraft Aloft at extremely low air speeds this would allow the supplies and secret agents both men and women to be parachuted from the bottom of the aircraft approximately 500 ft above ground level and land as close to their targets as possible the first of the Americans to receive training from the Royal Air Force was Major Robert fish Lieutenant Sullivan and an air crew under the command of Captain Robert Boon they were instructed in techniques and then informed they would fly their first actual training mission on the Moonlight periods of November and December they used these moonl at nights to see their flight paths and Target drops more clearly as more Americans arrived in tempsford in November each pilot would fly two nighttime missions as a co-pilot with a member of the Raf in the pilot seat these joint American and British exercises continued and although they were considered training missions and not actual carpet bagger training missions there were still a few American casualties the first of these was Captain James E Estus who is pictured here as he received a medal from an anti-submarine Mission he had flown out of Langley field Virginia back in early 1942 with the first seaarch attack group who had narrowly escaped death piloting his B24 during one of his missions over the Bay of bis still flying anti-submarine patrol with co-pilot Rodman stclair this time however he was not so lucky a few nights later Lieutenant gross along with his Royal Air Force counterpart went missing in action as well it was due to the deaths of these Crews very early in the month of November that Lieutenant Colonel hefin gave the order that no more than one of his crews in in leadership roles could fly any combat missions on the same night once the training in tempsford with the Royal Air Force pilots was completed the commanders pilots and Crews returned to alen bbery and began preparing for their new operation a few command changes were put into place beforehand however on December 14th 1943 hefin and fish were upgraded and put in charge of the 482nd path finder Bomb Group now Lieutenant Colonel hefin would be the top Air executive officer for the carpet bagger operations while major fish became the operations officer of the carpet bagger special project to fill the Squadron command void left by these two reassignments the current operations officers under the command of hefin and fish were promoted Captain Robert Boon would now assume command of the 4006 with Lieutenant Lyman Sanders as his operations officer and Captain stclair was promoted to commander of the 36th Squadron with Captain Robert L Williams assuming the role of his operations officer with all the shuffling of command on the inside and the jockeying for desk positions there was just as much change happening with the pilots and Crews on the outside all over the alen Barry flight lines and as a consequence of all this activity Henry D McMillan would also be affected as well he had spent the entire year and earlier flying and training with the pilot Wilmer Staples crew under the command of lieutenant colonel hefin in Wilmington North Carolina with the 22nd anti-submarine Squadron but now as part of the carpet bagger Squadron Crews were being split up and assigned to other aircraft although the majority of major Staples crew stayed together through most of the carpet bagger missions in 1944 it was during December 1943 Henry D began spending time and training with some of pilot Robert Williams crew even though Captain Williams had just been promoted to a des job as operations officer under Captain stclair who was in command of the 36th Squadron this action unfortunately had cut Captain Williams actual flight hours back drastically to the point of only logging approx o imately 40 hours of actual flight time in the month of December but as Captain Williams continued his duties inside out on the flight line Henry D began forming solid relationships with the crew both professionally and personally these crew members from the B24 Liberator called the slightly dangerous included Glen o witner from South Dakota Milton remling from Texas and tail Gunner Eddie Rush from Georgia to name a [Music] few Henry D began working with them to get the aircraft reconfigured for the new carpet bagger missions enabling them to drop supplies and agents to French Resistance forces deep Behind Enemy Lines and even though everyone involved knew these missions were going to be extremely hazardous at the very least they tried to keep their minds focused on the job at hand some of pilot Williams crew that Henry D was currently working with had pictures They Carried with them and they were proud to show them to anyone who asked like radio operator Glen o witner shown here with his sister and Navigator Milton rling pictured here with his wife Dorothy on their wedding day and tail Gunner Eddie Rush with his wife Monica and even Captain Williams had a wife back home as shown here in the front yard of their house in Kansas City but as the aircraft reconfigurations were taking place outside transforming them into the Consolidated b24d liberators inside the command post more changes were taking place as well specifically regarding the newly redesigned 46 and 36th squadrons while still assigned to the 482nd Pathfinder Bomb Group at this time in mid December they were detached from the first Air Force bomb Division and reassigned to the Eighth Air Force and would become the only units of the eth to be officially activated in the UK from scratch also as the end of December approached the first All-American crew that would make history flying the first American carpet bagger Mission were being assembled on paper and command was set and preparing to make this momentum departure into the night sky on January 4th 1944 as that date approached the crew for the mission had finally been decided upon listed here on the actual mission report Flight Plan the historic carpet bagger crew for all intents and purposes was the Wilmer staple crew and would be using his aircraft there were a few exceptions however on this Mission Lieutenant Colonel Clifford hefin would be the lead pilot while Wilmer staple would fly as co-pilot and written in the bottom left was Henry D McMillan's name although with the letters f/ LT preceding it possibly designating him as flight Lieutenant also it was Not Unusual on these carpet bagger missions to see names written in in certain areas on the mission reports as a last minute change in Personnel for whatever reason as was McMillan's name on the first mission flight plan and report so finally after years of training and service off the coast of Wilmington North Carolina flying missions with the first Air Force 22nd anti-submarine Squadron Henry D McMillan Jr had Rose quickly in rank transferred to England became a member of the mighty e Air Force and was only a few weeks away from being one of the eight handpicked crew members to fly the very first All-American carpet bagger mission in a newly reconfigured Consolidated b24d Liberator at last Henry D's Spirit of Adventure had placed him in a position to make history and even better to do it with some of the same crew and Friends he had been flying with for over a year this would be the first flight of many missions organized by the United States OSS department and England's S soe Division that would take to the night sky and become one of the most covert missions of World War II Henry D McMillan and the rest of his crew would leave the runway in the dark of the night and provide much needed Aid to vast pockets of the French Resistance in hiding deep Behind Enemy Lines with less than a month remaining before this epic and dangerous first American carpet bagger flight would take to the night sky Henry D had time to reflect on his life and accomplishments and to be a part of such a significant mission was a little overwhelming back in his hometown of tii North Carolina he did manage to carve out a decent living for himself in the Jukebox business but that paled in comparison to the immense undertaking he was preparing for now all in service to his country with a little time left before this scheduled January 4th flly he took some time to write home to his mother and father he couldn't disclose too much about his upcoming Mission due to its classified top secret nature but he did want to brag a little about the importance of the operation dear Mom and Dad I hope everything is going well back home I've been working really hard over the last few months in Albury there's been a lot of things going on around here and it seems our mission is getting ready to change a lot in the beginning of the New Year we're not hunting for German new anymore that's for sure but it is an important new Mission I can't say too much about it it's real Hush Hush around here but I think you and Dad would be proud I hope this letter reaches You by Christmas and I hope everyone has a merry one I will try to do the same but I wish I could spend it there well don't worry about me I'm doing fine not sure when I can write again in the beginning of the new year will be crazy with all the new stuff going on but I will try to write again first chance I get and maybe I can explain a little more about our new mission one day well tell everyone hey for me I love you both love Henry D kiss the babies for me and with that Henry D got back to work he wasn't flying and training very often in the month of December reconfiguring the aircraft and working with a few fellows from the Williams crew took up most of his time but he did enjoy befriending some of the new guys he knew some of the Williams crew from back in the Wilmington North Carolina days when they were all flying with the 22nd [Music] Squadron one of the guys in particular Milton remling shown here with a few more of the Williams crew and also pictured here during a little target practice on the firing range was a graduate of St Mary's University and Purdue University I'm Mike gimel I am the son of Lieutenant Milton rling I was born in San Antonio Texas in June 24 1943 what I know of my father was told to me by my mother her parents and her brother who not's contemporary George the Rings came to Texas in early years of Texas history and some became Texas Rangers some became Outlaws and some became Cowboys he enlisted at Fort Sam Houston in Texas and by May 1942 had gained his Navigator's wings at Kelly field in San Antonio with a rank of first lieutenant he returned home to Maria's sweetheart but was soon assigned to the 46th Squadron of the 41st bombardment group uh after being commissioned in the Army Air Corp Milton was sent to Alaba Dil Airbase in California where he became part of the 6 bomb Squadron under the command of Clifford Hein he was then sent to Cherry Point North Carolina and then to wilington North Carolina to fly anti submarine warfare against ger new boats and torpedo alley off the Carolina coast mother told me that was at a train CH point and when we got there she wented a room having no crib I was slept in a drawer Milton did see me when I was 3 months old before he shipped off to England they on that [Music] you but as the January 4th carpet bagger flight fast approached enry D did manage to log a few hours of Flight Training on the 16th 20th and 22nd of December he did not however log these hours with pilot staple as denoted in the column as local where normally the Pilot's name was listed in the previous months so apparently he was flying in training with various local Pilots of the 46 in 36th quadrant around the base but thousands of miles away back in the States Henry D's family were going about their lives and preparing for the upcoming Christmas holiday they all missed Henry D And even though they were constantly worried about him in the war that could any day take his life they wrote letters and tried to keep their spirits up along with Henry D's like this letter from Henry D's Mom and Dad My Dear Henry your letter received last week so glad to hear from you we are so tickled over the news and do hope it will all be over in 1944 we are all well but it stays so cloudy and rainy I don't know when we will get the baby pictures to send we'll do our best to get some soon did you get all of your Christmas things aunt Ben got some presents and money she had a good time but says she misses that Henry D be sure to write us often we will try to keep them flying be good with love and best wishes your devoted Mother Dear HDM Jor do write us each week we write you each Sunday so goodbye and write us just as often as you can then we know you are okay do you want us to send you anything if you do just tell us do hope you're are well from Dad but meanwhile back on the base the men were all trying to celebrate Christmas in their own way on December 25th most of the guys got together in various bars and pubs and exchanged gifts with some of the local children that always would hang around the base one of Henry D's friends Lewis Peterson wrote a letter home on December 26 1943 dear Flo Charlotte and Viv I hope you all had a swell Christmas and that by this time you're getting my mail okay it seems like the mail from the states gets over Faster by the way write to my new address at the top of the page we had a pretty good time over the weekend Christmas Eve after we came back from a flight we had a few drinks at the club around our Christmas tree and had sort of a jam session with a set of drums and a bugle went to Mass Christmas morning and then had a turkey dinner on the base in the afternoon the field was filled filled with kids invited out to our party they sure had a good time we got our present and that we didn't have to fly in the afternoon we went to town and had a tea at the hotel the lounge was filled with RAF officers and wives and kids and sure made me homesick to be sitting by myself watching them all had a swell time though that is about the best meal you can get in England when the pubs open a couple of other Fells and I made the rounds and proceeded to get half lit we wound up at the Red Cross singing carols and sliding down the banisters we're all looking forward to next Christmas and perhaps a white one I'll sign off for now and please note the new address give my regards to all love to all Lewis as leis Peterson finished this letter on the morning of December 26th 1943 the Christmas present he had spoke of in his writing of not having to fly on Christmas day was over on the night of December 26th the Robert L Williams crew was called into flight headquarters the first carpet bagger missions were barely a week away and the high command thought it would be beneficial to exercise at least one more training flight and began to assemble it since Henry D McMillan had already been assigned as a flight crew member on the very first carpet bagger Mission due to fly out on January 4th 1944 with pilot Lieutenant Colonel hefin and co-pilot Lieutenant Wilmer staple it seemed like a good idea for Henry D to receive one more Flight Training Mission before the inaugural carpet bagger Flight pilot Williams who had been on administrative Duty as operations officer for the 36th bomb Squadron inside headquarters for most of December was asked to Pilot this nighttime training Mission the crew members joining him consisted mostly of his main crew which included Navigator Milton L remling co-pilot Joseph W Hanley tail Gunner Eddie P Rush radio operator Glen o witner engineer Jesse a Wallace and for this training exercise two more crew members were added bombarder Lewis F Peterson and from the lieutenant Wilmer staple crew Sergeant F engineer Henry D McMillan Jr as the crew prepared for their scheduled Moonlight flight the darkness slowly began began to cover the airfield on the night of December 26th 1943 this one Consolidated B24 Liberator formerly known by its nose art the slightly dangerous turned over each of its four thundering engines on the flight line as the sound reverberated throughout the base the heavy aircraft came to life and being so close to the commencement of the first carpet bagger operation this would be a serious training Mission it would be flying at dangerously low levels approximately 600 ft above the ground so navigation and total concentration was crucial and even though the night sky was dark a small amount of moonlight was still visible with this the heavy bomber began its slow and methodical taxi to the runway and after a thorough flight check proceeded with full throttles forward and took to the night sky on what should be a routine training mission that this group had flown many times before and after reaching each checkpoint in their flight plan which would possibly amount to 8 hours or longer their mission would then require them to proceed back to the airport before sunset on December 27th 1943 but as fate would have it for the entire flight crew that left on that training mission that Sunset would never come and they would never see another Sunrise their B24 Liberator called slightly dangerous crashed into an English Mountainside known as ham down tour killing every crew member aboard and in those early morning hours of December 27th that Spirit of Adventure that Henry D McMillan Jr had lived for his entire life was finally extinguished and what seemed like a world away from the little town of tii North Carolina so instead of making history as part of the first official carpet bagger flight on January 4th 1944 Henry D made history as a casualty in the first All-American carpet bagger flight to lose his life in a carpet bagger training mission on December 27th 1943 I still remember when Dad told us how sad he was when his good friend was on the B24 and was on a last minute training and crashed and killed Henry D McMillan Jr along with the rest of the crew this all happened only 4 days before Henry D was to fly out with my dad Lieutenant stable and pilot Clifford effin and I think my dad missed him for a very long time and thought about him throughout the rest of his life a detail of men under the command of Captain Jesse Messer were sent from fenberry on December 28th to escort the bodies of the Williams crew from the torway railway station to the Brookwood Cemetery the men were all buried and the burned out wreckage of the B24 was cleared over the next 10 days Henry D's family were still awaiting a Christmas reply or at least a card since they had sent Henry D1 in plenty of time for it to arrive before Christmas Day Henry D's mom would check the mailbox every day in hopes of that letter but it wasn't until January 26th 1944 that a Christmas card did arrive but it wasn't from Henry D it was her own card stamped with return to Cinder along with the worst word she could have imagined and had been dreading for years it simply stated killed the shock rippled through the family like their worst nightmare had come true along with the wives sisters and families of the rest of the Williams crew living throughout the United States Captain Robert L Williams was my grandmother's brother making him my great uncle we didn't know much about his military career other than that he'd been killed in a B24 bomber crash on a mountain side in England I was lucky enough to have a few stories passed down to me from my grandmother and my dad we do know he did his flight training in Texas around the same time that Henry D McMillan was training at Hara Jin Gunnery school also in Texas which could be one in where they met the one story that sticks out in my mind is about the creaking stairs at their house in Kansas City whenever he would come home he would step on the stairs at their house in a certain way that made a creaking sound when the night of the crash my grandmother was laying in bed and she heard the creaking sound from the stairs she got up went out and looked and no one was there before she left she looked up into the sky she doesn't remember why she did she just knew she wanted to when she looked up she saw her brother's face smiling down at her the next day is when they found out that the crash happened meanwhile back in tii North Carolina the local Wallace North Carolina newspaper added a write up about Henry D's untimely death in service to his country and eventually letters of condolences arrived at the McMillan Family home address to his mom and dad from Rodman St Clair Dear Mr and Mrs McMillan I am terribly sorry I haven't answered your letter before now but I have been terribly busy you asked about your son's personal effects all of his effects were gathered up and sent to a central point to await disposition to his nearest of kin you must be patient as you can please understand how things in these matters take a considerable length of time I realize that time and time alone is all that can heal the wounds of grief I sincerely hope that the sting of your grief has somewhat subsided I hope that someday I may visit you and we could talk at Great Lengths about Mac sincerely r a stclair My Dear Mrs McMillan I am writing this letter to you as an expression of personal sympathy and the sudden death of your son staff sergeant Henry D McMillan 36 bombardment Squadron he was well known and loved for his friendliness and fine Spirit by officers and enlisted men alike he is greatly missed both officially and personally by this entire group we all know we have lost a sincere friend at the same time that we recognize your loss as being infinitely greater you would be interested to know something of the funeral service held at Brookwood American National Cemetery 1: p.m. Tuesday January the 4th 1944 a very large company of officers and enlisted men from our bombardment group attended the service was conducted jointly by a Navy chaplain and myself special prayer was made in behalf of all the loved ones who mourned his death the committal gun salute was fired and then the bugler played tap softly to climax a very impressive service with full military honors an American flag draped the casket and the cemetery flag was lowered to half Mass during the funeral service Brookwood is a very beautiful spot in a quiet English setting of Evergreens I recognize the difficulty of attempting to bring words of condolence in such experiences as this but if I may say even one word to lighten the burden I shall be glad after all is said and done our one and only real source of comfort Remains The Holy scriptures Jesus said let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that liveth and believeth on me shall never die Mrs McMillan you will I hope feel free to write me if there's ever at any time anything I can do for you Heaven's blessings upon you and yours sincerely yours Willis a brown chaplain captain years later when we're cleaning out my grandmother's basement we found a small box wasn't sure what it was but I was compelled to open it and see what it was when I opened it up I saw this flag folded up inside I found a little card inside that said that this flag was draped over my great uncle's casket I folded it up presented it to my grandmother and she instantly started crying she knew exactly what it was and at that point she told me that she wanted me to have the flag so I can cherish it and I still have it displayed into my house so I could remember Robert Williams my great uncle to this day one of Henry D's friends and fellow crew member of this last minute training Mission Lieutenant Milton L remling also received an obituary as well back in his hometown of San Antonio Texas after the crash and his death his wife received a letter of condolence also from unit Commander Rodman St Clair dear Dorothy it is with the deepest of regret that I write this letter by now the war department has notified you of Milton's death so it is now permissible for me to write to you there are not enough words to express my heartfelt sympathy of all the men I have ever known none loved life nor had so much for which to live as did Milton he loved his fellow Flyers his lovely family and his work I can't remember when Milton ever spoke crossly to anyone he always had a word of kindness for everyone and everything Milton was completely devoted to you and little Mike the picture you sent him of yourself and Mike was his most prized possession Milton loved to fly he often remarked that if death should sting him he hoped it would be in an airplane we and this business never think of a fellow flyer who has gone down as being gone forever but keep in mind the thought that he is on detached service and in time we will all again be flying on one another's Wing in Flyers Heaven Milton left us on December 27th 1943 and was with Pinky and his old crew Milton was buried at Brookwood Cemetery at woking England on January 4th 194 4 please call on me for anything at all I might be able to do God bless you and little Mike and may He relieve you of your grief of your great loss most sincerely rod [Music] in the fall of 1992 I was in England on a business trip and a colleague of mine in Bristol asked me what I was going to do next and I told him Sandy I'm going to go see the grave of my father in Cambridge his secretary called ahead and told the staff of the American cemetery in cambrid England in Michael gble the son of Lieutenant milon Ry was coming to visit and honor his father was buried there upon my arrival uh I was welcomed by committee and the staff and there was cake and there was punch and the photographer and I said pre tell what is this about and he said this is a ceremony of Celebration and memory of Lieutenant mil R and his son Michael just sake of all of the American Soldiers and Sailors and Marines buried in the Cemetery very few today have any blood relatives that are still alive most of the men and women who buried here were never married even less had children it was a very emotional experience and it made me proud to be the son of an American hero thank you however even after this tragic event the carpet bagger missions continued to move forward when the first flight that Henry D McMillan had been teamed with before his death flew out as scheduled on the moonlit night of January 4th 1944 from the tempsford Airfield in England and many more flights would follow unfortunately this Airfield was extremely small and not suitable for the task at hand and after many complaints by commanding officer Clifford hefin A Change had to be made also around this time January of 1944 Lieutenant General James dittle was appointed commanding officer of the eth Air Force in Europe and the Pacific Theater he would eventually secure the Wat Airfield but when Hein took a look at the unsatisfactory conditions he simply stated we're not flying one damn Mission out of this space not in this condition finally in March of 1944 the eth Air Force secured the RAF training base in Harrington to become the exclusive and permanent base for all the subsequent carpet bagger missions it was big enough to handle all the squadron's B24 Consolidated liberators and all the commanders and Crews were finally satisfied with the [Music] accommodations also in March once they were settled at Harrington they were redesigned as the 8001 bombardment group heavy and provisional with hefin still acting as commanding officer the Bomb Group would be redesignated once again in August 1944 as the 492nd bombardment group and remain the 492nd until the end of the carpet bagger missions this extremely covert and top secet operation would continue to be a major component to Victory in Europe and provided resistance and Freedom Fighters all over Europe with supplies weapons and spies to infiltrate the German High command until the end of the war even after the D-Day invasion and as the Allied Forces Advanced closer to Berlin The Carpet Baggers added to their airborne responsibilities by dropping supplies to the Allied troops on the ground deep Behind Enemy Lines once even dropping hundreds of gallons of gasoline to General Patton when his tanks had stalled due to the lack of fuel in the end several of Henry D mcmullan's commanders Pilots crew members and Friends survived the war pilot Clifford hefin and Robert fish continued flying and made one of the most dangerous rescue missions of the operation ultimately the overall success and contribution of operation carpet bagger to the Allied victory over Hitler's Nazi regime is undeniable the men who flew and died on those treacherous nighttime missions along with the French Resistance Fighters both men and women who parachuted from the bottom of those aircraft barely 600 ft above the ground and many being executed if they were captured should be considered some of the bravest air Crews to take to the sky due to the top secret nature of those missions and the cia's reluctance to make their missions a part of public record for decades after the end of World War II they are now finally getting the recognition they deserve a few books have been written about the famous B24 nightflyers and a museum display has finally been erected in their honor in England for all later generations to see these were all brave men and women who laid so much on the altar of freedom and should never be forgotten operation carpet bagger might have been one of the last known operations of the war but as success will Echo for an eternity [Music] [Music] of the Lord Jesus Christ The Bread of Heaven and we celebrate this Holy Eucharist in memory of Staff Sergeant Henry D McMillan from North Carolina who passed away December the 27th 1943 and all those of his crew who perished with him and God grant to them Eternal rest in the name of the Lord the blood of Christ the cup of Salvation this stand came from Omaha Beach we use it to highlight the inscription this is the Memorial gravide service in memory of Staff Sergeant Henry D McMillan Jr's we commend to almighty God our brother Henry D McMillan we commit his body to the ground earth the earth ashes to ashes dust to dust in memory of Henry D McMillan Jr through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen [Music] 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