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* II- f ILt. DuncanSaved Crew Of BomberSociabeenemployed by Johnson and Mount Vernon Contractors for the Navyat Sampson. N. Y., arrived in the ^ity yesterday for a two week's haries L Duncan of rest.BrtWaterbury, Conn.. who with his wife, the former Miss Barbara Walters, is visiting: at the homeand;igrandparentsIMrs. Edward H. Frye and sons, Edward and Edwin, who have been : 'he guests of Mr. Frye's parents.. _____ __ Mr- Mrs. Edward G. Frye, ’Howard Sargent. 809 Puklt;ni:^ St.. Riverside Ave., for the past eightI *i »-v r*urly figured in a narrow es- weeks left Saturday morning for ;1 cape from death, when he and New \ork City, to join her has-f nine other members of the crew , of a B-l? Firing Fortress made* * --’V- w- -rivvw V! t Vi 1i a crash landing at Mt. Pleasant, an airplane flying overhead but the -I Utah. |plane flew on and did not return J Particulars of the near - tragedy untji about 4 a.m. From then on 'i were given in a letter and dip- until daylight, about 8 a.m., the1ping from a reporter who covered plane circled our little valley con- 1I the crash and who sent the in- tinuously. It became apparent that . formation to Lt. Duncan s father the plane was in distress and ua- in Waterbury jdoubtedlv seeking a landing place. 5The news clipping accompanying Being a news reporter for athe letter states that the crew of s___._____ ____1® flew blind for four bours in ]y concerned, as were all of thedense fogbefore the citizens of the combomberlanded on a Your son, Charles, pilot of the sloping hill of a farm and crashed plane, a B-l7 bomber, left Wend-;.through a fence as the only dam- OTer field about 12 midnight Theage. The bombernight from W*: •;pit ax mw- f0g over sa]t t irlds near vas ^ dense and-xI!**tt Duncan| so heavy that there was no visibility at all. Charles told me later that the radio beam could not be followed and that they were required to fly high. They stayed at an altitude of 26.00® to 16.000 feet. They were flying in a very mountainous section of the Rocky mountains and. realizing their danger, they continued to fly.“All night, your son. facing death courageously, used every ounce of his strength and wisdom to directthat plane in the uncharted heaver s over the western and central sections of the state of Utah. Those men, four officers and six en-pllees, realized that they were racing death squarely In the face^nd braver hearts could not be round anywhere. Your son held the destiny of men and plane in his nands—or was It God who held rheir destiny, and was very kind? And then came the peep ofdawn. But a very heavy blanketof fog covered the earth and the plane crew couldn't see a thing. {Finally, they swept down to 11.000 Fait Lake. Residents of Mt. Pleas- feet and caught sight of lights, pos-ant became aware that the plane sibly of the main street lights of was in distress because they could our little town. They discovered hear the roar of its motors. Men that they were in a Talley with ; of the community of 3,000 drove scattered communities and your ito the airfield, circled it and threw son determined to keep in that ©n their headlights to serve as a valley. Around and around the guide to the landing field. Lieut, plane circled. Suddenly the crew Duncan, pilot of the plane, later realized their oxygen was gone,! reported he did not see the lights their fuel supply about exhausted, .and came down through the only and that somehow they would have !“hoIe” he could find in the fog to make a forced landing, when the oxygen and fuel was “Miraculously they did so. Inearly exhausted. jfeel that Providence guided thei Lieut. Duncan and the other co- hands of your boy. Charles. At a pilot, Lieut. James Patrick SlcCar- high speed, in unfamiliar country, ty, were driven to the business dis- they descended and through thetrict. The townspeople prepared hot j only hole that could be found inbreakfasts for them and drove out (the cloud and fog. Down they to the plane to feed the other mem- |shot, crashing through a fence hers of the crew. pod over high land. CharlesMrs. Ruby S. Jensen, the report- brought his plane to a perfect land- ! “r who covered the crash for the jDg with neither harm to his men Salt Lake City newspapers, pays nor to the plane. But today, sober : lowing tribute to Lieut. Duncan men and women hare crowded or his operation of the plane, in near the plane and marveled that ue letter she sent to his father, ;the men ever escaped.I “The superior officers fromLieut. Duncan enlisted Dec. 2®, Wend over came later today and :941 and was commissioned a sec- they told me that it was a miracle rid lieutenant Aug. 5. 1942. He was that they over made it.' I told this ; ade a first lieutenant last month. fo Charles and be said. 'Don't I was married last May 21. iknow it!*The Scovill chorus in its broad- •'Yes. I was out to the plane 'ast over WBRY last nicht paid very early this morning. A very '-ibnte to Lieut. Duncan by dedi- grave, sober and wiae lieutenant ating the Army Air Corps aong aaB j„ charge. I* wa* your son.3 hilin- lt;(When be found out that I was a 'Mayor parts of Mrs. Jensen’s let- news reporter he said to his men.lt;-r to Mr. Duncan follows: i'Sbe's a reporter—be careful whatBecause I believe that yon will yoa te]1 her. Bm t didn t CMn•■e grateful to me lor writing you fOT more story than Charles was -nlt; Arning yoor son and of teiLng r4ady u, gire me and „ mUe ^tragedy that your Httte ^ ttoJ7 pieced itaeK t0_the night of Dec. Ketber. The other brave nine, who I am taking the liberty of are ind*hted to oar tor u^irIDp Hives fand to God* repeatedly said.T 2:3b a.m.. resident, of this WeT* got ^ -weIlwt pitotthe world—we couldn't have made if we hadn't the best pilot in :ie world!’ ,“God never blessed me with asaa. fi have three daughters* bwt :f 1 had been the mother of a son.7 should have been eery happy if ne could have been like your son.l'U. exper■iiimtiii .I.LASTTimesTodayf *■ in inxx*1ty%“I returned front the scene te vrite my facts for the paper. But couldn’t eliminate from my mind be pactane of yowr ana. I think e is sae ef the nicest bays I ewer are had the pieassrt af meeting. “Tan shnaid he hat yaar aan is pet alioe.Snow* an i .Ofc - 4K:»-WITH8fl.l•0—5:4k—«he sparkle ef his eyes, the smile s Ira Cnee and hi* mndesty have nptiesaed the Mb here. Be Issited » he the faatfst arefy the smallest I thssght. ad-ijrinr him thete by Che piaae. T honM Uke to take Urn haaae with»e. giTehat test * Bm this h war sadt h t respectablelm csanuee sad waa »ealt;^ME\ vs.Black Drajron*■«MJ—. la say hit.. 'Be IsJOES tlkf 8 JKXXEX.as
Newspaper Details
Ogdensburg Advance News
Ogdensburg, New York, US
Sun, Feb 21, 1943
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 30 Jun 2020
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Ogdensburg Advance
