9
20
782
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/9/373/Dibble_Text0199.pdf
d516c3adf413c96961ba51648b1609e8
PDF Text
Text
EDDIE RICKENBACKER
NORTH AFRICA
AND THE
“HAT IN THE RING PIN”
In April 1943 Eddie Rickenbacker had visited the War Department
and received another assignment as Secretary of War Henry L.
Stimson's Special Consultant. Rickenbacker was to visit Russia to
check into the Lend-Lease program then in effect.
Lend-Lease was
the program, inaugurated in March 1941, by which America became
the arsenal of democracy, sending military supplies to all nations
fighting the Axis. Rickenbacker's trip took him through North
Africa, and as such he planned to visit as many Air Corp groups as
possible to help boost morale.
Knowing that his old squadron was
stationed in the
area,
before
leaving the United States,
Rickenbacker had a jeweler in New York make up
i
insignia pins with
the hat-in-the-ring motif and had persuaded
p
Hap Arnold, head of
the Army Air Forces, to approve themit to be worn on their uniforms.
On May 14, five command cars pulled into the base at Chateaudun du
Rommel, Algeiiria. Jimmy Doolittle, then Commanding Officer of the
spped
out to introduce Rickenbacker to the
Twelfth Air Force, step
’groui
ling Rickenbacker threw a big party for the
group.
Later that eveni,,
squa^
squadron in Constantine.
There were then some 22 pilots in the
94th Squadron.
!
The pilot::s having been trucked in were treated to
a bit
ig meal consisting of camel steaks with all the trimmings,
Folic
.owing the cognac and grape juice to wash it all down,
Rickenbacker assembled all tl:he= pilots
pi:
on a small stage.
(
General
Doolittle called each pilots name
name..
Eddie Rickenbaker presented
the small "hat-in-the-ring" pin to General Doolittle wh<10 in turn
pinned it on the tunic above the pilots wings.
Lt. Jim Dibble
wrote home to describe the event."We had a big squadron part}
rty last
night in a nearby town.
Eddie Rickenbacker, who used to 1be with
the squadron in the last war, threw a party for us.
We were all
presented with a pin of silver in the form of the squadron
insignia, the hat-in-the-ring."
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Combat!
Description
An account of the resource
James spent his combat time based out of North Africa and helped clear the way for the eventual invasion of Italy in 1943. <br /><br />He was a member of the 94th Air Squadron, <a href="https://www.1stfg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1st Fighter Group</a>, and flew the famous twin-engined P-38. Learn more about the P-38 at:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aviation History online Museum</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftechnology%2FP-38&usg=AOvVaw25-9_sOlkuv_UPtZBhV1Ma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britannica.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLockheed_P-38_Lightning&usg=AOvVaw0_UoxVGVbZOtad9vsjWvhW" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wikipedia</a><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></li>
</ul><br />Don't miss the section titled Day of Armageddon recapping the events of August 30, 1943. This air battle over Italy ultimately earned James the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was lucky to survive - many pilots made the ultimate sacrifice. <br /><br />See photos, letters, mission reports and more about James' time spent in combat over Africa and Italy in 1942 and 1943.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Account of Eddie Rickenbacker's visit to the 94th Air Squadron in Algeria, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. 1st Fighter Group. Medals and Citations
Description
An account of the resource
Account of Eddie Rickenbacker's visit to the 94th Air Squadron in Algeria, 1943.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Essay
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jim Dibble
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
unknown
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/9/374/Dibble_Text0214.pdf
a4c12ab1678dd5a1d120d8b1f0f1ac68
PDF Text
Text
On May 5,1943 a new pilot, Lt. James P. Dibble arrived at the First Fighter Groups
airbase at Chateaudun du Rommel, Algeria and was assigned to the 94th "Hat in
Ring" squadron.
Lt. Dibble's first combat mission took place on May 21,1943. The Group would be
escorting approximately 70 B-17 bombers from the 2nd and 301st Bomb Groups to
Sciacca, Sicily. Sixteen pilots from the 94th along with formations from the 27th
and 71st fighter squadrons took off at 7:40am for the mission. The bombers went
over the target at 25,000 feet with the fighters providing protection from 29,000
feet.
The following day Jim would write home to his wife describing his experience that
day. "I will tell you that my introduction to combat was a merry one," Jim wrote to
his wife. "We were escorting bombers and right over the target in the flak and
fighter area, my right engine quit - whew, did I sweat for a minute. I couldn't stay
with the formation, and it was a long way from home. So I feathered the bad
engine's prop and started down in a hell of a hurry. Luckily the bombers were just
leaving the target so I just tucked myself under the wing of one of those beautiful
babies and went home with them for protection. Some fun."
After the publication of the Collier’s Wing Talk article Jim’s mother wrote asking
if he was the pilot in the article. He wrote home identifying himself as the pilot
and added the following, "A waist gunner fired a burst at me as I was moving in,
he thought I was the enemy-fortunately he missed." Quite an introduction to
combat with many more exciting times to come.
Lt. Dibble would go on to fly 49 missions before being shot down and killed
strafing a large German convoy in Italy. He came back from missions three times
on one engine, shot down 2 ME-109's with one probable. He met Eddie
Rickenbacker and Jimmy Doolittle. Escorted General Eisenhower to Sicily to meet
with Patton, Alexander and on to Malta to meet Lord Gort. At the time of his
death he had become the top-rated pilot in the squadron. He earned the
Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, 10 Air Medals and two Presidential
Unit Citations. There is a monument dedicated by the citizens of Padula, Italy to
Lt. Dibble's sacrifice. The story of this monument and its dedication can be seen
on Youtube. Go to the following link :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5xBvSe84
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Combat!
Description
An account of the resource
James spent his combat time based out of North Africa and helped clear the way for the eventual invasion of Italy in 1943. <br /><br />He was a member of the 94th Air Squadron, <a href="https://www.1stfg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1st Fighter Group</a>, and flew the famous twin-engined P-38. Learn more about the P-38 at:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aviation History online Museum</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftechnology%2FP-38&usg=AOvVaw25-9_sOlkuv_UPtZBhV1Ma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britannica.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLockheed_P-38_Lightning&usg=AOvVaw0_UoxVGVbZOtad9vsjWvhW" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wikipedia</a><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></li>
</ul><br />Don't miss the section titled Day of Armageddon recapping the events of August 30, 1943. This air battle over Italy ultimately earned James the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was lucky to survive - many pilots made the ultimate sacrifice. <br /><br />See photos, letters, mission reports and more about James' time spent in combat over Africa and Italy in 1942 and 1943.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
A short bio on James written by his nephew Jim.
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. Combat.
Description
An account of the resource
A short bio on James written by his nephew Jim. It references an article from Collier's, June 26, 1943, recounting a combat incident attributed to James Dibble. Rights were not received to include the text or an image of the article, but the original can be seen at the Hastings Public Library.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Magazine transcription
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jim Dibble
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
unknown
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/322/Dibble_Text0141.pdf
f71a9cb11e7329b269db49faf4164a13
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Killed in Action
Description
An account of the resource
Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter to Stan Wojcik's father informing him of Stan's missing in action status
Subject
The topic of the resource
Stan Wojcik. MIA.
Description
An account of the resource
Letter to Stan Wojcik's father informing him of Stan's missing in action status.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Missing in action report
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John B. Cooley
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
10/30/1943
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/552/Dibble_Text0251.pdf
e74bcc3176025f08eb2d7b645223df7d
PDF Text
Text
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
U.S. ARMY MILITARY PERSONNEL CENTER
2461 EISENHOWER AVENUE
ALEXANDRIA, VA 22331
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
March 3, 1987
DAPC-PDC-MM DIBBLE, James P.
SN: 0 733 844
Mr. James W. Dibble
P.O. Box 990
Anderson, South Carolina 29622
Dear Mr. Dibble:
This responds to your request for information pertaining to
your uncle.
We have reviewed his individual deceased personnel file
received from the Washington National Records Center.
The file
contains only limited information pertaining to his death and
the disposition of his remains. We have extracted the
following information:
DIBBLE, James P., ILt, 0 733 844, 94th Ftr Sqdn, 1st Ftr
Grp. He was born November 3, 1921, and was killed in action
September 9, 1943. He was the pilot of a P-38G aircraft which
failed to return from a patrol mission to Naples, Italy. He
strafed an enemy convoy about 30 miles east of Agropoli, Italy,
and was struck by antiaircraft fire. He bailed out of the
cockpit and was last seen in his parachute about 1500 feet from
the ground. He did not survive, his remains were interred in
an isolated grave where the plane crashed.
His remains were
subsequently recovered and interred in the British Salerno
(Beachhead) Cemetery, Salerno, Italy, no date stated. On March
18, 1945, the American Graves Registration removed his remains
to the U.S. Military Cemetery, Naples, Italy, plot K, row 8,
grave 90. Under the repatriation program, his remains were
disinterred August 6, 1948, and repatriated to the Middleville
Cemetery, Middleville, Michigan, in December 1948.
Enclosed are copies of the Case History, Record of
Interment (Naples) and Disinterment Directive.
I hope this information will be helpful.
Sincerely,
A
John F. Manning
'
Assistant Chief
Mortuary Affairs and Casualty
Support Division
Enclosures
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Killed in Action
Description
An account of the resource
Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed Document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from the Department of the Army to James' nephew Jim summarizing what they knew of James' death.
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. MIA/KIA.
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from the Department of the Army to James' nephew Jim summarizing what they knew of James' death.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Typed document
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John Manning
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/3/1987
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
11/21/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/14/351/Dibble_Text0136.pdf
6b0f2292f23857616e2750147d487f7c
PDF Text
Text
CONSULATE GENERAL OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Naples, Italy
March 29, 1988
Mr. James W. Dibble
84 New Hudson Road
Aurora, Ohio 44202
Dear Mr. Dibble:
Your letter of December 29, 1987, addressed to Mr. Thomas
Glover of the Office of American Citizens Services at the
Department of Statt
:e, has been referred to this Consulate
General for reply since
!
Radula, where your uncle was killed,
is located withii
.n this consular district.
We have contacted the Battle and Monument Commission c/o our
c
Embassy in Rome and were informed that although members oi
during World War II
the U.S. Armed Forces fallen in Italy c"
were later regrouped and buried in the» war cemeteries of
Nettuno (near Rome) and Florence, your uncle's name does
not appear on the list.
A check with the Mayor of Radula, where the plane crash
which resulted in James P. Dibble's death occurred, revealed
that his remains are not buried in the local cemetery. The
town official reported that the former custodian of the
cemetery as well as a retired policeman remember the episode
of the crash but have been unable to provide additional
information. He surmised that, in all likelihood, your
uncle's remains were never removed from their original burial
site.
”i know the exact location of the crash,
As you indicate that you
;ing the assistance of a private
you may consider enlistii
investigaiitor from the nearby town of Salerno in your effort
to elicit: the desired information.
.gative agencies is enclosed for jyour
A list of investigative
convenience.
The list is provided as a public sei
service and
sibility for the
the Consulate General assumes no responsibility
integrity or the professional ability of the parties listed.
Sincerely yours,
m R. Arndt
sricani Consul
Enclosure:
As stated
�list of investigative agencies
Agenzia di Investigazioni
"Central Investigation Office"
Via Gianvincenzo Quaranta No. 5
84100 SALERNO
Ag«
jenzia "Continental" Investigazioni
16'
>7, Corso Garibaldi
841
1100- SALERNO
Ageniza Investic
igativa "Il Segugio"
Via Balzico No.
•. 9
84100 SALERNO
Agenzia Investigazioni "La Fedelissima"
54, Via Torrione
84100 SALERNO
Centro Servizi Informazioni
Via Porta Elina No. 23
84100 SALERNO
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Search for Answers
Description
An account of the resource
Learn about the 30+ years James' nephews Jim and Ted spent investigating his death to unearth what actually happened. <br /><br />Using private investigators, government contacts and tenacious research, see how they learned what really happened the day James died, how they found his crash site, including witnesses, and made new friends in Italy along the way.<br /><br />Included are photos and documents about James' posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross, photos of the crash site and finding plane wreckage, plus documents and letters amassed during their search for answers.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from the Consulate General in Naples, Italy to Jim Dibble regarding researching James Dibble's crash site
Subject
The topic of the resource
Jim Dibble. Correspondence. Crash Investigation.
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from the Consulate General in Naples, Italy to Jim Dibble regarding researching James Dibble's crash site.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Plane crash research
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
John R. Arndt
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/29/1988
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/24/781/The_Bull_s_Prairie_Settlement.pdf
b9740ba008ccec0c5f0d7db81e8c2ea3
PDF Text
Text
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bull Diaries
Subject
The topic of the resource
Diaries
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Description
An account of the resource
The Bull Diaries is a collection of newspaper clippings assembled by the Bull family over many years. It is not a traditional diary in that no one ecorded their thougths on paper. This collection is presented as is due to ongoing interest from the community, with some caveats:<br /><ul><li>Indexes to most of this content are included within the collection.</li>
<li>The indexes sometimes refer to Bull Diary books that are not included here and are not available. <strong>We do not have any books numbered 16 and higher.</strong></li>
<li>Much of the content contaied in the diaries came from the Hastings Banner which is also availabe on this site.</li>
</ul>
A few additional newspaper articles about A. E. Bull are also included within this collection.<br /><br />To find content in a diary:<br /><ol><li>Look up a name in the appropriate Index.</li>
<li>Once found, look in the column labeled "Book" or "Liber". This will tell you the book and page where information about that name can be found.</li>
</ol><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/contact" title="Contact us Form">Let us know</a> if you have any questions.
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Bull's Prairie Settlement
Subject
The topic of the resource
LocalHistory.Bull
Description
An account of the resource
An article in the From Time to Time Series describing the Bull's Prairies settlement in the 1800s. Note this document is not searchable and was scanned into PDF some years ago.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Joyce F. Weinbrecht
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1992-05-28
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
J-Ad Graphics
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/24/782/Life_of_A.E._Bull_Part_II.pdf
c962148cf8d81fbe6cc249bc4ba53ca5
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bull Diaries
Subject
The topic of the resource
Diaries
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Description
An account of the resource
The Bull Diaries is a collection of newspaper clippings assembled by the Bull family over many years. It is not a traditional diary in that no one ecorded their thougths on paper. This collection is presented as is due to ongoing interest from the community, with some caveats:<br /><ul><li>Indexes to most of this content are included within the collection.</li>
<li>The indexes sometimes refer to Bull Diary books that are not included here and are not available. <strong>We do not have any books numbered 16 and higher.</strong></li>
<li>Much of the content contaied in the diaries came from the Hastings Banner which is also availabe on this site.</li>
</ul>
A few additional newspaper articles about A. E. Bull are also included within this collection.<br /><br />To find content in a diary:<br /><ol><li>Look up a name in the appropriate Index.</li>
<li>Once found, look in the column labeled "Book" or "Liber". This will tell you the book and page where information about that name can be found.</li>
</ol><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/contact" title="Contact us Form">Let us know</a> if you have any questions.
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Life of A. E. Bull of Rutland
Subject
The topic of the resource
LocalHistory.Bull
Description
An account of the resource
An article in the From Time to Time series. This was the final article in a series about Mr. Bull. Date published is unknown but estimated to be July 1992. Note tis document is not searchable and was scanned some time ago. The very bottom of the page is cut off.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pdf
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Joyce F. Weinbrecht
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
J-Ad Graphics
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/24/783/A_Sketch_of_the_Life_of_A.E._Bull.pdf
5e79522a025e82825f306c3d488156a7
PDF Text
Text
��
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Bull Diaries
Subject
The topic of the resource
Diaries
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Description
An account of the resource
The Bull Diaries is a collection of newspaper clippings assembled by the Bull family over many years. It is not a traditional diary in that no one ecorded their thougths on paper. This collection is presented as is due to ongoing interest from the community, with some caveats:<br /><ul><li>Indexes to most of this content are included within the collection.</li>
<li>The indexes sometimes refer to Bull Diary books that are not included here and are not available. <strong>We do not have any books numbered 16 and higher.</strong></li>
<li>Much of the content contaied in the diaries came from the Hastings Banner which is also availabe on this site.</li>
</ul>
A few additional newspaper articles about A. E. Bull are also included within this collection.<br /><br />To find content in a diary:<br /><ol><li>Look up a name in the appropriate Index.</li>
<li>Once found, look in the column labeled "Book" or "Liber". This will tell you the book and page where information about that name can be found.</li>
</ol><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/contact" title="Contact us Form">Let us know</a> if you have any questions.
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
newspaper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
A Sketch of the Life of A. E. Bull Part II
Subject
The topic of the resource
LocalHistory.Bull
Description
An account of the resource
An article in the From Time to Time series about A. E. Bull. This is part II, but part I is unaccounted for. Note this document is not searchable and was scanned into pdf some time ago. The bottom of the page is cut off slightly.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
pds
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Joyce F. Weinbrecht
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1992-06-04
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
J-Ad Graphics
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/4/24/HPL_125th_Text0057.pdf
89ec28cfc0971a2e1ae7f0e158a432db
PDF Text
Text
Text from The Reminder newspaper article
July 30, 2021
Written by Kathy Maurer
Published by J-Ad Graphics, 1351 N. M-43 Hwy., Hastings, MI 49058
Copied from The Reminder website, March 3, 2022
URL: https://www.hastingsreminder.com/hastings-public-library-celebrates-125-years
Hastings Public Library celebrates 125 years
Hastings Public Library has an unusual life story.
It can trace its origins back to the Hastings Women’s Club. It likely moved around in a few
homes on or near Green Street in its youth before settling in above the old Banner….. office in
its late teens.
There it lingered for a bit before moseying over one block and finding a suitable room within the
old city hall.
Maturing into its 20s, but still in need of a home, it was taken in, adopted, by Hastings High
School in 1918. The school was brand new and the city and school administration agreed to
share custody.
It grew and expanded with age, moving twice within the high school before cutting ties at 70 and
setting out on its own as a public library in a former post office.
There, too, it continued to grow, struggling to adapt after new technology began to emerge as the
library neared the century mark. Where a coal cellar and fallout shelter had once had a place and
purpose, micro-computers and the World Wide Web were moving in like young, uninvited
guests. The thick walls and secure features of the old structure were not readily compatible with
modems, cables and wiring.
But the library wasn’t about to give in. Instead, it found a new home, equipped for patrons of all
ages, and, like a kindly old grandpa, opened its arms to the community.
After all, the community had long supported the library, which will mark 125 years at a special
celebration Aug. 7. (See related story.)
Origins with women’s club
The Hastings Women’s Club had its first meeting in the parlor of the Green Street home of
Emma Goodyear in October 1893. The members established some rules and some goals: The
club would focus on both culture and service. Membership would be limited to 40 women from
all areas and all denominations within the city.
A library was among the early goals. Soon, members began to set aside money to go toward the
purchase of books. After two years, they had raised $75 and placed an order.
Page 1 of 7
�Mary Spencer, the state librarian, sent a box of books – some classics, a few travel books and
some of the latest novels. Some books were donated by the community, as well.
A bookcase was needed – and was promptly procured, establishing the first library in the city in
1896.
Initially, though, it was limited to members of the women’s club, who were allowed to borrow
books on alternate Fridays.
While still under the proprietorship of the women’s club, by 1906, the expanded collection was
set up in a room above the Banner ……office. The room was known as the Manufacturer’s Club,
above what is now Seasonal Grille at the corner of State and Church streets.
The next move for the growing collection was a room at the old city hall, at the corner of State
and Broadway.
As plans were being drawn up for a new high school in 1916 or 1917, school and city leaders
decided to incorporate a library within the new building.
Plans were completed, bricks were laid, and the women’s club voted to donate its collection – by
then 500 books – to the enterprise. That iteration of the library was on an upper level in the
original, east portion of the former high school, until 1955.
According to a Nov. 21, 1996, Banner…… article by the late Joyce Weinbrecht, branch libraries
were established in the ward schools within the school district.
The hush, the stairs, the book
Jane Arnold has special memories of that library on the east side of the school. She attended
Central Elementary. Despite the close proximity, elementary students at that time didn’t visit the
library as a group; it wasn’t big enough, she said. But she visited frequently on her own.
“If you went in the front door there on the east end, you had to go up a whole bunch of stairs –
that's all you could do if you stepped in the front door,” she recalled.
It was basically one-room library, she said, the size of a large classroom, with children's books
on one side and the adult books on the other.
And in her random collection of childhood memories, she can picture a counter and, behind that,
an off-limits area with lots of books.
“Of course, I never got to go back there,” the former Jane Whitmore said. “I just remember there
were stacks of books, and you had to ask a librarian to get those books back there. I don't know if
they reference books there or whatever.”
Page 2 of 7
�She was much more familiar with the children’s area. Getting to the shelves of children’s
literature, though, could be intimidating.
“I walked back and forth to school, and I would go over [to the library] maybe after school by
myself,” she said, “and I’d go in and see all those stairs. And then I would hear these high
schoolers up at the top of the stairs because they were in the rest of the building, and I was a little
bit intimidated. But I’d get to the top of stairs and just quickly turn left to go in the library.”
A very quiet library.
“I do remember you could not talk. They would speak to you, if you talked. I remember that,”
she said, adding that the librarian was Jean Barnes, who was “how you’d picture a librarian.”
Arnold also remembers repeatedly checking out a particular book: “Madeleine.”
“I don't know how many times I would check it out,” she said. “I loved that book, and I would
check it out bring it home, and then I’d take it back later.”
The library was moved to the lower level when the west addition, including a new gym, was
added in 1955. When the library was moved to the former post office, that space was converted
into administrative offices for the school district.
Restlessness and parting of ways
Miss Jean Barnes, a native of Hastings who held degrees from both the University of Chicago
and the University of Michigan, was the first librarian, hired in 1921. She had returned to
Hastings to care for her mother before the new position opened. She was well-qualified, the
obvious choice, and would serve in that role for 31 years, retiring in 1952.
Within the 10 years after Barnes retired, four different people served as the librarian, one of
them, Henry C. French, taking the job twice and departing twice. George Early moved from New
York State to fill the position in August 1958, but left after eight months to assume leadership at
a library in Illinois that was not affiliated with a school system.
In early 1963, Weinbrecht noted in her 1996 column, school maintenance staff made study
booths thickly padded with acoustic tile. Students appreciated the privacy and reduced
distraction the booths provided.
Students, it seems, weren’t the only ones looking for separation. The idea of removing the public
library from the school was growing with persistence, Weinbrecht wrote. She’d found an
undated report given to the Hastings City Council, likely from the early 1960s.
“The practice of uniting the facilities of public and school libraries was a popular one a number
of years ago,” the report read. “A great many cities, large and small, were attracted to the
obvious money savings involved. The money was saved, but the experience in all cases proved
unsatisfactory.
Page 3 of 7
�“The unfortunate truth of the matter is that such libraries became, over a period of time, more
and more devoted to the needs of the school. Service to the general public must be maintained,
but that public will not take full advantage of service under such circumstances. … Most
communities have abandoned the combined libraries system because of the poor experience.
“… The presence of 30 or 40 children in the library makes a difficult atmosphere for most adults,
and the 5 percent use [among the adult population] in Hastings seems to substantiate this
feeling.”
The desire to part ways was not new. In 1950, a donor had given $100 toward a public library,
hoping to rally the library card-carrying troops.
In September 1951, the Banner ……. reported that the city council had accepted a gift of
property at the corner of South Broadway and Center Street to be used for a public library. Paul
Siegel, the city’s attorney, told the council that groups and individuals had raised money to
purchase the property and to pay for it to be remodeled to serve as a library.
Over the years, the library has been situated near one corner or another, but this, ultimately, was
not one of its home corners. But the effort showed earnestness among the public.
The article noted that the city had paid $5,200 toward the upkeep of the library the previous year,
a little over half of the expenses. Alderman Lannes Kenfield, who also served on the library
board, said that money could go toward a public library that could be open “at times more
convenient to the public than the present institution.”
Arloa Lathrop, widow of Dr. Clarence Lathrop, left money specifically for both Pennock
Hospital and a new public library in 1954. That $15,000 donation toward a library was invested
in bonds, and according to a Dec. 23, 1954, Banner ……. article, “at the end of 12 years, will be
worth $21,025.”
The feds get involved
It took about 12 years before the library would move from the high school to the corner of
Church and Court streets. Those were 12 busy years – with interest.
The library was not just relocating, it was becoming a completely new entity. Although some
books would be transferred from the high school, Hastings Public Library was still just an idea
and had little in the way of possessions.
The U.S. government moved the Hastings Post Office from Church to West Mill Street in 1963.
The sturdy brick building seemed an ideal structure for a public library. The corner lot across
from the stately courthouse was ideal. And it was vacant. The federal government agreed to lease
the building to the city for $1 a year.
Page 4 of 7
�Contracts were signed, remodeling plans sketched out, committees formed, campaigns launched,
and donations for books and remodeling trickled in.
The roof was replaced. The coal heating system was converted to gas. Oak tables and chairs were
chosen, along with carpeting and floor covering.
A Dec. 31, 1964, Banner …… article reported that at least an hour was needed to process,
catalog and cross-reference each book. More than 50 people helped with the process, and their
work totaled about 9,000 hours.
Starting in July 1964, the school library was no longer accessible to the public.
Finally, in mid-January 1965, the new city-owned public library was opened. The outdoor
ceremony was brief because the air was brisk, hovering around zero degrees.
The new library became an integral part of the city, drawing in patrons from throughout the
county, hosting clubs and meetings, squeezing in 100 or more children for summer reading
programs, adapting with technology, converting the old loading dock from the post office days
into a youth literature area with a back entrance, moving the circulation desk, reconfiguring and
rearranging – until it couldn’t shift anymore.
Talk of a new library began. A district library was proposed, but that failed. Three specific sites,
including the former Royal Coach building, were considered. Extensive research and site
developments were studied before the library board was able to settle on the corner of State and
Apple/Boltwood streets.
Feeling lost
Shortly after getting married, Larry and Judy Kensington joined a literary guild on the east side
of the state. However, they soon realized that neither liked to read a book more than once, and
they’d spent $200 or $300 on books they wouldn’t read again.
Judy Kensington had been a library patron since she was 5, when her mother would take her to
pick out books once a week. So, the young couple turned to the nearby Mount Clemens library.
Because they didn’t reside within the city limits, they paid $100 a year for membership – still
much less than purchasing new books.
By the time the Kensingtons moved to Hastings around Thanksgiving 1983, Mount Clemens
“had a state-of-the-art brand-new city library,” she said.
The Hastings library had become a bit overloaded, and it was a letdown for Kensington when she
first visited.
“I just shook my head. ‘This isn’t going to work.’ The back porch [former loading dock] had
turntables, and they were loaded with old paperbacks, not in order,” she said. “There was
virtually a place for new books. I felt lost.”
Page 5 of 7
�She began making weekly trips to a Kent County library to check out books for herself and her
family. She eventually returned to the Hastings library after Barbara Schondelmayer was hired as
head librarian, who provided better organization and started the campaign to build a new library.
Kensington retired as a teller at Hastings City Bank in late December 1999 and immediately took
on a new position. The library and bank were directly across from each other at the time.
“I walked across the street the day after New Year’s 2000, and said, ‘I would like to volunteer.’
New corner location
Initially, Kensington re-shelved children’s books every Tuesday and Friday. Now, she’s
president of the Friends of Hastings Public Library group, volunteers wherever needed, is in
charge of the shelvers and helps train others in that essential task.
“If you put a book away wrong, it’s lost until somebody finds it,” she said simply.
Kensington herself hasn’t felt lost since the new library opened in 2007. And she’s proud of the
facility, too.
“I think we have a wonderful library now. It’s warm, it’s friendly, and it’s the center of the city,”
she said. “When new people move here, part of the reason they move here is because of the
library.”
She can quickly think of people who based their decision to move to Hastings mostly on the
library.
Hastings isn’t unique in that regard, though. She recalled a couple who were guest speakers a
few years ago for Calvin University’s January Series, which is livestreamed at the Hastings
library. The couple had traveled the country and written a book about small towns.
“The small towns that are the most successful were the towns that had a thriving library,” she
said, conveying the author-couple’s conclusion. “People look at schools and look at libraries, and
now they look at the Thornapple Plaza ....”
“And the fact that we built [the current library] with private funds says the whole community
was behind having a new building,” she added.
Still, she sometimes encounters people who haven’t visited the “new,” now 14-year-old, library.
And that baffles her. She’s so familiar with the library now, she can easily list all sorts of
services, items, and activities it provides. If nothing else, people should go to the library and see
all the thriving things they have, she pointed out.
Page 6 of 7
�As for the future of the library, Kensington said she sees it keeping up with technology. Back in
the 1960s, when she and her late husband were in the literary guild, most people had wall
phones.
“And, if you were lucky, you had a 20-foot cord, so you could walk around the corner with it,”
she said.
Now, with smartphones, people can walk around any corner within the library and check out
materials on their phones. She expects the library to keep up with technology.
“They already have the latest things available,” she said of the Hastings library, adding that she’s
looking forward to seeing the advances.
Good move
Jane Arnold describes the current building as a big asset to the city, noting that it took several
years and a lot of effort by many people for the new library to be realized.
About $6 million was raised, which was a decade-long struggle until the Barry Community
Foundation and a generous anonymous donor stepped in to make the dream a reality.
“It took a long time … people had to work really hard to get the money raised,” she said. “I don't
remember all the people who worked so hard at it, but it was a good move.
“It was a long time coming,” Arnold added.
She and many others benefit from the larger facility and its ever-expanding offerings.
“Our library today, I think it speaks well of Hastings. It has a lot to offer,” she said, pointing out
the designated teens' and children’s sections, the community room, the numerous services and
variety of materials.
“I think they make it very easy for people to access, and they do other things to broaden people’s
knowledge,” she said. “We thoroughly enjoyed the January Series livestream.
“There are lots and lots of records down there, probably more than I realize,” she added. “Lots of
research can be done down there if people are interested in history and so forth. So, yeah, I think
it speaks very well of Hastings.”
Page 7 of 7
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hastings Public Library's 125th Anniversary
Subject
The topic of the resource
Public History--Michigan--Barry County
Description
An account of the resource
Did you know the Hastings Public Library has been around in one form or another since 1896?
It started out as the Women's Club Reading Room and over time, grew into the vital and vibrant public institution we all know and love.
Look through this collection to learn about where it all started, see the how the efforts of so many helped the library grow, and have some fun seeing photos of the past.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image and text
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1896 - 2021
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Newspaper website
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Hastings Public Library Celebrates 125 Years Newspaper Article
Subject
The topic of the resource
News in print
Description
An account of the resource
Newspaper article celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Hastings Public Library.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Newspaper
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Kathy Maurer
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021-07-30
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
J-Ad Graphics
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
J-Ad Graphics
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/14/346/Dibble_Text0197.pdf
855387b9902c9a27b257b02d8e2cf773
PDF Text
Text
REPG'.T M' ’ ER AJ-’D DATE
CASE HISTORY OF UNKNOWN
55153 - 18 March 1945
, James P., 0-733844, 1st Lt., 94th Ftr Sq, 1st Ftr Gp, 12th AAF
er 1943; Prwuuieu Uearl, 10 SnpLgmber 1944 - Italy
CEMETERY
U. S. Military Cemetery,
Naples, Italy_____ r.
UNKNOWN CR X-NUMBER
Tenta: Dibble, James P.
IDENTIFYING DATA
$
PLOT
RON
GRAVE
K
8
90
DATE OF REBURIAL
DATE Of* DEA'tM
18 March 1945
9 September 1943
GRADE AND ORGANIZATION
1st Lt., 94th Ftr Sq, 1st Ftr Gp, AAF
>rt of Reburial received for Tenta: James P. Dibble, 0-733844, 1st Lt., 94th Ftr
Repoi
Gp, Air Corps., Cause of death —
- Plane crash,
crash. 9 September 1943 - place not
Sq., 1st Ftr
I
Cemetery, plot 5,
sinterred from British Salerno
L—--- (Beachhead)
,
indicated, Remains were disinterred
jrave 38, by 2nd Plat. 602nd QM Co. (GR) 18 March 1945. Reinterred
same date in
1
row E, gn
.litany Cemetery, Naples,
s, Italy, plot K, row 8, grave 90. A rough wooden cross
U. S. Hili
marking the grave, was written in Italian, read as follows: "CADUTO-- :0DRI0 9 Settembre
- fell or crashed).
1943". (Caduto
(‘
□patched to effect
Lgation by the Field revealed that a detail of US GRS was disj
Invest!^
reinterment <of the remains of 1st Lt James P. Dibble, 0-733844, from an Jisolated grave
one and one-tenth
in a field on the left side of National Highway 19, approximately oi
(1 1/10)
■jjuj mij.es
miles ooutn
South oi
of tne
the entrance to the road leading to Padula,, and some fifty (50)
feet from
f
the remains of the crashed aircraft.
*
The isolated grave
;
was located and opened, but no remains could be found. -Through
interrogation of li
[talians, in the locality, revealed that the remains were removed by
British Graves Regi:
Lstration Service from grid coord: 380920, Sheet 199, Potenza,
1/100,000 and reintt
;erred in Salerno (Beachhead) Cemetery, plot 5, row E, grave 38.
Records available in Headqut
larters, 12th AAF, revealed that a formation of P-38
aircrafts from 94th Ftr Sc., 1st; Ftr
ri Gp, departed from their base in Sicily on 9 Sep 43
for a patrol and straffing mission
s-no, Italy. From this mistv,.! in the area south of Salem
si on, only two planes failed to return to their base,, one piloted
1 Toted by 2nd Lt Stanley 1
Wojcik, 0-803508, and aircraft P-3f
38 10L0 #42-13411, piloted by 1st Lt
Lt James ?. Dibblt
Le
C—733844. Lt ’.Vojcik was officially
•, leaving only Lt Dibble5 tO
.ly reported prisoner of war,
be accounted for.
Lgated. Civilians
On 11 June 1944, the sight of the crashed aircraft was investigated.
ther and they
living in the area identified the aircraft as a P-38 from pictures shown them,
also stated that the Germans had removed many parts of the plane, also additional parts
had been carried away by local natives. It was believed that all personal items were
carried away by the Germans.
Parts of the plane, bearing fragments of various numbers, were picked up at 1the
scdne of the crash and presented to the Adjutant of the 94th Ftr Sq., 1st Ftr Gp.
(Maj. Jerome Belleau).
Maj. Belleau certified that he examined the recovered pieces of the ^arrcrart,
:raft, P-38G
r-jt
10IX), 42—13411, and firmly stated that it was the same aircraft that w^rf' missing 9 Sep
43. He further stated that 1st Lt James P.. Dibble, 0-733844, was pilot of aircraft;
I
�.SB HISTORY - 55153, 18 fech 1945 (Dibble, James P., 0-7^44)
CONT'D:
IDEOTIFYING DATA (CGWT'D)
member 1943 and he also verified case with
both Dibble and aircraft wets IHA on 9 Septer
,ae 12th AAF.
records of the pilot and mission held by the
INVESTIGATION BY THIS OFFICE
AGO Finding of Death of missing person for 1st Lt James P. Dibble, 0-733844,
under public Law 490, KIA 9 Sep 43; Presumed date of death: 10 September 1944 - N.
Area.
AGO Casualty advised that 2nd Lt Stanley <7. <7ojcik, 0-803508 had RTD.
Plane crash investigated thru local AAF Hq; MACE #693 indicates that 1st Lt James
P. Dibble, 0-733844, was pilot of P-38G 10L0, -AC, SN 42-13411, which crashed 9 Sep 43,
near road 30 miles East of Agropoli, Italy. Air Corps records contained a statement
made by 2nd Lt Raymond L. Schulze, member of the formation,submitted by the Field;
wherein it was indicated that Lt Dibble,
ibble. the
1
formation leader, was last seen parachuting
about l,500f feet above the ground,, on- the
the left side of the road, drifting away from the
convoy.
BASIS OF IDENTIFICATION
1. Same date of death — 9 Septimember 1943 inscribed on grave marking as Lt Dibble's
plane is known to have crashed.
from which subject deceased was disinterred by
2. Location of the isolated grave
f
British GJIS, corresponds withi the location of the casualty.
8
Si
3. Substantiating statement by UajI. Belleau, certifying’ that he examined the recovered
?rom the plane missing 9 Sep 43,
pieces of a/c P-38G-10L0, 43-13411,. and that they were fi
piloted by Lt Dibble, 0-733844.
4. Lt Dibble's plane and one piloted by 2nd Lt Stan]iley -i. ’iojcik, 0-803508, were the
only two that failed to return from the mission. Lt, Wojcik returned to duty, leaving
only Lt Dibble to be accounted for.
RECOSsENDATIOH
(tentatively identified by the field as Dibble)
Identification of the remains /interred in Gr. 90, Plot K, Row 8 as the remains
of 1st Lt. James P. Dibble, 0-733844.
DATE
DATE
7ft
if (t
■
'^14—; RECORDS
£1
COPIES ER TO
293 FILES
FIELD
-2-
EFFECTS
AGO (ER)
�K E S T K 1 U T E b
4b
• f&e
SOS NATOUSA
Jnlv 1943
REPo'^J^SHt
AR 30-1S15 & TM 10-630
18 March 1945__
bate Report Fii>,1 Out
BELH^EB -TG’-BB* R0DIBBLE
__
James
(First Name)
TLas^ Name)
’ ^IstLt.
—
........ iNiddOnitiai)......
94 Ftr. Sqclid., l~Ftr. Gp.
~USAAF___
(Organize
nization)
(Rank)
___
(Date o “of’Death')....................
i
|
(Country) pyotegtant
(Branch)
1943
„Unknown........ _.......... 9 Septesrnber
i
(Place of Death)
White.........
USA
0-733844
(Serial No i
i
-Unknown-
]Plane Crash
" (Cause of Death)
(Religion: P. C. H. etc.)
MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION
Identification Tags found on body : Yes (
) ; Nc (0)-
Identification approved OQ}®. Bd. of Rev.
If no identification tags, other means used to identify bod?"Si<&?$Hic^or?"?aM* letters, etc.;
...cut.,...f.o.und...ln...graYe.,.
One (1) shoe, low
Size ...or..color not...determined.
Complete fingerprint chart of both hands on reverse side if body cannot be identified.
None
Complete tooth-chart on reverse side and list anatomical characteristcs\and other data if fingerprints cannot be taken.
If unidentified, give circumstances:
.............
List of Personal Effects found on Body and disposition-’OtT^mg:
None
Mrs. Maxine Dibble, c/o Ray Erway, R.#5, Hastings, Michigan
-Unknown -
-Unknown
(Address of Emergency Ad'di-
(Name <.i F.m> rgency Addressee)
I
(Sign^V^S^f
.^tegu<d_JLOOO,_tas.„__.18 M^ch 1945
.Time and Date uf Burial)
US Military Cemetery, Naples, Italy
(l.wation. Name; & bio. of Cemetery)
IF BURIAL OTHER THAN IN ESTABLISHED CEMETERY FURNISH SKETCH AND MAP REFERENCE REVERSE SIDE I HIS FORM
8
K
90
Wooden Cross
General
(type ■-.! ib-ligi.-u- i..-rem.>i.-.1
"(King (Imre Markers')
(Grave No.)
Identification Tag buried with body (0) 1 Identification Tag attached to marker (0).
"
ForZi'-GRS- sealed' in Lottie ^^d'^ur^
"
tainer.?Qjy[jpL_^i^)ytnw.y...fi^p._aft.^^^—in—and—hurled -one -ft-.—below-grave ■marker«.
Bodies buned on either side
iSee paragraph « on reverse side this form.
__ 89___
Right ^RENCHEN, Earl D. Pfc. 20508324
(Name)
Left side :
(Bank)
(ASN)
(Grave No.)
(Organization)
jEaSPjg^i.l263S23.
LEO E.
;^v?fc.)’“
TRITSCHLER,
1st Lt.
QMC
INSTRUCTIONS FC
additional copy for
Registration
on h;cher adminktrnt/63 w
Registration Service
Serve* will forward the original and two copies through at
Reports rntdamed pape. and^
^^^^tration Officer
against —
Casualty
Section Graves I
1
•K
55153
RESTRICTED
23^--- -
n^lon Service.
ice. Craves
checked
to Base
'
O
Hq. PBS 8/
■
eetrt
-
�i ri’i r.\i-.*AI k.{.\ i»«; r.*»in
*
V. hi lit
• I
}!*«
i’H.tt li
»
li
•
liniti
I
.1
iiielulu i ol Vli-.lr. :>l l><|..ii:
I b*.
ill | »'l ■ olial |-I • >|->*1 11 . l.Hiole
e•
j.i.-.i..
r,4
iii..|i Illi «.«.<- ol .-Ueno diad.
I>o-;.i-iil. ma Io
noi.ilioii
< j-.-i.-i in i.di«l bottle. i .inn , :i. -jn-ril ilii-ll, oi In-.I av.iil.ildi*
ini lm:\ uiIIi iiiii.iiii-. Il uni-lehlilied, I.d.e fmgi-rplml-- ol Lnlli liniids; il llii-.
llol I
iblf.-. (ill oiii looili . h.ni and noli- height. wi-iglit, color ol eyes
■S and hail t.illoo marks,
birlhmaiks, etc...,
i
dry marks, where body
and olhei data as seiial no. ol weapon, laundry
body .in shelter half, mattress'cover, Or blanket Vn
when available.
found. etc. Wrap
\
ii
2. BURIAL : Dig giaive to a ch-plll ol live fret (hasty lintlli-iield burials. IIo suflicieiil
Pi;;
cposiug the body). Place uuly Hue bruly in aI
vvi-iil elements
depth to prevent
dements limn ex|
by side, mw beliind row.
graves side li
t
8
O
t
,|. LtX’-ATloN Ol- GRAVE : Rcpml burials in established cemeteries by plot, :
and grave number (or show on cemetery map), l-or all other burials prepare sketch in s
pro\idvd below; mid giv l.n-atioii by mentis i-l map refcn-tici-s. or by reference Io pr
prominriil p'-rmaneiii landmaiks. lufonuaiioii mii.-l be :-p<
spu-ilie,
i-ilie, accurate, conipleh-. Slmid alI foot
Io the
tin- left
1
and right.
ol grave lacing head to determine bodies buried to
Mt
§
i
5. PERSONAL EFFECTS : Lisi only personal effects taken from body,- on the Burial
Ripoil form. Pi.-ice these with information a.- io identity ol owner, organizatiiion. i-incfgeii<-y
her available maaddressee, in | rrson:il eff<i-t> bag. or wrap in li.indki :> b:< (. towel. or olh
(erial and turn over Io Gi.-ivi Regislr.ilion Service Personnel with tepoiti ol burial. Governirried in Io Salvage
nreiit property is not to be im-luded in pi-rsmial cllii-ls bill is Io be lur
t'olleriing Point.
g
<&
O
h'.gi.t
I
Disinterred from British f
Salerno (Beachhead) Cemetery,
Plot 5, Row E, Grave 38^-bV--2nd Plat., 602nd QM Co (GR) 18
.. J
I
March 194-5-
S -
:1
2
--7
■??
it i
Reinterred samei date
in U.S. Mil--’
dai
Naple;
itary Cemetery,( Naples,
Italy,
'
Plot K, Row 8, Grave 90.
r;
1
io0
I- „
H s.
g-
-5
I ■" a*
aIZI
S
—
6
2
2_
2
A?
9 *
f
TOO'J H-CHART
SKETCH ANU MAP REFERENCE:
<
a
§
3. MARKING Ol-' GRAVE : l-'aslcn idr-nlilicalion lag tn
|Kirary name peg and
place, al head of genve. l-or enemy rlead. write data on peg. When ,pegs are not available
copy data mi a piece of paper, place in brittle, spent shell, or oilier rei
■eccptacle, seal tightly
be fastened to peg
and place so as In mark and identify grave. II identification Ing cannot
can
i-r. do nol leave al grave Iml foiward with reeport of burial. II only
or piai til in container
one tag is found on body, it should be buried with Itody. The inf
ifonnntinn thereon should
be written on luarker or plaCi-d in container al liead of grave. Do nol use Wi-a|>oiis or
helmets Io mark graves.
I
HI
s S S'
I1
�DISINTERMENT DIRECTIVE
da;*c
directive number
SECTION ANAME AND BURIAL LOCATION OF DECEASED
DAY
DIBBLE
YEAR
O-7338-4^k
P
JAMES
| MONTH |
DATE OF DEATH
SERIAL NUMBER
LT
DAY
|mONTH [
YEAR
DISPOSITION OF REMAIN!
CEMETERY
CODE
K
NAPLES
8
|
DIST. PT.
CAUSE OF DEATH
COUNTRY
GRAVE
PLOT
ALLIED
CEM
I TALY
SECTION B - CONSIGNEE ANO NEXT OF KIN
NAME AND ADDRESS OF NEXT OF KIN
NAME AND ADDRESS OF CONSIGNEE
SECTION C - DISINTERMENT AND IDENTIFICATION
SERIAL NUMBER
DIBBLE
“identification tag on
|
I REMAINS
I
I MARKER
0-733844
JAKES • P. ..
RANK
6
RELIGION
ORGANIZATION
DATE DISTINTERREO
DATE OF DEATH
1 LT
ng 48
IDENTIFICATION VERIFIED BY
P
”SAA?
SECTION 0 - PREPARATION OF REMAINS FOR SHIPMENT____________________________ 1
nature of burial
CONDITION OF REMAINS
^^^^^^OTHER MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION
DISCREPANaES 1
REMAINS prepared and placed
in casket
DATE____________
CASKET SEALED BY
EMBALMER (Signature)
SHIPPING ADDRESS VERIFIED BY
CASKET BOXED AND MARKED
DATE
-BY
■-
-
_________ :■
■- ' •
___________________________ __________________________________________ i
I hereby certify that all the foregoing operations were conducted and accomplished under my immediate supervision
and that the report above is' correct.
'
__________ '
________________________________________________
SIGNATURE OF GRS INSPECTOR
Prepare Discrepancy Report QMC Form 1194a lor major discrepancies.
Smc form
pEV 16 MAR 46
1194
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Search for Answers
Description
An account of the resource
Learn about the 30+ years James' nephews Jim and Ted spent investigating his death to unearth what actually happened. <br /><br />Using private investigators, government contacts and tenacious research, see how they learned what really happened the day James died, how they found his crash site, including witnesses, and made new friends in Italy along the way.<br /><br />Included are photos and documents about James' posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross, photos of the crash site and finding plane wreckage, plus documents and letters amassed during their search for answers.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Case History report of the investigation into James Dibble's crash, discovery and subsequent reburial
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. Burial.
Description
An account of the resource
Case History report of the investigation into James Dibble's crash, discovery and subsequent reburial.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Report of reburial and case history
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Leo E. Tritschler
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/18/1945
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/14/347/Dibble_Text0198.pdf
75dbe2b7334a5e40968d60925cb866a7
PDF Text
Text
' Hqs. Second Platoon
6O^8^ter?a;ter Co.. (OR)
^SUBJECT :__Repor_t^<^--Inves-ti-gatd-on ------ -————C...__ _
TO •
:
Graves Registration Officer, PBS, APO 782, U.S. Army
1. • A detail wqs dispatched from this organization to disin
ter' the remains believed to be; IstLt. James P. Dibble, 0-733844,
from the British Salerno (Beachhead) Cemeteyy, Plot-J, Row E, Grave
38.
2. When the grave was opened it" was found
f: “I that after digging for a foot or so the grave filled with water,
water, into which the
laborers sank above their knees. Hip boots were obtained and on
the second attempt were successful.in reaching the remains.
_
It was impossible to establish identity as no clothing
remained on the body and only one (1) shoe was found in the grave.
From appearances it may have been an officer's dress shoe, though
no size or color could be determined. Tooth charts could not be
taken as only a small portion of the skull remained.. The body was
too badly decomposed from long submersion in water to establish
anatomical characteristics. A rough wooden cross was found markT
ing the grave and after, careful scrutiny a faint inscription, was
made out. It consisted of three words and the date, of which
only the first word and the date were legible. The inscription
was written in Italian and is as follows;"CADUTO--- ODRIO 9 SETTEMBRE 1943." No other information could be obtained'.
4. The reismains were disinterred and reinterred in the U.S.
Military Cemetery, Naples, Italy and recorded on the QUO Form-1
GRS as BELIEVED TO BE; 1st Lt. James P. Dibble, 0-733844.
1E0 E. TRITSCHLER
1st Lt. QW
GRO
55153
I
c<
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Search for Answers
Description
An account of the resource
Learn about the 30+ years James' nephews Jim and Ted spent investigating his death to unearth what actually happened. <br /><br />Using private investigators, government contacts and tenacious research, see how they learned what really happened the day James died, how they found his crash site, including witnesses, and made new friends in Italy along the way.<br /><br />Included are photos and documents about James' posthumous Distinguished Flying Cross, photos of the crash site and finding plane wreckage, plus documents and letters amassed during their search for answers.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Report of investigation of James Dibble's death and reburial, with map
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. Burial.
Description
An account of the resource
Report of investigation of James Dibble's death and reburial, with map.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Report of investigation
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Leo E. Tritschler
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/18/1945
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/16/371/Dibble_Text0101.pdf
bc316225aacd2392383b39e52eeece56
PDF Text
Text
Archie G. “Gil” Jackson
31171 Monterey
So. Laguna, CA 92651-6961
(949) 499-2765
Dear Mr. Dibble,
Thanks for your letter of January 8, 2001.1 have been quite lazy in
replying to you about the particular mission you would like information about August 1, 1943.
As you may know, on most occasions pilots were informed after the
evening meal if they were to fly on a sortie the next day. We didn’t know where it
would be until after our breakfast; then the briefing would take place.
Breakfast was powdered eggs, spam or bacon, hard tack bread,
margarine, and boiled coffee. The bacon had been in an oven, and then sliced
about %” thick (nothing but fat). The margarine was in a #10 can, and we called it
axle grease.
This particular mission we were told to go to El Aquina, about 15 miles
from Tunis. El. Aqina was about 35 miles from our base at Mateur. We would
receive our final briefing there. We were met at El Aquina by high rank Army
officers, and told this was a most secret mission, and we were to take care of the
C-53 at all costs, and we would land at Palermo, Sicily.
We were to fly two P-38s on each side of the C-53.1 was the ranking P-38
pilot, Jim was my wingman, and Thiessen flew Cram's wing. The pilot of the C-53
was a major, and the co-pilot a captain. The C-53 is a C-47, but with the entrance
door on the right side. This one had plush seats and was General Eisenhower’s
plane. It was also used to fly celebrities around. General Eisenhower used a B17 most of the time, but at this time it was being repaired.
The General and his staff appeared, and we took off circling the field until
the C-53 took off and we were on our way. When we landed at Bacadifalco we
were met and surrounded by armed guards, a staff car was there, and the
General and his staff were escorted from the airdrome.
Palermo had been secured a few days before. We wanted to go into town,
but when we got to the gate, they said that General Patten had issued orders that
anyone in the town had to wear a steel helmet. We had none so we had to stay
with our planes. It was hot, about 105 F, so we found an olive tree close by and
waited for Ike to return.
�We each had a canteen of water, but the C-53 crew gave us a cool drink
from their supply. Ike returned and said we would land at Syracuse. When we
landed there, General Montgomery’s staff met us. The meeting was 100 yards or
so from us. We saw General Montgomery, but we stayed within close proximity
of our planes.
Then we took off for Luga Airfield on Malta, and would remain overnight.
General Eisenhower was having a conference with General Alexander and we
would return the next day.
\Ne were taken into town, and had an English supper of steak and kidneys
(it was awful, but better than what we were used to). We were put up in a hotel
and had a shower and a bed to ourselves. The next morning, we had one egg,
cakes, and tea. The tea was brought to our rooms with a wake-up call (a real
treat). We returned to the airfield and pre-flighted our planes.
About 7:00AM a limousine drove up - a big one with no top and two sets
of seats behind the driver’s seat. The driver got out, but the man in the back
opened the door himself and started walking toward us.
I said “That’s Ike”, and we all jumped to attention. He came on toward us
and said “Rest, men.” Then he said, “I just came out to thank you for the good job
yesterday.” Ike looked at me and asked, "Where are you from son?” I answered,
"Louisburg, Kansas.” He then replied, “Well I’m from Abilihe.” I said, “Yes, Sir, I
know.” Then Ike asked the others where they were from and shook hands with all
of us. He then said, “ I won’t need your escort today, as I am going to Cairo,
Egypt, and will have an escort of Beaufighters, you may return to your home
base. I haven’t had any breakfast yet, so I better get back, but I wanted to thank
each of you for an excellent job yesterday.”
When he left, a RAF Wing Commander came over to us and said, “There
is a B-17 that was shot up over Messina, and needs an escort back to Tunisia,
can you take care of it?” So we escorted the B-17 back to its home base near
Mateur - it was from the 97th Bomb Group. When we landed at Maetur, Captain
Brown, Intelligence Officer of the 94th, debriefed us. He told us the missions
were secret and there would not be any mention of what happened in the write
up.
This was the time General Eisenhower scolded General Patten for
slapping a sick soldier in the hospital in Palermo and made him apologize for it.
During this period, Otto Wellensiek was CO of the 94th, I was the
Operations Officer, and Jim Hagenback was the Assistant Operations Officer.
Otto came down with malaria in mid August and was hospitalized near Ferryville.
He didn’t return until about the first week of September.
�Hagenback took my place, and I was sent to Devisor, Egypt - an RAF
base East of Cairo near the Suez Canal. While I was there, I flew up and down
the canal looking for subs at both ends. When I returned to the 94th, orders were
issued for my return to the States. I was lucky and got a ride home as co-pilot on
a MATS aircraft taking the Southern Route. Dakar, French West Africa; Natel,
Brazil; Blem, Brazil; Trinidad; Miami, Florida. I was relieved from active duty in
June 1945.1 went home to Kansas and took my old job as Chief Chemist for the
State of Kansas.
I was recalled back to service in late 1947, and attended Meteorology
school in Champaign, Illinois. Then, I was sent to Fairfield Susan AFB, California,
and attended University of California in Nuclear Chemistry. I was then sent to the
pacific atolls to work on atomic detonations with the laboratory on Guam. I was
on the team of chemists whom first discovered the USSR’s first atomic
detonation in October 1949.
Relieved from active duty in May of 1950, I took a job with Hawaiian
Punch as Director of Research. I stayed with them 25 years until I retired in 1985.
R.J. Reynolds of Winston-Salem, North Carolina owned Hawaiian Punch.
I apologize for telling you about Jim complaining about our diet, quarters,
etc. But, in those times, he wasn’t the only one to complain - we all did. I was
sorry to hear about him, as we had become comrades. I selected him as my
wingman and my crew chief became his when I left the 94th.
Sincerely,
Archie “Gil” Jackson
PS:
I stayed in the AF Reserve until January 1977. My retirement orders
stated 34 years, 11 months, and 15 days.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Flying with Eisenhower
Description
An account of the resource
See records of the flight where James and other P-38 pilots flew escort for Eisenhower in 1943.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret) to Jim Dibble describing a mission where he and James Dibble flew escort to General Dwight Eisenhower
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. Eisenhower.
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret) to Jim Dibble describing a mission where he and James Dibble flew escort to General Dwight Eisenhower.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Personal correspondence
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/14/2001
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/9/378/Dibble_Text0100.pdf
764103159120e20f2a8e3328c3ad3eed
PDF Text
Text
�����
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Combat!
Description
An account of the resource
James spent his combat time based out of North Africa and helped clear the way for the eventual invasion of Italy in 1943. <br /><br />He was a member of the 94th Air Squadron, <a href="https://www.1stfg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1st Fighter Group</a>, and flew the famous twin-engined P-38. Learn more about the P-38 at:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aviation History online Museum</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2Ftechnology%2FP-38&usg=AOvVaw25-9_sOlkuv_UPtZBhV1Ma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britannica.com</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj_1pKiyOT5AhXUkIkEHWqSCb8QFnoECAQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLockheed_P-38_Lightning&usg=AOvVaw0_UoxVGVbZOtad9vsjWvhW" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wikipedia</a><a href="http://www.aviation-history.com/lockheed/p38.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a></li>
</ul><br />Don't miss the section titled Day of Armageddon recapping the events of August 30, 1943. This air battle over Italy ultimately earned James the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was lucky to survive - many pilots made the ultimate sacrifice. <br /><br />See photos, letters, mission reports and more about James' time spent in combat over Africa and Italy in 1942 and 1943.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Hand-written letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Letter from Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret) to Jim Dibble talking about his WWII experience and life after
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. Eisenhower.
Description
An account of the resource
Letter from Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret) to Jim Dibble talking about his WWII experience and life after.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Personal correspondence
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Col. Archie Jackson (Ret)
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/14/2001
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/12/304/Dibble_Text0241.pdf
f04e42400d8901d6652a0104933cb095
PDF Text
Text
���
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:<br /><br />"<span class="fontstyle0">Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1</span><span class="fontstyle0" style="font-size:9pt;">st </span><span class="fontstyle0">Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."<br /><br />A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.</span><br /><br />See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Hand-written document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lt. Frank Mcintosh's account of August 30, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. August 30, 1943.
Description
An account of the resource
Lt. Frank Mcintosh's account of August 30, 1943. Written in the 1970's or 1980's.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Historical account
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Frank McIntosh
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1970's - 1980's
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/12/305/Dibble_Text0242.pdf
ee17c71e103c4ce57205c3c29c92de07
PDF Text
Text
����
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:<br /><br />"<span class="fontstyle0">Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1</span><span class="fontstyle0" style="font-size:9pt;">st </span><span class="fontstyle0">Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."<br /><br />A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.</span><br /><br />See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Hand-written document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lt. Frank Mcintosh's account of August 30, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. August 30, 1943.
Description
An account of the resource
Lt. Frank Mcintosh's account of August 30, 1943. Written in the 1990's.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Historical account
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Frank McIntosh
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1990's
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/12/310/Dibble_Text0228.pdf
615183268e803475a8ca98a256104af4
PDF Text
Text
',
//7>
/Ze
e
/> Zj
77 Til/7
<7^,
7Z>-~?Z {^3'7 —'?'<?
x?<5-<i^g.77j4 7 Zi7=^
/7, '?/T
? Zj~cZ cr yr.
^7 ,
Zs /Ze
'7~/i<r
77? Zte £■ /
<T7
t,
^'<7 y
S/7
S/7<
7/ A Z~
Z77
<7/7
7^
7^!)
Z> 7/777
^ZT 7^4
7^7^
»■----
/<C
Z-
^27~
7"Z4
SZz
/clj
<7i/Z
S/7^/y
.$/
ty
M2, J~
ZZ/T't/Zj~
~^7 2\_ Ze
/7 <Z-r
Z2.
Zz' \ZM7e/4<x £/z
e^7<^Zs
77:^77
'■Z
7 .7
<?
'77 r. -~ ^7^, Ze
Z/ \
'V
^4
Z '■Zt- e
/.
72^,)
~7ct, 7^ e7^~ "~ / Z. 2/ Z~
^7 -£7/J
tMC't- Z7/yT7re2r/ 7 Z</,
tfST’gX-
7^2 ''^22 7 22
/'S'^7^
7 c/ — 7t7ZaZ
'^^L
ZyZ>‘
?>
01J7i.
7^<?
7cJC
JT^lZ
-
7Z7J
e(
’■f
s&a J J
2
Z727<g?7^.Z ^7J 7<r S (''4'2-Zy
'-Z.SZ/t'Z ZS/.y Z Z/^
"7/2 j
-
& "r
7^<rZ //7^X$'
t77tZ~
$
7^,~7Z
Zy
■7
~'
■
-7 7^7
s
77-/^i-7^^/
efy >7 7 r*~<Z? c
q_/7£<c/cf /
e>ZZf7
^7z_r
^^72.
7^S'^<Z_?~('J^)
-Tt- ^Zy z^r<s
2i"/Zl
~^7^/ Zf Z
—
^<7
7>Z'Ze
77 -r ^y/r ^7
Z
c^7C J
>^77'^77 7^7 C. ^7
7Z
t^/-^
Zcj 77
' ^7e^7<fX.^yy
/? /-
T'
/€?</ r
7
■Z-e<Z ^.Z^/
7/ -/Z
Z7'7 4 e
7 7-^
*/~ 77^
/4i‘7c/c>'/
’ '
.
'
yz/ye^cf/
#&y
£</ 7 ZZ~ 2'777/77^/
<=>'^' <7 <71'
'Vc
�7
-7c> /y
77
4 c/x'x'y'
/?.
s-
<7Z>
74
-
7
fztJ-S
~5S~ s
/-4rjZ .4^/
c>
^Z-S~
ezt
227K~y
’
4
„ y_ o ^4, x
)
74 f y
Tr.<y.e> . ^7
7.
/<§>.. ~~7~ , 7.7/14. oy4 7:
7es 1 7.
x~
7.
/a.^c.
77
TT^c _ 7'4.4.^ ■/j&z'Ty
7
-7
4
<7
ss~
7//-2
477
4^7 7/7^7
- ,4.2.
7.
axx> .74c
7/^
•sL ^£}/./o4 zs^cyZ*
3
s'7
^4)
7
• osxTle.'';
7. 7
y^7 7^xr? x
7
7
4> & 7c x' i
&
4)
■£.'. Cty/.C
-P Sty,
^zy7e-x
XlXZ V (Z^-.y)
r.
S^c7
Z“
7^7.
<3exrr-77z£
£S z~
3 J~s .
7r
7''<.r7<'
4</t7 ’xxy
*<.
4/Ti.
jp
Wt
&
2^
T^o 7 7*^^
,
7^
& Of /
T~C7C.4<7~~
74
& C7 fS’^zT'O Xx/,
"*7
<—/'?-
M/
A^-1
7~
e
7.<7
/oj^-
4/S
7^. A^.X.
'2~./7 7.J
4c'^r7— z
^.7 .
'74 7e x~ ,v X^t^-a. x
cf
J &74
~ /^t- 44
y. J e~
. '
C't7/7c4‘'e) .
4z, 7_7sf~
e
7'
<> s/,
-~
^C>s,y /'ll l/C^
TAzy
4z(7
Trsyf^Tz-Ti * 4
7
7^-^^ 7~ 7<z7z
?
^c
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:<br /><br />"<span class="fontstyle0">Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1</span><span class="fontstyle0" style="font-size:9pt;">st </span><span class="fontstyle0">Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."<br /><br />A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.</span><br /><br />See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Hand-written letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Notes from Lt. Frank McIntosh clarifying events of August 30, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. August 30, 1943.
Description
An account of the resource
Notes from Lt. Frank McIntosh clarifying events of August 30, 1943.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Historical account
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Frank McIntosh
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
11/20/2002
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/12/314/Dibble_Text0229.pdf
87113ce0e8914b458ef5d107fcbbdfab
PDF Text
Text
���
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:<br /><br />"<span class="fontstyle0">Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1</span><span class="fontstyle0" style="font-size:9pt;">st </span><span class="fontstyle0">Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."<br /><br />A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.</span><br /><br />See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Hand-written letter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Notes from Lt. Frank McIntosh clarifying events of August 30, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. August 30, 1943.
Description
An account of the resource
Notes from Lt. Frank McIntosh clarifying events of August 30, 1943.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Historical account
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Frank McIntosh
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
unknown
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/12/316/Dibble_Text0243.pdf
8c2d15717c4e4171466c63783d227694
PDF Text
Text
Page 1 of 1
James W. Dibble
From:
To:
Sent:
Attach:
Subject:
<RVrilakas@aol.com>
<jwdlmd@coastalnet.com>
Tuesday, January 07, 2003 10:41 PM
Mission #19.doc
Re: Armageddon '43
Jim, there are only a couple of items that I would suggest checking into or revising.
a. On the 2nd page (last paragraph) you say "It was at this point that the 1st Fighter Group was assigned to
the 42nd Bomb Wing". To me that would mean that we were under the command of the 42nd B. W. which
would not be accurate. I think you intended to say the 1st Ftr. Gp. was tasked (or directed) to escort the 42nd
Bomb Wing----- .
The 1st Ftr. Gp. remained assigned directly to 12th A.F. Hq. at that time.
jrience he is quoted as having dived from 17,000 ft. to the deck trying
b. In the account of Hal Rigney's expert
to blow the fire out. Since the bomberss were flying at 11,000 ft. it would be unlikely that any of the P-38
escort would be 5000 ft above them, at 17,(
,000 ft. I don't have anything to confirm Hal's altitude, but you
might want to check that out a little further,. I think Hal's altitude was 12,000 which is about where we were
when we entered the target area.
>y memoirs, but in the event you haven't
You may have had access to my account of the 30 Aug. mission in my
I'm attaching a copy for you. You are welcome to use any part of it that
rat you think appropriate to your story.
1/18/03
�Going in with the bombers we encountered the usual heavy flak then a pretty stiff battle
with 25 or 30 fighters. The bombers completed their run and we were on the way out with
minimum losses when someone called in a new batch of "bogies" (estimated 75 to 100) high. I
looked up to see a whole gaggle of them drop belly tanks and dive into the middle of us. They
had been loitering at altitude awaiting the most favorable time to attack which was after we had
expended a good bit of our fuel and ammo, and were attempting to regroup from the first air
battle that day. Following their initial dive into us a real dogfight erupted during which our
flights were completely broken up and much of our squadron integrity disappeared. There were
P-38's, ME109's and Machi 202's mixing it everywhere with many losses on both sides.
Everywhere you looked there was an enemy fighter or P-38 in a spin or dive—smoking or on fire,
some crashing into the Bay of Naples. A P-38 from the 71st Squadron and a Mel09 collided
headon exploding in a gigantic ball of smoke and fire. As one of the pilots described it years
later it looked like one of those old WWI movies such as Hell's Angels or Lilac time. I saw
several P-38's on fire and one (Lt. Rigney) on fire and bellying into the water off shore.
Since our fuel was getting low from the two encounters the squadron leader that day (Lt.
Dibble) gave the order to work toward the Bay of Naples and reform as best we could. About
the same time a P-38 from the 27th Squadron went by me toward the bay with an Mel09 closing
in on his tail. I was alone and broke headon into the 109 firing a good burst at him from close
range. He broke off the 27th P-38 in what appeared to be a fast, uncontrollable spinning dive.
My maneuver, however had taken me directly back toward Naples and into a beehive of enemy
fighters. The squadron, by then, was loosely formed up and heading out to sea.
It was obvious the 109 pilots were literally choosing lots to see which got the honor and
that there was no way I could best their numbers, fuel, or altitude advantage. I took the only real
choice available which was to firewall it and dive for the deck out over the Bay of Naples.
Almost immediately tracers went by. They were actually converging in front of me and I looked
back into a spiral painted propellor spinner not more than a hundred yards behind me. As I
leveled off at what appeared to be a few inches off the water he started hitting me. It sounded
like hail on a tin roof with occasional explosions as his cannon shell hit and exploded. To make
a more difficult target I kicked left rudder causing his tracers to go over the end of my left wing.
As he worked back and started hitting the aircraft again I would try a skid the other way. This
ploy was used several times and it reduced his effectiveness, but he still got quite a few hits each
time as he worked back through. I was so low on the deck that he no doubt had problems
avoiding the water, plus my prop wash. At times his bullets raised plumes of water ahead of me
indicating he was trying to shoot from an elevated position and was over-leading me.
It seemed certain my aircraft was either going to lose an engine or explode and I was
considering how to handle that when I noticed I was rapidly overtaking another Me 109 directly
ahead and about a hundred feet above me. He was apparently trying to catch up with the other
P-38's ahead. That meant that if I went under him there would be two of them on my tail. If I
pulled up and eliminated the skid to fire at him the guy behind me would have a sitting duck to
work on. I pulled up, got a good bead on the Me 109 ahead and fired all four 50 calibers and the
cannon. He started to smoke and went into a gentle turn to the right. Almost simultaneously
there was a crash as my pursuer gave me a long burst, enveloping me again with a hail of tracers.
One of his bullets creased the canopy bar beside my head, which knocked out the whole rear of
the canopy. Plexiglass flew all over the cockpit-even into my mouth. I dove for the deck again
and for some reason experienced no more shots from the 109 behind me. Within seconds during
which I expected to catch more fire my right engine oil temperature began to rise rapidly and the
pressure began dropping. I feathered the right engine and watched the left with no little anxiety,
but despite apparent gaping cannon holes in both wings and numerous 30 cal. holes in the engine
�nacelles and wings the left engine continued to function fine. Happily the gauges showed no
rapid fuel loss and radio contact was made with the squadron.
Lt. Dibble brought what was left of the squadron around in a 360 degree turn allowing
me to catch up. Three of the 94th pilots, Lts. Dibble, Pettus and Anderson stayed with me while
the rest of the squadron proceeded back to home base in Africa. We headed for Sicily, the
nearest friendly landfall and after what seemed an endless time arrived over northern Sicily and
proceeded to the nearest airfield.
The airfield was under construction, but there was enough P.S.P. (pierced steel planking)
installed to land on so I set up an approach. Just as the end of the runway was reached an Italian
truck being used for construction drove directly across in front of me. I managed to add enough
power to get over him but decided against a go around, not knowing what the condition of the
hydraulic system was and whether or not the gear could be raised, (the landing gear had to be
raised to effect a successful pull-up and go around on single engine.) The landing went o.k. with
sufficient speed left to taxi over to some tents being used by the Army Combat Engineers. Upon
shutting down the good engine it caught fire but was quickly extinguished by an awaiting
fireman.
The plane looked like a sieve. I estimated there were 60 to 80, 30 cal holes plus 4 or 5
exploded cannon round hits that in each case flared a large piece of the wing skin up. Even the
props had bullet holes through them. Lts. Dibble, Pettus, and Anderson, after seeing me down
safely, buzzed the field and continued on to home base in Africa. I stayed at the field that night
then made my way back to the base at Mature the next day on a C-47 transport. I've always
regretted not getting some pictures of the P-38, but doubt if a camera was available.
I was credited with one victory that day and one damaged. The Mel09 firing at me either
ran out of ammunition and/or broke off to go to the aid of his comrade. The credited kill and
damaged was inadvertently listed as Machi 202's but it didn't make that much difference to me at
the time.
2
�We lost Lt. Parlett, Lt. Peck, Lt. Cram, Lt. Woodward and Lt. Rigney that day
from the 94th Squadron. The other squadrons had similar losses. Lts. Parlett and Rigney
survived being shot down and were taken prisoner by the Germans. Both of them along
with Lt. Catledge from the 71st squadron escaped and after months of working their way
down through Italy, finally
reached friendly forces in Southern Italy and safety. The
group was again awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.
Upon my arrival back at the base I was greeted like a long lost relative, debriefed
by intelligence, and then went to my tent for a much needed rest. My air mattress for my
army cot was missing. The squadron didn't have enough air mattresses to go around so
they were inherited from pilots rotating home or "requisitioned" directly by one of the
newer pilots when someone failed to return from a mission. I was building up a head of
steam when one of the more recently assigned pilots came in looking very embarrassed
and dragging my air mattress. He sheepishly apologized and it was good for a tension
relieving laugh.
3
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943
Description
An account of the resource
From Jim Dibble's account titled "The Day of Armegeddon" included in this collection:<br /><br />"<span class="fontstyle0">Following the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, the missions flown out of North Africa by the 1</span><span class="fontstyle0" style="font-size:9pt;">st </span><span class="fontstyle0">Fighter Group pilots in their P-38 Lightnings had a common objective of preparing for the invasion at Salerno, Italy by the United States Fifth Army."<br /><br />A mission on August 25th was highly successful, with a loss of only 8 P-38's. The 1st Fighter Group earned a Presidential Distinguished Unit Citation for their efforts, but the August 30 mission, for which they would earn a second citation, was not so easy.</span><br /><br />See mission reports, photos, first hand accounts and more information about this infamous air battle known as The Day of Armageddon.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Account from Lt. Robert Vrilakas' memoir about the events of August 30, 1943
Subject
The topic of the resource
World War II. August 30, 1943.
Description
An account of the resource
Account from Lt. Robert Vrilakas' memoir about the events of August 30, 1943
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Historical account
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lt. Robert Vrilakas
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
unknown
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/10/205/Dibble_Text0147.pdf
f1f931eb7a975c2db4372da96c99629a
PDF Text
Text
' 'O
©
JEASajmSjJS 1ST MGHTEE, GW
Qfflsa of the Intelligence Offi^sAPO 520
26 August, 1943.
SW?i Mssim Ueports.
TO
e Commanding General, Hea^tusrtera 42nd Mng (03), APO 520. .
(teta.A-2).
807. 59 ^38’s
th® 2^-i ?lst and 94th Squadrons up base 1042
hrs, to'escort JH26»a of ths 319th# 320th'and 17th Emb Greups to Grease
is© A/D, Italy* 11 P-3S»0 returned early, 1 because ef-lw fuel pressure,
1 engine- trouble, 3 radio trouble, 1 belly tank treahl®., 1 wheel doer -Would
not class, 1 left coolaafc shutter was out, 1 with, run away prop an. d two
with faulty supercharger. Its. SBffijm, KfGHEK and PAGE Squadron leaders.
Keuults of tasking not observed aa'&ist obscured target. 'Ttae over target
1245 hr®. Altitude of fighters 14,000 ft. and bashers 12,000 ft. Eight
e/a encountered in target area. Observed 5 large &/V‘s in cove at Nisida.
Observed &’«$& Mi lage di Jtetrda* -At 1245 hrs. saw a great cloud of
dust along 8. side of Vdtarno Elver, 8 rai. E. of target. At 1300 hrs.
saw a small yelloo object 1000 yards offshore from kondregone. ■ Observed
frcs 12,000 ft,., 2 six, distance. g© flsk encountered. 47 P-38fa down base
at 2445 h ra, 1 P-38 returned to base at 1543 hrs.
CH2QCL0GY8 Time off 1642 hrs, Mae over target 1245 hrs*. Time down
1445 hrs. and 1543 hrs.
SQUTEt Base to G. Sidi All el itokka, rendeavous point with B-26*s, thence
on a 40® cw® to Gastelvolturno, Italy and thana® over target, turning
left frca target and reternih g to base on a course of 220®.
jaCStJLTS OF B0MBgK?t Unobserved duo to dust.
Bam.
' •
Wgg AERIAL AOTIQgfi S e/a, Sii.202«s and Re-2001, appeared over coast,
following formation ever target area, and two continuing 25 mi. out to sea,
3 Me. 109* s attacked ©no Squadron 5 si. off Coast At Gaatel Volturno at 1259
AS AWm^St 4 3/P<s seen in S/P base m Lago di Patsda at 1240 hrs. .
.
ACTiyi'f.fi none.
^AVAL SH-lyPxEG AGTXVITTt 5 largo
seen in we at Hisida
at 1235 hrs.
-""" TACTICS AKg.SRggl&L pOMSEKTSt Eight e/a encountered over target were
very' unagressiva^ asking' til^-hearted attacks and never cosing within 1000
yds. of our . fighters, 3 248.109’5 made one pass attacking frees the aide and
t’irning away. Our fighters gave chase, and destroyed one (1) Ms.109.
EHSaaT LOSSES; One (1) Mb.109 destreyed
WixfeWi Kone.
SOHffESs 48
’>S£ATH E2t Scattered clouds at 0,000 ft., otherwise CAW. Sama over target.
MDIOt Good.
- 1 -
�/**•
o
Mssion Bepoits (coat’d) .26 August, 1%3*
PHS5S DATAs Xst. Lb. JABES P. DIB5L2, Hastings, Michigan, destroyed one (1)
Me4j!J9.
]
For th® Group Coomandsrs
GLTDS'Kji GAB LES^
-2-
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Mission Reports
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of Mission reports from James' combat flights.<br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed mission report
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mission report dated August 26, 1943 listing Lt. Dibble as destroying an Me. 109
Subject
The topic of the resource
United States. Air Force. 12th Air Force. 94th Fighter Squadron.
Description
An account of the resource
Mission report dated August 26, 1943 listing Lt. Dibble as destroying an Me. 109.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Mission report
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Maj. Clyde W. Gabler
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
8/26/1943
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
1/18/2022
-
https://barrycountyhistoryportal.org/files/original/13/553/Dibble_Text0252.pdf
4a6804315e873ecacce1ce7418a6a882
PDF Text
Text
h f
I
i.j-NETY FOURTH FIGHTER SQUADRoN
FIRST FIGHTER GROUP
APO
520
504
16 July 1944
i
¥
i
CERTIFICATE
■
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I certify that I have examined the recovered.pieces of
P-38G-10L0 aircraft, Air Corps Serial number 42-13411, and bearing
the above serial number. It is my firm belief and conviction
that the above recovered pieces are a portion of aircraft P-38G10L0, Air Corps Serial number 42-13411, missing in action on
9 September 1943I further certify that 1st Lieut. James P. Dibble, 0733844.
was the pilot of aircraft type P-38G-10LQ, Air Corps Serial•
number 42-13411 on 9 September 1943, the date he was M.I.A and
the date subject airplane was M.I.A.
I
I lurcher certify that I have knowledge of the above case
and have verified same with records of the aircraft pilot and
mission, held by this organization.
/s/ Jerome Belleau
/t/ JEROME BELLEAU,
Major, Air Corps,
Executive,
94th Fighter Squadron *
1st Fighter Group.
I
I
i
i
1
\
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
James P. Dibble: Killed in Action
Description
An account of the resource
Typically pilots rotated home after their 50th mission. James took off for his 49th mission on Septemebr 9, 1943, and never returned.<br /><br />He was shot down on a straffing run near the town of Padula, Italy. Initially there was much confusion amongst the other P-38 pilots, and it was thought James survivied and may have been taken prisoner.<br /><br />Ultimately it was discovered that James had been shot down and then killed by German soldiers.<br /><br />James was ultiamtely brought home and buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery in Middleville, Michigan. See information on his gravesite at <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40312090/james-p-dibble" target="_blank" title="James P. Dibble's Gravesite" rel="noreferrer noopener">FindAGrave.com</a>.<br /><br />See reports, documents and letters around James' missing in action status and then the determination that he was killed in action. Included are letters from the Army to his wife Maxine and parents, newspaper clippings and local memorials.<br /><br /><br />Jump to other sections of the collection:
<ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/5">James P. Dibble: World War II P-38 Fighter Pilot</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/6">His Early Life</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/7">High School into the Army Air Corps</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/8">Flight Training</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/17">We Got Married!</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/9">Combat!</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/10">Mission Reports</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/11">Letters Home</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/16">Flying with Eisenhower</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/12">The Day of Armageddon - August 30, 1943</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/13">Killed in Action</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/14">The Search for Answers</a><ul><li><a href="https://www.barrycountyhistoryportal.org/collections/show/15">The Monument in Padula, Italy</a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul></li>
</ul><br /><ul><li>
<ul><li><a href="http://omeka/collections/show/15"></a></li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Typed Document
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Certificate declaring the wreckage found near Padula Italy was James Dibble's plane
Subject
The topic of the resource
James Dibble. MIA/KIA.
Description
An account of the resource
Certificate declaring the wreckage found near Padula Italy was James Dibble's plane
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Typed document
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Maj. Jerome Belleau
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
7/16/1944
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-NC/1.0/
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Hastings Public Library
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Jim Dibble
Date Accepted
Date of acceptance of the resource. Examples of resources to which a Date Accepted may be relevant are a thesis (accepted by a university department) or an article (accepted by a journal).
11/21/2022