Bob Searl's Account

Not all of our missions were destruction of the enemy; here's an account of our "BLOOD PLASMA" mission of 9 Dec 1944 mentioned in the Group History earlier in this book. Our 90th U.S. Infantry troops had crossed the Moselle [Saar] and advanced about a thousand yards before the Germans cut them off in a small woods shaped like a horseshoe. Their wounded were in desparate need of blood plasma and medical supplies so these precious items were wrapped in blankets and loaded into some of our droppable wing tanks. The weather was lousy with barely enough visibility that our mercy mission leader, Capt. Charles Brokaw could find the exact spot and we could keep each other in sight. Brokaw led the plasma flight which had to pinpoint their drops in the open end of the "U". Brokaw and his wingman, Lt. Charles Everett, planned to go in first while I waited with my wingman, Lt. Brandon Nuttall, just across the river with the cover flight. The drop had to be made into the open "U" of the woods as close as possible to the tree line so that our infantrymen would have the least exposure while retrieving the medical supplies. Brokaw got his tanks right on target and #2's were just a little out from the forest edge. After Red 1 and 2 got back across the Moselle, Nuttall and I made our drop pass. Obviously our infantrymen didn't expect a second pass as my tanks almost hit some of them who had come out to get Red 1 and 2's drop. After release, we'd hug the ground and make a turn away. Luckily for us, the Germans did not have much antiaircraft artillery to shoot at us, however they began shooting up a barrage of mortar shells over the open field which we had to pass over on our way out of the drop zone. It looked like the open field was a volcano erupting before us. My wingman's tanks would not release when he pulled the lever so we went back for or five times, again with no success. Brokaw and I knew from experience that it was almost certain that they would never release, however Nuttall was so committed to getting those emergency supplies to the troops that we let him try at least ten more passes, still passing thru the mortar barrages, to no avail. The Flight Leaders were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses and the wingmen, the Air Medal for this mission. However, for my money, Nuttall should have had them all. I will always remember that in war while using a weapon of war, we performed this humanitarian deed.