Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association, Inc. (SSMA)
Air Personnel of the 8th United States Army Air Force who flew on Mission 115 - October 14, 1943 over Schweinfurt, Germany. This day is also known as "Black Thursday".
Charter
At dawn, on October 14, 1943, in foul weather, the 8th Army Air Force, also known as the Mighty 8th, dispatched 291 B-17 bombers to the town of Schweinfurt Germany, a flight of some 800 miles. Since this city was vital to the ball bearing industry, it was at the top of the list of strategic targets for the allied forces and had already received a first attack on August 17, 1943.
The bombers were initially protected by friendly fighter escort, which were forced to turn back about half way to the targets. Arriving at the target, the bombers were attacked by an estimated 1,100 enemy fighters firing cannon and large caliber rockets manned by the German Lufwaffenhelfer (LWH) or flak-helpers. The vicious attacks were continued and repulsed until the bombers reached the English Channel on the return flight to England.
The battle brought great loss to both sided. Sixty heavy bombers and 600 airmen perished. Many lost their lives in the burning, badly damaged, crashed planes. Many became prisoners of war. Fifteen additional aircraft wer so damaged they could never fly again. On the ground, 276 people died and countless more were injured. Businesses and homes were razed. Valuable and treasured possissions perished. Consequently, October 14, 1943 - Mission 115, became known as "Black Thursday" in American military history and one of the greatest air battles of World War II.
Thirty years later some of the survivors from the Mighty 8th, including Colonel Budd Peaslee, S/Sgt. Phillip Taylor and 1st Lt. William Allen, decided to form an organization to commemorate their fallen comrades-in-arms. They called it the Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association, Inc. (SSMA), giving it direct connection to the second air raid on Schweinfurt.
The full members of this association are all veterans of the 8th Air Force who flew on Mission 115. Every year the members, and their families and friends, meet in a different city in the United States around the 14th of October to honor their dead fellow airmen.
Announcements
But their is more to this story: At the 50th Anniversary, two Germans, Dr. Helmut Katzenberger and Vomar Wilckens came to the reunion in New Orleans to present to the group information they had on that fateful day. Then in 1996, the SSMA members invited more of their former enemies, including Georg Schaefer, whose grandfather founded one of the "targeted" ball bearing factories, to attend their reunion in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Schaefer, now retired from the Board of Directors of FAG Kuglefischer, had served, along with his classmates, in one of the 8.8 cm Flakbatteries around Schweinfurt. He brought many artifacts from "Black Thursday". Many of these artifacts are permanently included in the Second Schweinfurt display at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia.
It was at this reunion that the Americans suggested erecting a joint memorial remembering this mission. Mr. Schaefer presented this idea to his fellow Luftwafferhelfers, who embraced the idea and June 16, 1998 a German American Memorial was dedicated on a former air raid bunker site in Schweinfurt. The memorial was created by G. Hubert Neidhard (3/3/28 - 5/14/99), who was an art teacher in Schweinfurt and a flak-helper in his hometown during the war. This started the amicable meetings between members of the SSMA and the former flak helpers. In 1999, a group of former flak helpers, accompanied by Gudrun Grieser, Lord Mayor of the City of Schweinfurt, attended the reunion in Savannah, Georgia. Reno, Nevada was the site of the 2000 Reunion. In 2001, SSMA decided to hold their reunion in Schweinfurt, the first time the organization had held their meeting outside of the U.S. 62 participants from the U.S. attended despite the disastrous events in New York and Washington on September 11. Fort Worth was the site of the 2002 Reunion. Seattle - 2003 and in 2004, the members will return to Schweinfurt.
The bonding between former enemies is an impressive sign of active reconciliation, but also an admonition to future generations to do all they can so that horrors like those in the 20th century are never repeated. The inscription on the German American Memorial speaks to the bond between these two groups: "Dedicated by some who witnessed the tragedy of war, now united in friendship and the hope for lasting peace among all people".
Event Calendar
October 2008: Savannah, Georgia
(tentative)
Reunion Coordinators
Julee and Bob MacDonald
juleemac@cox.net
October 2007: Schweinfurt, Germany
64th Anniversary Reunion
Reunion Coordinators:
Germany: To be announced
USA: Julee & Bob MacDonald
juleemac@cox.net
October 2006: Las Vegas, Nevada
63rd Anniversary Reunion
Reunion Coordinators:
Julee & Bob MacDonald
juleemac@cox.net
October 2005: Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida
62nd Anniversary Reunion
Reunion Coordinator: Charles Hebert
October 11-15, 2004: Schweinfurt, Germany
61st Anniversary Reunion
Reunion Coordinators:
USA: Dick Fox & George Roberts
GERMANY: Dieter Schorn
Meetings
10/??/07 Membership Meeting -
Schweinfurt Germany
10/14/06 - Reunion Highlights
George Roberts elected President
Reinstitued $1000 donation to Mighty
8th Air Force Museum
DECEMBER 11,2006 MAILING includes information on how to order a print of the Robert Taylor print "Schweinfurt - The Second Raid" If you are an SSMA member, please contact Julee MacDonald at juleemac@suddenlink.net or 936-890-8882. She will give you further information on pricing and shipping arrangements.
General Information
06-07 Officers
President: George Roberts
Vice President: Bud Klint
Secretary: Julee MacDonald
Treasurer: Dick Fox
Historian: Linda Harmeson
05-06 Officers
President: John Noack
Vice President: Patty Klint
Secretary: Michele Bryan
Treasurer: Richard Fox
Historian: Linda Harmeson
'04-05 OFFICERS
President: Pete Mullinax
Vice President: Roger Minner
Secretary: Michele Bryan
Treasurer: Dick Fox
Historian: Linda Harmeson
Join Us
Membership to the Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association, Inc. is open to all air personnel who flew this mission and all others who have an interest in this historical event. Many widows, children, grandchildren, relatives, former members of the LWF are currently "Associate" members. Send your request to the email address listed below.
Contact Us
BOOK INFORMATION
Foes by Fate...Friends by Choice, by James A. "Pete" Mullinax [ISBN #: 0-615-13378-9]
Journey to Freedom and Beyond, by Robert M. Slane
OTHER AFFILIATIONS OF INTEREST:
Stalag Luft III - 62nd Reunion
April 26 - 29, 2007 Kansas City, Missouri
Contact: Tom Thomas 630-668-0215
Bob Weinberg 830-257-4643
Email Us
ssmahistorian@comcast.net
Related links