"TSgt. James B. Seiler, USAAF, who is expected home within two weeks to visit his father, August Seiler, 1422
14th. St., was a mechanic member of the famous 19th. Bomb Group now disbanded, which wrote it's name in a
blaze of glory across the skies of the Pacific for a year before the outfit was broken up to take assignments in
other USAAF organizations. He is the brother of Mrs. H. F. Kemmerer, of the 14th. St. address.
The 19th. Bomb Group went into action the day after Pearl Harbor, Dec. 8, 1941, and for 12 months offered
various resistance to the Japs from Manila to the Solomons. The 19th. won four citations as a unit- more of any
such honors than has been paid to any other group in the force.
Sgt. Seiler helped keep the renowned bomber, Suzy-Q in the air. This great bomber was the hero of the great
story-which was printed in Readers Digest-titled "Queens Die Proudly." Sgt. Sieler is one of that immortal bunch.
Now he's on his way home for a furlough.
It was the 19th. which secretly evacuated General Douglas MacArthur from Mindanao. Later, they rescued
President Manuel Quezon, of the Philippines.
The 19th. was caught in the thick of treachery the day it cane into Pearl Harbor after a flight from the States. It
was strafed by the Japs at Clark Field, in the Philippines. It fought over Davo, Bataan, Java, Luzon... talk about
writing whole pages of history in blood and glory, the 19th. did it.
And so goes the saga of the 19th. Individual heroism: collective heroism-buy the men in the air and the men on
the ground of whom Sieler was one. For all this, the "most decorated unit" in the army received four separate
honors
These are:
One citation especially created for the 19th.- a gold-encrusted blue bar with two oak leaf clusters: the southwest
Pacific medal for faction in that area: the American Defence medal, and good conduct medal.
The veterans of the 19th.- Sergent Sieler included- are scattered to different units now But so long as two of
them are alive in years to come, there will be plenty to talk about when any two of them meet.
After all, they were the 19th. Bomb Group!"
14th. St., was a mechanic member of the famous 19th. Bomb Group now disbanded, which wrote it's name in a
blaze of glory across the skies of the Pacific for a year before the outfit was broken up to take assignments in
other USAAF organizations. He is the brother of Mrs. H. F. Kemmerer, of the 14th. St. address.
The 19th. Bomb Group went into action the day after Pearl Harbor, Dec. 8, 1941, and for 12 months offered
various resistance to the Japs from Manila to the Solomons. The 19th. won four citations as a unit- more of any
such honors than has been paid to any other group in the force.
Sgt. Seiler helped keep the renowned bomber, Suzy-Q in the air. This great bomber was the hero of the great
story-which was printed in Readers Digest-titled "Queens Die Proudly." Sgt. Sieler is one of that immortal bunch.
Now he's on his way home for a furlough.
It was the 19th. which secretly evacuated General Douglas MacArthur from Mindanao. Later, they rescued
President Manuel Quezon, of the Philippines.
The 19th. was caught in the thick of treachery the day it cane into Pearl Harbor after a flight from the States. It
was strafed by the Japs at Clark Field, in the Philippines. It fought over Davo, Bataan, Java, Luzon... talk about
writing whole pages of history in blood and glory, the 19th. did it.
And so goes the saga of the 19th. Individual heroism: collective heroism-buy the men in the air and the men on
the ground of whom Sieler was one. For all this, the "most decorated unit" in the army received four separate
honors
These are:
One citation especially created for the 19th.- a gold-encrusted blue bar with two oak leaf clusters: the southwest
Pacific medal for faction in that area: the American Defence medal, and good conduct medal.
The veterans of the 19th.- Sergent Sieler included- are scattered to different units now But so long as two of
them are alive in years to come, there will be plenty to talk about when any two of them meet.
After all, they were the 19th. Bomb Group!"
| SGT. Seiler With Famous Bomber Unit The Fighting 19th. Fought Japs For Year After Pearl Harbor |
B-17 Flying Fortress Suzy-Q (Susique)
SGT. Sieler was the father of Anne Anderson,
Post 817 Ladies Auxiliary member. These
are excerpts from a local newspaper article of
the time.
Post 817 Ladies Auxiliary member. These
are excerpts from a local newspaper article of
the time.
Photo not available
