The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1943-10-14
Has Thri||inQ
Experiences
Fighting Jdps
Former Libby Man
Spends Three Years
In u. S. Air Force.
WAS AT PEARL HARBOR
TIME OF ATTACK

Back in September, 1889, a young
man left Libby and not a great
time afterwards enlisted in the air
corps. He was Kenneth o. Engel,
nephew of Mrs. J. S. Vlnion, and
had worked around Libby for some
time. Since that time he has had
his full share of thrilling expert
ences in fighting the Japs. A re-
cent article in the Ottawa (Kans.)
Republican-Times tells of the fine
record Engel has made as one of
Uncle Sans flying fighters:
If there is one person in Ottawa
who can appreciate the popular
song Coming In On Wing and
Prayer it should be Staff Sgt. Ken
meth o. Engel. %, son of Mr.. and
Mrs. William Engel of 1853 West
Lafayette street, who is visiting his
parents for a few days of a we'll
earned furlough after almost three
years foreign service with the Unit
ed States air forces.
Staff Sgt. Engel, who upon his
return to Salt Lake City will re-
ceive the Air Medal the Distin-
guished Flying Cross and the Oak
Leaf cluster as reward and recog-
milton of his service to his country,
practically lived the words of the
above song on his next to last bomb
ing mission while operating in the
New Guinea area.
1t was upon this mission that his
Flying Fortress ran into trouble.
While almost to its destination the
No. 3engine on their Fort caught on
fire
Perilous Experience
The flight commander ordered
Engel and the other members of his
group to drop out of formation and
try and make it back to their base.
After dropping their bombs, flares
and other ammunition they headed
back to the base, radioing that they
were coming in and asking that the
field lights be turned on
On the night of this mission the
weather was exceptionally bad,
with heavy formations of clouds
that made it impossible to see the
searchlights of the field as they
came in.
AS they approached what they
knew to be the vicinity of their
base the formation of clouds was so
heavy that they could not see any
signs of the searchlights.
However, Engel, sitting in his
position as tail gunner, noticed what
appeared to be the beams from a
revolving searchlight through the
clouds and notified his pilot.
They made a 100 degree turn and
came back down below the clouds
and noticed they were out over the
ocean. However, they could see the
lights of the field and came in ION
wing and prayer with just
enough gas to make landing. Only
for Engle noticing the rays of light
it very likely would have been the
finish of what was perhaps not
only one of the finest bomber crews
in the South Pacific, but also one of
the luckiest
At Pearl Harbor
Staff Sgt. Engel left Libbey-
Owens-Ford Glass company to en-
list in the air corps in October of
1889 and on Oct n the following
year sailed for duty in the South
Pacific.
When the Japs attacked Pearl
Harbor, he was stationed at Hick-
man Field near Pearl Harbor and at
the time of the attack was in bed.
When they first heard the bomb
ing and guns Engel and his mates
thought it was the navy practicing
off shore. One of the soldiers in
the barrack with Engel remarked
jokingly, 1.-THE Japs are bombing
us"
However when Engel happened
10 glance out the window and saw
a Jap plane bombing hangar only
200 feet away he realized that what
had been said in fun was only too
much the truth.
Along with the other men he hur-
RED to his battle station and at the