Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-08-25
a Chaplain Aides
From Boiling Among
9 Killed in Crash

NV" k~Hs"9 1HiVHY
9 Killed in Crash
Four Boiling Air Force Base
chaplain's assistants who died
with three crewmen and two
other passengers when their
Gilt transport collided IN mid
air yesterday with a BIS near
Newton, N. j., were identified to-
day by Air Force officials.
The big converted CAT cargo
plane was en- route to Protestan,
laymens retreat at West Reading
Conn, and was to have picked ur
10 other youthful religious leaders
before setting down at Danbury.
Two other Boiling personnel were
scheduled to make the trip, but al
the last moment, one because his
bride-to-be urged him not to &c
and the other because his plans fol-
entering the United States Military
Academy at West Point prevented
his departure.
The B-25, with two lieutenant
colonies at the controls, miraculous
ly escaped with a slightly damaged
wing and returned safely to its
base, Stewart Field, N. Y.
2 Other youths on Plane.
In addition to the Boiling person.
mel, two other youths headed for
the religious meeting boarded the
Gilt at Middletown, Pa, making a
total of nine dead.
Pilot of the Inflated craft was
Capt. William D. Betty. jr., 30, of
220 Wayne place Sc, who flew IS
BIZ missions in Germany during
the war and had transported many
top Government officials, including
Secretary of State Marshall and
Army Secretary Royal.
Other crewmen were Capt. John
p. Fits, jr., 26, the co-pilot, of Link
horn Park, Virginia Beach, who
served as a fighter pilot in the
European theater for 10 months.
and T/Sergt. John Edmond Stringer,
81, 1400 Eighteenth place Sc.
Passengers Identified.
The dead passengers from Boiling
ire:
Sergt Forrest G. Crate, 20, Coun-
ell Bluffs, Iowa; Pfc. Fred r. Ander-
son, 10. Duluth, MINI; Pfc. James
E. Ford, "a, De Walls Bluff, Ark. and
Pfc. Bernard E. Mahoney, ID, Bing-
hamton, N. Y.
The two men picked up at Mid
dletown were S/Sergt. Albert M.
Douglas, Is. of Darby, Pa, and
Corpl. Donald L. Raum, 81, of Lam
caster, Pa.
The collision occurred over a
farmland community in northwest
New Jersey at 1890 pm, two hours
after the big transport took off from
Boiling.
Plane Came Out Of Clouds.
Crewmen of the BIS, 40 miles
from their base on routine flight
to Boiling, said they were cruising
at about 1000 feet when the trans
port appeared suddenly out of a
cloud. The jolt did not seem Sc
we're to the BIS occupants, and they
returned to their field unaware the
other plane had crashed.
Witnesses said the stricken plane
flew over the farm. area at 400 or
500 feet before going into a tailspin
and crashing lin ball of smoke"
Wreckage and bodies were strewn
over several hundred yards.
Pieces of the plane like silver
flew in all directions" said Mrs.
Elizabeth Shower, who saw the crash
from her farm home. ,s..
Other Stops Scheduled.
The plane had scheduled stops
at Stewart and Mitchell IN. W Air
Force Bases At. the first point
two more youths were to board,ar1d
at Mitchell eight were expected from
Fort Slocum Rochester, N. " and
Camp Kilmer New Brunswick,
N. j.. :, 50
The flight was provided By TIE
Special Air Missions group, which
had flown more than $4,000. 900 miles
in three years, without a fatality.
The four men who had started
for the retreat at Jesse Lee Acad-
envy, West Redding, were selected
by Chaplain George J. Cameron, 81,
from a list of Is applicants.
Memorial Services Planned.
They were all my boys" the
chaplain said today Il picked them
because I thought they would bring
back the most to contribute to
the others"
Chaplain Cameron said funeral
services for the airmen were in the
hands of their relatives, but that
the chapel will hold memorial serv-
ices for them next Sunday. 1t will
be the chaplain's last services at
Boiling, for he is leaving to take
a post in Puerto Rico.
Pvts. Mahoney and Asderson both
were organists in the Protestant
chapel. Both had trained voices
and often sang duets. Chaplain
Cameron said. Sergt. Crate had
been attending high school night
classes here and was to enter Creieh-
ton University soon to study medi-
cine. Pvt. Ford previously had
served in the Marine Corps for four
years.
The men who turned down their
invitations at the last minute were
Sergt Calvin D. Estes of Birming-
ham, Mich, and Pfc. Ben B. Hargis
of Kingsville, Tex.
Sergt. Estes has passed his exam
nations for West Point. and was
forced to remain home to train
replacement in his job Pvt. Hargis
soon will be married, and remained
here at the request of his future
wife. Sergt. Estes is now the only
remaining male member of the
Boiling choir, Chaplain Cameron
said.
Capt Booty. the pilot, is survived
by his widow Lois and a. 7-month-
old son, William D. III. He enlisted
in January, l941. and for his out
standing war record received the
Air Medal, she Eastern Theater of