Graham’s Gremlins
by Captain Wayne (Rusty) Baker
“Have you ever been upside down on fire?”
As we were boarding his airplane on the ramp in Effingham, Illinois one day my boss, Jack Graham, asked me, “Wayne, have you ever been upside down and on fire?”
I had not.
But he had.
January 14, 1944,
1st Lt. Jack W. Graham and his crew flew their B24 Liberator, “Graham’s Gremlins” on a mission over Mostar, Yugoslavia. Over the target, the #2 propeller governor ran off and could not be feathered. Soon after, the #3 engine took a direct hit from enemy flak, caught fire, and could not be feathered. As if that weren’t enough, the #4 supercharger caught fire.
Lt. Graham and his heroic crew didn’t expect to live to see another sunrise. Heroes all, we owe everything to the brave men and women who put it all on the line for our country in times of war. This Veteran’s Day please take a look at a more detailed account on the 450th Bomb Group Memorial Association’s website: God Bless our Troops, and God Bless America!