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Presentation of a proclamation honoring the 485th Bombardment Group Association.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The 485th Bombardment Group was formed in Fairmont, Nebraska in September, 1943. In less than one year of operation, from May, 1944 (with a mission to Yugoslavia) to April, 1945 (mission to Austria), the group flew 187 missions (an average of one every day and a half) to Germany and other countries in occupied Europe. Tragedy struck for 154 of these men when their ship, the Paul Hamilton, was sunk during an aerial attack on their convoy on April 20, 1944. There were no survivors. This was one of the largest Liberty Ship disasters of World War II.
Since it took 50 combat missions to complete one tour, the surviving members of the 485th Bombardment Group believe that this, their 50th annual reunion, is a fitting time to hold their final gathering. They are one of the last WWII bomb group associations still having reunions, and we are honored that Farmers Branch has been selected to serve as the host city. The reunion will be held September 17-21, 2014 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel North Dallas in Farmers Branch.
Accompanying the 485th Bombardment Group this evening will be Mr. Georg Reitsberger, the Mayor (Burgermeister) of Vaterstetten (suburb of Munich). Mr. Reitsberger commissioned a monument honoring men that died in the B-24 bomber that went down in Vaterstetten. He believes that Germans have a better life because the Americans destroyed Fascism.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proclamation