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Here is a story I wrote to Killer Kanes daughter-in-law several years
ago.
06/12/1997
Hi Donna,
I can tell you a story about your father-in-law which made me admire him
although I didn't know him.
When I was crewed up he was commander of Gowen field in Boise Idaho.
I must go back a little way to start the story.
I was in pilot training
class of 43xxx. When we were in pre-flight at Maxwell Field Alabama our
cadet commandant was a guy named Norxxx xxxxxxx. He was a young
corporate
lawyer from New York with an Ivy League law degree, about six four and
made a fine sight leading the parades of 22,000 cadets etc. No doubt he
was connected to get the position. Stripes from his shoulder to his
wrist.
Well I washed out in basic and got sent to Bombardier school. Low and
behold Norxxxx must have got washed out too because he ended up at the
same field (San Angelo Tx) Class 44xxxx and ended up the top dog
"commandant of cadets" there also. While he was there he caused a red
headed cadet to get washed out whose name I can't remember.
When we graduated we were sent to Boise without the normal leave because
they were short of Bombardiers. My crew was half way through phase
training when I arrived. Right away Norman went to work and using his
connections and influence got himself transferred to the Judge Advocates
Office and out of Bombardier classification. He was going to stay in
Boise while we went to the War.
Well we got sent to Topeka Kansas to get a new plane and head overseas
One of our bombardier group (Norman Hart) broke all military rules and
wrote a letter directly to Col. Kane explaining the situation to him.
Apparently Killer Kane didn't like it either because about three months
later Norman xxxxxxx) showed up overseas in Italy in a nearby group. As
fate would have it he was assigned to the group where the redhead washed
out cadet was now a gunner. When the word got around from the gunner his
name was SHI-. When I left Italy in Jan 1945 he was still a 2nd Lt. and
still flying missions.
Killer Kane had a reputation that was well known throughout the Air Corp
but after that episode I knew he was my kind old man.
Everett Frank - 721st Squadron
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