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Yoo Hoo 28
723rd Squadron
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Picked up in Topeka, Kansas in May 1944, Yoo Hoo 28 was flew across the Atlantic by crew # 3128
The name came about after another pilot was looking for the aircraft in a formation over Topeka and
called over the radio, "Yoo Hoo 28"
The crew of Yoo Hoo 28 were as follows:
Ted Brus - Pilot
George Garoian - Co-Pilot
Harry Evans - Bombardier
Harry Fockler - Navigator
Marvin Stock - Engineer
Sal Vanacore - Nose Gunner
Marcus Speakes - Top Gunner
Jim Ledlie - Radio Operator
Ed Wolfe - Bottom Gunner
Charlie Tripp - Tail Gunner
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Our nickname occurred when we were in Tulsa, OK, picking up our airplane which we flew overseas.
We were in a formation waiting to be called to tell us which plane would be ours. It was quite a large group of crews - large and noisy. Ted Brus, our pilot, couldn't hear his name called or the plane number which was 3128.
The officer calling out the numbers and the command pilots' names finally yelled out "Yoo Hoo '28" and then the whole crowd echoed the same and it stuck. We even had it painted on the plane along with Donald Duck holding an umbrella over his head like a parachute.
We flew this plane from Tulsa to West Palm Beach, Florida to Trinidad then to Belem, Brazil and then to Natal and then over the Atlantic (1847 nautical miles) to Dakar, French West Africa (now Senegal), and then on to Gioia, Italy, which was the 15th AF's pool of planes for distribution to the groups as they needed replacements. We never saw it again.
Harry Fockler
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Link To Crew Picture
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