" ... As I think back on the 20th. Group I might give you a little background with my experience with it. I enlisted in the Air Force as a Private in January 1929 and was sent to Langley Field, Virginia. After serving there until September 30th., I volunteered for a group who was organized to go to California and organize the 20th. Fighter Group. I got on a boat in Port Armstrong, in New York, and after 30 hectic days of old time Army transport and various train shipping places, we arrived at March Field in California. The 20th. Group was organized as two squadrons, the 55th. and 77th. in November of 1930, and the 80th. Service Squadron. After I completed my enlistment in January of 1942, I volunteered to be sent to school up at Chanute Field in Illinois , and while I was attending school up there, over a period of nine months, the 20th. Group was transfered to Barksdale Field, in Louisiana. "When I graduated from the Air Corps Technical School at Chanute, I rejoined the outfit at Barksdale Field and I was put in the 80th. Service Squadron again down there. A short time after I arrived at Barksdale, they announced that the 79th. Squadron was to be activated, and asked for volunteers. So, being somewhat of a grasshopper nature at that time, and liking to jump from one place to another, I volunteered for the 79th. Squadron and served in that squadron for three years until I received my appointment to the Air Corps Flying School at Randolph Field. I went to the Air Corps Flying School with an old buddy of mine, who had worked and studied with me over the years , Henry G. Thorn, Jr. who has subsequently completed 34 years of service in the Air Force and retired in the rank of Major General.
"After leaving the 20th., at Barksdale, I graduated from Flying School in due time and was assigned to the 1st. Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Mich. Field, subsequently to the 9th. Bomb Group at Mitchell Field, and then at Panama. Finally, after coming back from Panama in January, 1943, I was assigned to the New York Air Defense Wing and subsequently to the command of a newly formed fighter group known as the 356th. Fighter Group. I organized the 356th., then took them overseas and got them into combat and after a short period with the 356th. I was transfered up to the 67th. Air Defense Wing as A-3, after serving about four months as A-3 I was given command of the 20th. Group in March of 1944.
"I took command shortly after Mark Hubbard had been shot down and Johnny Johnson was acting as temporary Group Commander until I arrived. I flew 73 missions, as I recall, with the 20th. Group , about 350 some combat hours between March of '43* and December of '43*. In December I was relieved of active combat and returned to the Zone of Interior. Bob Montgomery then took over command of the outfit and had it, I believe on through most of the rest of the war, which as we all know wound up in the spring of '45."
A NOTE FROM CAPT. HEIDEN ABOUT THE TERM "A-3"
A-3 is a Directorate, sometimes
Director of Operations, a most important duty with control of all Air
Operations, Plans and Training and all orders, Field & Fragmentary (frag),
Usually the Rank of full Col. and above. Each of these divisions are titled
"Assistant A-3 Combat Operations" (such as me), Plans & Training and such.
Should be referred to as "A-3," not as "an A-3". Sounds picky, but it is an
awesome title. Note these Directorates: down through the levels of Command,
1, 2, 3, & 4. G for GHQ AFHQ, A for individual AF's and Divisions, S for
Group/Wings & Sq's. 1 = Personnel, 2 = Intelligence, 3 = Operations, 4 =
Supply. |
Col. Rau talks about the missions he flew and the men he flew with
The Story of "Gentle Annie and her Pikchore"
BACK TO THE 20TH.FG
(*= Although Col. Rau states this as 1943, records show it was in fact 1944.)
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