FOR CENTURIES, FEBRUARY 14, ST. VALENTINE’S DAY, has been associated with the exchange of love notes by adoring couples. Traditionally, this day was set aside for giving gifts from the heart, but on February 14, 1945, there was not much love for mankind as WW II and the devastation that followed staggered through another year. There was still a lot of “giving,” though, as Allied planes pounded Axis Germany in around-the-clock bombing raids.
The “giving” had begun one day earlier as British Lancaster and Mosquito bombers began the fire-bombing of Dresden. American heavy bombers continued the daylight action as the fires of hell engulfed the ravaged German city. Elsewhere in Europe, the German Army reversed course and was in retreat, falling back across the Rhine River into the heart of the fatherland. Hitler’s dream of a 1,000-year Reich would fall short by about 988 years.
As the strategic heavy bombers from the 8th Air Force concentrated on Germany’s industrial targets, the tactical 9th Air Force committed more than 600 A-20 Havocs, B-26 Marauders and A-26 Invaders to the fleeing German army. Their targets were marshalling yards, troop concentrations, railway stations, barge traffic and bridges. Included in this mission were men and aircraft from the 495th Bomb Squadron, 344th Bomb Group, flying Martin B-26 Marauders from their base A-59 at Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France.
Of the hundreds of men who gathered for the morning briefing, two had flown almost 20 missions together inside a B-26’s belly. Each man had a different view of the sky and the chaos to follow because they sat at opposite ends of the aircraft. Here is their story.
The airplane commander, Lt. Charles “Chuck” E. Minihan, had been flying B-26s in combat since August 1944. During that time, he was responsible for the lives of five other men, including copilot Ben Huffman, bombardier/navigator Leo Armstrong, flight engineer Ben Longstreth, radio operator John Regan, and the rear back seat of
