Junior's Bracelet: 67 Years of Mystery Solved & Recorded

By Archie Payer

Day dreaming while in my office and staring at pictures of the Payer Brothers and especially my brother Steve; he came into my mind. My thoughts were to put something in writing so that my children grandchildren, nieces and nephews could not forget my brother.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465362049

Book preview

Junior’s Bracelet

67 Years of Mystery Solved & Recorded

Archie Payer

Copyright © 2011 by Archie Payer.

ISBN:                      Softcover                      978-1-4653-6203-2

                                 Ebook                            978-1-4653-6204-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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100952

Contents

INTRODUCTION

OUR STORY

SHOW AND TELL

THE DENTIST

NAMING ARCHIE & UNCLE CHIPPER

THE TOOTH FAIRY

ARCHIE’S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

HUCKLE BERRIES

TOBY

GRANDMOTHER AND HOLY SUPPER VELIJA

CHRISTMAS

MEALS AND DIETARY HABITS

THE CHEF

MY FIRST WRIST WATCH

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

DONALD DUCK

THANKSGIVING AND LAKE HAUTO

LEARNING TO DRIVE

FOOTBALL AT THE FARM

MITTY

MY PAPER ROUTE

TREES

SATURDAY AT THE MOVIES

MULE RIDING AT AUDENDRIED

HALF WAY HOUSES

THE AUDENRIED DESERT

WALKING ON THE CEILING

PICKING COAL

STRIPPINS

SKIING COAL CRACKER STYLE

POODLES POND

THE COAL STOVE

PAYER BROTHERS GET A NEW BIKE

THE TARZAN DAM

BOOBS

CONTRACEPTIVES

BAKING OVEN

MAKING SAUERKRAUT

SATURDAY MORNING RITUAL

THE WORLDS FAIR NYC

BOWLING

MODEL PLANES

REVERIE 1943

HIS PROM

HIS GRADUATION

STEVE’S ENLISTMENT

SOCKER MACK

APPENDICITIS

THE BRAT

SEVENTH GRADE DIVA

STEVE’S FIRST LEAVE

STEVE’ LAST LEAVE

UNCLE AL PAPPY PAYER

UNCLE LOTZIE

AUNT ELLA & AUNT MARGRET

ARCHIE THE ALTAR BOY

UNCLE JOHN MATSKO

MR SIRRIANI THE TAILOR

ARCHIE THE PAINTER & KISSING

MY OCCURRING DREAM

A LETTER TO GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER

JULIA SCISLAW URBAN

RICKS & JULIA’S LETTERS

THE FAMILY PLOT

CHIQUITA

HIS FRIENDS LETTERS

JUNE 14, 2011

MY BROTHER’S MISSIONS

EPILOGUE TO MY BROTHER

EV, KEITH & RAND

OLSON’S CONTRIBUTION

MEET THE MILLERTS

DRAWING OF THE CHIQUITA

THE UNTOLD STORY OF CHIQUITA

THE ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY

NEUPRE, BELGIUM

PICTURES OF CHIQUITA

MILITARY PROCEDURE

HIS MEDALS & FLAG

AIR FORCE COMMUNICATION

THE MISSION

THE FINAL MISSION

SSgt. Stephen A. Payer Jr.

33830128

KIA 5/12/1944

Dedication

The book was intended to find the crew of the Chiquita and somehow bring them together again. I think that

mission has been accomplished.

Nine brave men lost their lives so that freedom can live.

As part of the 305th Bomb Group and the 346th Squadron those who went before them must also be remembered.

Lastly, to that great lady of the sky CHIQUITA for flying

and protecting all those airmen on eighty-seven

previous missions. I wish I knew them all

and the genealogy they created.

Like the heroic nine, 12/5/1944 was not her day.

I cannot be remiss in thanking God for the miracle

He created by finding and returning the bracelet.

INTRODUCTION

Day dreaming while in my office and staring at pictures of the Payer Brothers and especially my brother Steve; he came into my mind. My thoughts were to put something in writing so that my children grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends could not forget my brother.

As a family we are accustomed to a Friday night dinner. Conversation would revert to what our children’s episodes were, what as their parents we did and lastly what do you remember about Uncle Steve?

Often my children and during our ritual Friday night dinners they would bring up their past experiences as children and then ask about their mothers and mine.

Frequently questions about their Uncle Steve would pop up and my remembrances would always relate to them how he gave me my nickname and how close we were and our escapades. Always in the back of my mind was our future meeting.

When we meet again would he be the young man and me an older looking father image? Does the soul age or will we all look the same? Only God has that answer and every day, time is drawing me nearer to that meeting.

My thoughts were to go to my family data base and get together all the e-mail addresses of the nieces and nephews, scan their Uncle Steve’s picture and prepare something whereby they could remember him in some way. Every time the project was attempted, it would get interrupted and then completely forgotten. It was my hope that my memory could recall all the good times we had together and mostly how an age span of seven years was so meaningful to two brothers.

For some reason it was put off. It was strange how one was reminded and it was my brother who miraculously reminded me. He just did not want me to put it off any longer so he sent me his reminder. The bracelet that was hidden from me for sixty seven years would now be returned and my story completed.

My wife sent a Christmas card to my nephew Jerry who is my Brother Joe’s son. It was returned and my wife Noreen asked if Jerry had moved. Going to the family data base my call was to Jerry to get his new address.

During the conversation his uncle Steve was mentioned and then it happened.

Uncle Archie & Aunt Noreen:

Hi, & I hope you had a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year with the family, & I hope all of you are doing well.

I got your voice mails, & thanks for your messages that my home address bounced; occasionally, mail bounces from my house that’s now rented-out.

My home address is now: 19023 Rocky Creek Drive / Leesburg, VA 20176-1811, but I maintain a P.O. Box (i.e., see below) also in Clarksburg for most of my mail / bills, so it will be easy to convert back to the street address at my house when I move back; no plans soon.

You can send mail to either of these addresses & I should get it.

Chris & I went to see my Mom on this past Monday, & she seems to be doing OK, but was talking about she thought she would be passing-on soon.

Supposedly, Mom has never even talked about this with Michele yet, since Chris spoke with Michele, when I went to pick-up some dinner for all of us, & Michele was surprised by the subject & discussion, & would follow-up with Mom about this later.

Chris & I did talk about planning a visit to see you; more discussion of when is needed, as Chris is working on some new job opportunities.

Finally, I did want to tell you that I found some information about Uncle Steve’s enlistment & story of his being shot-down over Germany.

Basically, Ancestry.com had a free research weekend several months ago, & I was able to look-up my Dad’s enlistment information, & Uncle Steve’s casualty information / burial information.

So, I got Uncle Steve’s record with his Bomber Group (i.e., 364th Bomber Squadron & 305th Bomber Group), casualty date (i.e., 5 Dec 1944), medals (i.e., Purple Heart & Air Medals), burial location (i.e., Monument @ Ardennes, France, & Cemetery @ Neuville-En-Condroz Permanent Cemetery, Belgium, & Grave # d 7 31), & other information.

On the internet, I located more information about the bomber group (i.e., 364th Bomber Squadron & 305th Bomber Group, & a query about a Sgt. Chester Lee Thompson by family a member & on Uncle Steve’s plane—check-out: http://forum.armyairforces.com/m162165-print.aspx ) & I found Uncle Steve was the Radio Operator on the B-17, named Chiquita, & more information was identified about the plane, which was also being researched by other family members of those lost on the plane.

In the information, there is a lot of information related to other crew members, mostly. But, in later / subsequent information, you’ll find an After Action Report (i.e., see the 2nd entry by: Tim Hartman & about 2/3 down on web page) was filed by the leader of the mission / lead plane, who said Uncle Steve’s plane was hit by FLAK behind the wing & after the bombs had been released & planes were beginning return flight. It appears that, as I understand it, the Radio Operator was in that area & likely, may not have survived the initial hit.

The information is very extensive, but that is not the most amazing / odd or weird information presented. You need to look for the entry by Werne, from a German historian, named Rene in his entry & near the bottom of the web page. His entry has information that he researched date of the crash & crash site, & has one picture link & you need to see what was found. Note: I do not know whether he or someone else found what is in the picture, or whether it is still available or locatable.

THE PICTURE IS OF UNCLE STEVE’S ID BRACELET, & THIS IS SUCH A VERY ODD / WEIRD THING FOR ME TO FIND WITH SUCH A SIMPLE SEARCH FOR HIS PLANE’S INFORMATION OR SOMETHING ABOUT HIM; IT MUST HAVE BEEN BY GODS HAND FOR ME TO FIND IT ! ! !

I thought you should know about all of this, & see if you wanted to do more research / contact others, yourself, from the web page that I identified.

I do have his Enlistment Record & the other information I found & identified above, & I printed for my reference, & I can send all of it, if you want it, too; this information comes from my free Ancestry.com search, & is actually from National Archives information on WWII.

So, best wishes to you, Aunt Noreen, & the rest of the family,