Bob Edwardson S/SGT US Army Air Corps.

[Deleted]

Bob lived across the road from me where I grew up, A very close family friend, never married, and one of my dads closest friends as well as my own. In Bobs postwar years, he made his living as an auto mechanic, working at the local Chevrolet dealership, then for a local independent, and then for himself at home in his garage. His specialty was Automatic Transmissions, he knew them well and did very well with them. Being a child of the great depression, Bob well knew hard times and the value of a dollar, Hard work and common sense were his greatest trait's.



Here is a shot of Bob at his assisted living room at 93 y/o, Notice he still wears his dogtags

Back up to Dec./7/1941, Bob and two friends are working near Weyerheauser, Wisconsin cutting pulpwood for $1 a day, six days a week. At the outbreak of war all three enlisted in the US Army Air Corps to be fighter pilots, none we able as they only had 8th grade educations and to be a pilot you needed a high school diploma. Bob ended up at Right Patterson field in Dayton, Ohio to become an airplane mechanic, after that he was assighned to the 12th AAF/350th FTR. Group/347 Fighter Sqdrn. He was now a P-39 Air Cobra specialist.

Then off to England, then to Morocco in North Africa, as part of the Torch Landings, Western Taskforce he Landed in Casablanca, Nov. 8th 1942, The life of tent living in the desert was then a reality, as the allied forces pushed east, they followed maintaining a 30 mile buffer behind the front lines, the planes would leave on missions before daylight supporting the ground troops, at some point in North Africa (Tunisia I believe) the P-39 was replaced with the P-47, In Bobs opinion the greatest warplane ever made , they then were sent to Sicily, and onto mainland Italy, the 350th fighter group was kept very busy in Italy, and as the German forces were pushed into the Po river valley (March of 45), the 350th was kept busy 24/7 bombing and strafing the retreat, The war ended in Pisa, Italy. As a Crew Chief Bob lost three pilots (KIA) and many planes, flying into things on strafing runs were hard on planes, he told me many times of the pilots following railroad tracks looking for railstock to shoot up, they followed a loaded freight train into a tunnel in a mountain, the Germans would hold up in the tunnel till night and leave in the dark, anyway in the excitement they flew over the mountain to find the tunnel and here was a busy rail yard, witch they took full advantage of , only to find out a few days later they shot up a Swiss railyard, Nothing became of it as It was German equipment, and the Army did not really care!.

Bob returned to the US and was discharged, 5 1/2 years since he was home last, His youngest sister who was three years old when he left, did not know who he was when he returned. Yesterday when visiting with him, he said he went from $30 a month cutting pulp wood to $125 a month in the Army (Im not sure if the $125 is correct for combat pay?, his memory is rather poor at 93 ), He sent most of his money home to help out his parents, His dad was a WW1 vet and was Gassed in France, and had a difficult and shortened life from the Mustard gas poisoning.

Bob is a very interesting man, and has taught me very much about life, and has helped instill my passion for history as well. Thank you for reading this!.

Lee

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 THANKS FOR SHARING LEE !! 

[Deleted]

Thanks, Lee. I feel this is one small thing we can do to help these guys' experiences and memories live on, at least for a while.

[Deleted]

Hopefully this spring, after Bob returns home, I can scan some of his pictures from North Africa and Italy and post here, Priceless to say the least!, Thanks guys

Lee

[Haines Garage]

Captain..That is a most Fantastic story, These are the things that keep me going. Thank you for posting this story here. It means a lot to me.
I told you before my friend, If it is Important to you, it is Important to me.

[Deleted]

Seems I have been losing things each week lately, today was my friend Bob, five months short of 94. Sad to hear the news this morning, but was expecting it as he has been going down hill rather fast. "Project Red Ass" will go on in his honor. Rest easy my friend!.


Lee

[zooke581]

Thank you for your share and spending time with a Veteran of the Greatest Generation. Salute to you Bob Edwardson!

[jeffwho]

Lee,thanks for sharing. THAT is the most important thing on human record, seeing how stories predate writing and probably even formal language. Thank you for sharing Sgt Edwardsons's story with us. I'll never look at another P-39 without thinking of him, as I've never heard (or met by extension..) anyone who worked on or flew those beasts. I join in Zooke's salute to him, and thanks again for sharing.

[zooke581]

Strange thing, as a kid, the P39 Air Cobra was my favorite of all the WWII fighters at the time. It got a rep it didn't deserve . It was a great plane. And I am sure Sgt. Edwardson would vouch for that!

[zooke581]

What an awesome bird. It would be great to reunite him with one and see his face.

[Deleted]

Bob could tell P-39 stories forever, but his love was the P-47, with it's robust Pratt & Whitney radial engine. I am sure you guys have seen the famous picture of the P-47 landing on a dirt strip in north Africa someplace that was completely covered with motor oil as the top cylinder of the radial engine was shot clean off the block by an ME109 cannon, and was flown back to the base, the engine locked up on the runway. That was one of Bobs planes in the 350'th FG, he watched it land!.

Lee

[zooke581]

My other and my Late Father's favorite. He was straffed by a P47 in Dortmund Germany while delivering soup to poorer German people. Dad had one hanging in his den till the day he passed. I gave it to him. He respected the Americans and to his last day thanked them for his freedom from Hitler.

Bob worked on two of my most favorite American Fighter Planes.

[Deleted]

Here is a link to the 347th/350th FG facebook page. very interesting!

link347th Fighter Squadron - 350th Fighter Group - 12th Air Force

Lee

Sorry I cannot get it to work

[Deleted]

Obituary for Robert C. Edwardson:

Robert "Bob" Carl John Edwardson passed away on Thursday, April 23, 2015 in Chisago City, MN. At the time of his passing he was 93 years, 4 months and 30 days old.

He was born on November 24, 1921 to Carl and Edith (Swenson) Edwardson in St. Paul, Minnesota and was the eldest of three children. In 1926, the Edwardson family moved from North Branch, Minnesota to the Frontier District of Wisconsin, north of Weyerhaeuser. Bob attended the Frontier School through the eighth grade and worked as a woodsman and lumberjack, helping the family and others to clear land for farming. Bob enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on January 2, 1942 and wanted to become a pilot. Lacking a high school diploma, the Air Corps trained him to be an aircraft mechanic to service P-39 Airacobra, and later, P-47 Thunderbolt airplanes. He was assigned to the 347th Fighter Squadron of the 350th Fighter Group. Bob joined his squadron near Casablanca, Morocco in North Africa and served for nearly four years as the 350th advanced across Africa, Sardinia, Corsica, and Italy in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. Bob was a crew chief and was discharged from the Army with a rank of Staff Sergeant on September 24, 1945. While Bob was in the service, his family returned to North Branch. When he was discharged from the Air Corps he trained to apply his plane mechanics knowledge towards automobiles and specialized in General Motors transmissions. He worked for Central Garage, Chet's Auto Repair and also worked out of his own garage in North Branch.


Bob enjoyed traveling, especially fly-in fishing trips to pristine Canadian lakes with his friends, cousins and nephews. He had a passion for collecting World War II militaria and also for caring for the family and extended family burial plots at the Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery in North Branch.

Bob is survived by his two sisters, Lois DeFoe of Eden Prairie, and Nancy (Roger) Aanonsen of Hermantown, a niece; Denise Hanson of Chanhassen, 6 nephews; David DeFoe of Apple Valley, Daniel (Reggie) DeFoe of Eau Claire, WI, Dalen (Lynn) DeFoe of Chanhassen, Troy (Geri) Aanonsen of North Branch, Todd (Tammie) Aanonsen of Hermantown and Turk (Tari) Aanonsen of Hermantown, cousins, grandnieces, grandnephews, a great grand nephew and many friends. He is predeceased by his father in 1954 and his mother in 1989 and brother-in-law, Merle DeFoe in 2002.

Funeral date and times are pending.

[Deleted]

347th AND 350th

[Deleted]

Excellent Lee! I love this kind of history and the people behind it. They all are heros that will tell you they aren't. Humble generation. I ran into a air force pilot and we talked WW2 fighters for a while. He was wearing a shirt with a picture of a Corsair on it. He said he wished he was born earlier and had a chance to be in WW2 because today, pilots never get the chance to fly so many different aircraft while in the service like they did in WW2. Too many regs, and training before they are allowed to fly. Back then, he said they just learned the controls a bit and were then turned loose to try them. Seat of the pants pilots. I've been to air shows at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, and am always impressed with our pilots of today. We still have some good stuff there. Now we need to get some new good stuff in Washington huh? Oilly

[Haines Garage]

I am very sorry to hear about this Lee. As you stated in the beginning of this thread Bob was a very close family thread. Thank you for sharing this story here. Bob, his family and his friends will be in my prayers.

[Deleted]

Apr 25, 2015 4:17:49 GMT -5 @oilleaker1 said:

Excellent Lee! I love this kind of history and the people behind it. They all are heros that will tell you they aren't. Humble generation. I ran into a air force pilot and we talked WW2 fighters for a while. He was wearing a shirt with a picture of a Corsair on it. He said he wished he was born earlier and had a chance to be in WW2 because today, pilots never get the chance to fly so many different aircraft while in the service like they did in WW2. Too many regs, and training before they are allowed to fly. Back then, he said they just learned the controls a bit and were then turned loose to try them. Seat of the pants pilots. I've been to air shows at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, and am always impressed with our pilots of today. We still have some good stuff there. Now we need to get some new good stuff in Washington huh? Oilly

Lee, that is quite the legacy he left everyone.

Oilly...your post is interesting...my inlaws have quite the generational span in the air force. My wife's grandfather flew across the Himalayas during WWII. His son flew C141s and others during his 25 year career. And now I have a brother inlaw flying B1s out of Qatar. Its funny to hear them discuss the ins and outs of their planes and how one generation was better pilots than the other and such. It is crazy to think that a guy in the pilot's chair in 1975 is now considered a relic type of a pilot when at the time, he was cutting edge with technology (thru the eyes of the WW2 pilot).

[jeffwho]

Along those lines, my dad was in maintenance most of his career, so it was interesting listening to stories mechanics told about the good and bad with various planes, how avionics changed from one to another era and how usually the discussions turned into funny stories about "the worst plane I ever worked on.." which we just loved hearing.

Could you imagine entering service as a mechanic in WWII, then working on planes in Korea then through Vietnam? 

[Deleted]

Today at one PM was Bob's funeral. The Classic Jeep/military vehicle hobby is very interesting to us history junkies , My Kaiser Jeep Corporation M-715 has been great fun, both to drive, maintain, and put me in direct contact with military veterans via memorial services, parades. I have carried many veterans in parades with it, because of that I have had the opportunity to hear many interesting stories aswell. My passion for military history was instilled for the most part by Bob, he read every book you could think of on WW2 to present, as well as my Dad, they would swap books back and forth and talk for hours about each book. As a young boy I found these discussions absolutely fascinating and as time went on I was included in the book swaps as well as discussion. Bob told me many times, " I have know idea what your mom and dad did differently in raising children, you and your sister have never caused them any grief (not really true, lol), they never had to bail you out of jail, you have both become respectable adults and have done well for yourselves" . Some of his comment may be true, but in reality, to my folks credit, they surrounded us with people like Bob, who were excellent roll models, and the bedrock of common sense, he himself is as responsible for our successes in life as anyone........ Anyway, Bob, for many years always found our military vehicles of great interest, he would tell stories of his personal experience with the Jeep Willis, how they would get 13 crewmen in the Jeep and trailer, and the mascot dog rode on the hood!. He said many times " when I die, your hauling me to the cemetery in one of those" . Today he was granted his wish!, one of the most honorable things I have ever done, and the most enjoyable mile I have ever driven. Bob was buried in his dress uniform and looked as dashing as ever!.

Thanks for reading, Lee

[Deleted]

Very nice! I lost a fellow enthusiast for antique pickups. I too gave him his last ride in my '46 Chevy pickup to his final resting place. I was honored to do it as well. Oil

[Deleted]

Rest In Peace, Gentlemen.

[jeffwho]

You are both lucky to have made those deep connections, cherish their memory by "keepin on keepin on" with your vintage vehicles!

[Haines Garage]

I read back through this entire post. A great thread from a great friend who was fortunate to have one like Bob in his life. Thank you for sharing this all with us here. I am sorry for your loss. It is exactly stories like this that need to be remembered and told. It is not just what is written in the history books, but accounts of actual friends and family members that need to be shared, and honored.

[Deleted]

Apr 24, 2015 22:20:46 GMT -5 @lee said:

Bob could tell P-39 stories forever, but his love was the P-47, with it's robust Pratt & Whitney radial engine. I am sure you guys have seen the famous picture of the P-47 landing on a dirt strip in north Africa someplace that was completely covered with motor oil as the top cylinder of the radial engine was shot clean off the block by an ME109 cannon, and was flown back to the base, the engine locked up on the runway. That was one of Bobs planes in the 350'th FG, he watched it land!.

Lee

I was looking at Facebook today and ran across this photo!, this is the plane I discrbed in the post!.

www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/just-jugs-just-stunning-images-of-p-47s-enjoy.html/attachment/11005630_508091952662340_648386684_n

Bob watched this plane land, I said North Africa in the post but it was Italy, two squadron mates guided him in to land as he was unable to see, the engine locked up on the runway!..... Truly unbelievable, a very tough airplane. Why did it not burn ?.

Lee