November 1944
Lt. Daniel S. Wilson, with the 14th Fighter Group, 37th Fighter Squadron, part of the 15th Air Force based at Triolo, Italy, had a mission in November, one of forty-four Lightnings to escort B-24s over the Vienna Florisdorfer Oil Refinery. They met dreaded flack at the target. After the bomb run, one Liberator was on fire, with one engine feathered and another smoking. All ten men parachuted out.
Danny received two letters from home, a picture of little Richard from his sister Darlene, and letters from his brothers who were also in the service–Delbert, Junior, and from Donald. “I like the little items that makes up part of your letters,” he told his mother, “such as Dad fixing the bucksaw blade up. In short, I sure like to get mail from you.” He’d been on more missions, including one earlier that day. They were bomber escort missions, the P-38 pilot said, they were long ones.
“You probably have read or heard of certain missions over enemy territory or Germany proper,” he hinted.
The pilots started out in tents, even though winter was coming on. They began to find materials to make a stone shack, which was finished after a month of scrounging, with a brick floor, stove, “running” water, and an electric light.
“Yes, Mom, we had turkey and cranberries for Thanksgiving. Plenty of everything and was plenty OK.” He asked if she could send him the Reader’s Digest and also some 127 camera film, which they couldn’t get overseas. He knew it would also probably be hard to get pictures printed.
Film wasn’t available in the States either, but photographers were allowed to sell it to families who had sons or daughters overseas. Leora Wilson was able to buy some from Edmondson’s Studio in Perry.
—–
Story from Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II