I am honored to be a Veterans’ son and most honored to be part of an association dedicated to the Memory of our 445th’s Veterans.‍‍ Having just recently returned from Tibenham, England and Friedlos, Germany, Marcie and I had the privilege to meet and participate with 48 other individual family and friends of Kassel Mission crewmen on an a terrific 80th anniversary trip.

September 27th 2024 and over 50 of our KMHS members will be together at the Memorial in Friedlos, Germany for the commemoration this morning. We will also visit a few of the crash sites from where many of our hero’s spent their last moments - The Bolin and Hansen Crews. This has been a wonderful trip with too many stories to share here... but look for an expanded newsletter this fall to do such. Our association will continue to not just survive but thrive because of all you members.

Happy Veterans Day to all our members, their families, as well as to all veterans past and present. The Kassel Mission Historical Society is blessed to still have one of our veterans from the Kassel Mission with us, Jim Baynham. My wife and I have enjoyed his occasional email communications that he shares with friends and family, sometimes reflecting on the past but more often on his life at present. If there is any model of “aging gracefully,” Jim Baynham is the “poster boy” in all he says, does, and what he represents. Jim is the epitome of the Greatest Generation.

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish you all a safe Memorial Weekend as we all take some time to reflect on our blessings and remember the men and women who made the supreme sacrifice for us all. In gratitude, as well, for our Kassel Mission crew members who have now mostly passed. In the past 12 months 2 more of our KM crew members, Ray Lemons and Jim Dowling, have passed. Rest in peace gentlemen.

We appreciate all efforts from editors across the US who are picking up these press releases on the success we are seeing on MIA identification. This type of publicity accelerates our efforts as we continue to find and identify our eight MIAs. Special thanks to this submission from Randy Fleuriet, nephew of Lt. Porter Pile and the publisher and editor of Rio Grande Valley Newsletter, John Bourg.

It is with regret that I share the recent passing of Ray Lemons just this past Tuesday evening, 2/7/23. On behalf of the KMHS Board, we offer our sincere prayers and condolences to all members of the Lemons Family.

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish you all a joyful Veterans Day. We celebrate with gratitude and remembrance all those who have served and sacrificed for our country. As mentioned in our recent newsletter, please take pause for at least 11 seconds this Friday, 11/11, to give thanks!

On this 78th anniversary, our thoughts are very much on our brave airmen, past and present, who participated in the Kassel Mission. KMHS will continue to honor the sacrifices they made and preserve the memory of all who served.

On behalf of the KMHS Board, we wish all our members and readers a safe memorial weekend as we take time for remembrance of the US servicemen and women who paid the ultimate price in combat. Our 117 445th Kassel Mission heroes who passed on 9/27/44 gave all - perished in the prime of their youth defending our freedom. Their sacrifices are not forgotten and are the very reason why KMHS exists.

On behalf of the Kassel Mission Historical Society, Happy Veterans Day to our membership, their families and their friends! We share our pride and we are forever grateful to all our veterans, past and present. Thank you veterans everywhere.

My wife and I had the opportunity, this past Saturday afternoon, to attend a football game for the first time in 2 years. Stanford vs. UCLA at Stanford Stadium, just 20 minutes from our home. With the both of us having attended UCLA we were, of course, rooting hard for our Bruins among a crowd of mostly Stanford fans.

Eight young men, Eight Kassel Mission heroes, Eight souls that are still Missing in Action. MIA’s whose families never really got closure on their boys. One can only imagine the sorrow and anguish of losing a loved one in an overseas conflict and the additional grief, certainly magnified, for the families of MIA’s. Purple Hearts, Air Medals, Distinguished Flying Crosses among other awards, meaningful and earned by these young men, but still missing something very important to their legacy – closure. This too, is the meaning behind Memorial Day.

Today, on behalf of the Kassel Mission Historical Society, we honor and give thanks to our Veterans both past and present. To the 18 million + veterans alive today: Thank You for your dedicated military service and sacrifices! Our mission at KMHS is to perpetuate the memory of those that served in the Kassel Mission and capture the remarkable acts of heroism, small and large, accomplished the days around the September 27th, 1944 air battle.

It is hard to believe that it’s been a year since 30+ of us KMHS Members were fortunate enough to attend the 75th Anniversary Memorial in Friedlos, Germany. Once again, it was a big deal in Germany as it is every year. All the speeches in honoring the fallen, the reconciliation spirit of the Memorial, and the hope for a better world as part of the program. The Kassel Mission Memorial is truly one of a kind.

Do you recall any particular Memorial Day Weekend? Where you were, what you did, and who was there with you? For most of us, we may recall but a few, but most likely they are of fond memories of friends and families gathering and welcoming the approaching days of summer. My hunch is that we will all remember version 2020 for certain!

The 75th Anniversary of the Kassel Mission was a memorable one. It has been 15 years (2004) since as many came from the US to join in the annual tribute, which is conducted every yearon 9/27 by our German colleagues.

It is with sorrow and a heavy heart that I share with you all the dreadful news that Eberhard Haelbig has passed away. He passed the morning of November 12th, at his home in Eisenach, Germany with his wife Leona and daughter Sophia by his side. He always referred to them both as his “golden girls”.

Today, on behalf of the Kassel Mission Historical Society we honor, once again, our Veterans both past and present.  Though our mission is to perpetuate the memory of those that served in the Kassel Mission, we are among many organizations that exist to recognize and/ or support Veterans.

Guten Morgen meinen Damen und Herren.  Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut, des halb muss ich heute auf Englisch sprechen. On behalf of KMHS, I would like to share our thank you to the community of Friedlos, Burgermeister Hagemann, and all the Families here today to remember and honor those who sacrificed here 75 years ago today…