Major Joseph Chestnut

Here is a photo of my Mom's P.O.W. bracelet from the 1970's. I had been looking for it for a couple of years and luckily, it was recently found. These bracelets were a common sight during the 70's, each with the name of a P.O.W. or someone who was listed as MIA. I have thought about learning more about Major Chestnut and doing a speech about him, but my efforts from a few years ago were in vain. But, maybe I will try again sometime to learn this person's story. I found out a few things about him online and if you click the picture, it will bring you to some basic information. His remains were identified and returned to the U.S. in 1995 and he is now buried at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, FL. If you have any information for me about Major Chestnut, please contact me by email (under my profile).

Or Go Down In Flame

Or Go Down In Flame: A Navigator's Death Over Schweinfurt was written by the Navigator's younger brother, W. Raymond Wood. The Navigator was 2nd Lt. E.S. Wood of the 306th Bomb Group. This book serves a primer to all amateur historians, such as myself, on how to research this particular area of history. Wood lists his sources in the back of the book and even details how to get the most out of these resources. This book was recommended to me by Jack Grothe, whom I met last summer when I spoke at the Friends of Jefferson Barracks. I learned a lot from this book on a variety of related topics, from the role of the Navigator, how to improve my research in the area where a bomber was shot down and even a lot about my Grandfather's old outfit: the 305th Bomb Group. I only wish that Wood would have gone into how his brother's death affected him and his family more...more of his personal feelings, especially when he visited the village over which his brother was shot down and killed. I was confused by the title for some time, but in small print on the back cover it has the motto (I guess) of the 306th Bomb Group: "We live in fame or go down in Flame..."