As he got older, he became more willing to discuss the war. He reconnected with some of the crew members and attended a number of reunions.
Every year on November 5, he would lower the flag on the flag post in the yard to half-mast. When I asked him why, he said it was in memory of a crew member who had died when they bailed out over Germany. Today, I understand that he was honoring the memory of Co-Pilot Stan Wolfson who was killed by a German national after capture.
I remember once visiting my father on a different date years later, and seeing the flag again at half-mast. In response to my question, he said he had gotten word that morning of the death of another crew member.
The son of Italian immigrants, he was very proud to be an American. Despite his claims to the contrary, he was one of the most patriotic people I have ever known. He did not regret having served in the military; he was not bitter about his experiences. Nor did he feel that he was entitled to any special treatment or benefits.
Listening to his recorded account again and again while transcribing his story, his resourcefulness and positive attitude never ceased to amaze me. He neither dwelled on nor detailed the nature of the “abuse” he endured. He made the best of whatever life threw at him, during the war and after it.
My father died on September 1, 2004, and in keeping with his example, we lowered the flag outside his house to half-mast. He was buried with military honors in Glastonbury, Connecticut, two days later.
About Philip N. Riccio
Vincent Riccio’s older brother, Corporal Philip N. Riccio (1920-1944), served in the United States Army, 7th Infantry. He was killed in action on Gea Island (Marshall Islands) in February 1944.
About the Crew
As best as I could ascertain, the crew members included:
2nd Lt. Richard H. Wright, Pilot
2nd Lt. Stan Wolfson, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. William L. Olsen, Navigator
2nd Lt. Irving H. Levin, Bombardier
Sgt. Sidney V. Manders, Waist gunner
Sgt. Roscoe Hayes, Ball turret gunner
Staff Sgt. Merlin H. Dyvig, Tail gunner
Technical Sgt. Harry Kolb, Radio operator
Technical Sgt. Vincent J. Riccio, Flight engineer and top turret gunner
Sgt. Henry Clifton, Waist gunner*
The crew flew a total of ten missions over Germany:
September 30, 1944 – Bielefeld
October 3, 1944 – Nurnburg (Nuremburg)
October 5, 1944 – Munster
October 6, 1944 – Berlin
October 9, 1944 – Mainz
October 15, 1944 – Cologne
October 26, 1944 – Hannover
November 2, 1944 – Merseburg
November 4, 1944 – Neunkirchen
November 5, 1944 – Ludwigshafen*
* Henry Clifton did not fly the Ludwigshafen mission.
Stan Wolfson’s Death – A War Crime
Numerous sources indicate that 2nd Lt. Stan Wolfson (1922-1944) was captured soon after parachuting from the plane. He was shot by a German national in the general vicinity of Kaiserslautern. In 1947, the individual who shot him was tried before a General Military Court at Dachau, and was given a life sentence. For more information, see:
http://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=127254
Unfortunately, Wolfson’s fate was shared by many flyers who were taken into custody. One German-based website notes that the German Police had been implicitly instructed by the Nazi leadership that it was no longer necessary to protect Allied flyers against the rage of the German population:
“This amounted to a carte blanche to lynch downed Allied airmen and finally culminated in Hitler’s directive of 21st May 1944 to shoot enemy fliers without court-martialing them first.”
http://www.flugzeugabstuerze-saarland.de/html/kriegsverbrechen.html
Indeed, Vincent Riccio’s account of his capture reflects this overall trend, having almost been killed at least three times before reaching Stalag Luft IV. Fortunately, this murderous mindset was not shared by all of the German people and soldiers, many of whom treated him well and protected him from those who would do him harm.
Glossary
335th bomb squadron
The 335th bomb squadron was one of the four Bomb Squadrons of the 95th Bomb Group.
95th Bomb Group
Part of the Eighth Air Force, the 95th Bomb Group flew 334 missions between May 1943 and May 1945.
Black Hunger March
As the Russians advanced against the German forces, American POWs were taken on a forced march in extreme weather conditions. After the war, this march became known by several names including the Black Hunger March and the Death March. Reports vary regarding the number of men who died on this march.
Dulag Luft
Prisoner of War (POW) transit camps for Air Force prisoners captured by Germany during World War II.
Horham Air Base
A World War II era airfield in England used by the U.S. Army Air Forces, 8th Air Force.
Ludwigshafen
A city located on the Rhine river opposite Mannheim. The city had a large industrial area, including an oil refinery, which was a target of Allied Forces’ bombing missions.
Stalag Luft IV
A German World War II POW camp in Gross Tychow, Pomerania (now Tychowo, Poland).
References
These are just a few of the sites that provide additional information on World War II, the Army Air Corps and other related events and locations mentioned in this document.
8th Air Force Historical Society website. http://www.8thafhs.org/
95th Bomb Group Heritage Association website. http://www.95thbg-horham.com/
95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation website. http://95thbg.org
Stalag Luft IV and IV, a site dedicated to preserving the memory of the enlisted airmen held captive from 1943 to 1945 at these two POW camps. http://www.stalagluft4.org/
World War II Plane crashes in Saarland website, a site dedicated to research on aircraft crashes in WW II that took place in the state of Saarland and its neighboring areas, including information about flyers killed in action as result of crashes or war crimes. http://www.flugzeugabstuerze-saarland.de/
World War II U.S. Veterans Website. http://ww2.vet.org/
Ever the Patriot: Recollections of Vincent J. Riccio, World War II Veteran and POW Page 6
