This is a painting of the
red-tipped B29 of the 93rd Bomb Squadron, 19th Group. We thank
Frank 'Bud' Farrell, Left Gunner, for this historical
information.
With the invasion of South Korea
in the spring of 1950, war weary B29s from WWII airbases in Guam were
pressed back into service.
Flying out of Okinawa’s KaDena AFB, B29s of the 28th, 30th, and 93rd bomber squadrons of the 19th Bomb
Group flew to the Korean Peninsula against enemy targets. By
October of 1951, heavy casualties eventually forced the USAF to fly
night missions to stem their heavy losses early in the war. During
this time brave B29 pilots and crews flew their missions against heavy
MIG interceptions until the 19th Bomb Group’s last mission on July 18,
1953. By the end of the war, the 19th Bomb Group was responsible
for over half of the FEAF bomber commands’ 1,000 plus missions of the
war.
For the year 2000, Central Missouri Aviation honors
Capt. Charlie Diggs for his heroic service with the 19th Bomb Group.
