Jordan in Garfield County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2024

1. In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker
(north side)

Inscription.
of the 401st Bombardment Group at Lewiston, who died Aug. 24, 1943 in a training mission accident on the Fred Gibson Ranch, Garfield County

Lt. James W. Lynch • Lt. William L. Luedke • Lt. Walter L. Eckerman
Lt. Michael F. Rodgers • Sgt. Edward C. Gregorich
Sgt. Frederick T. Melynchek • Sgt. Morris S. Kincaid
Sgt. Henry J. Downs • Sgt. Cecil K. Nolen • Pvt. Charles S. Burnette
PFC. John L. Dlouhy

Our forgotten World War II Heroes
always loved and now saluted forever
by their families & friends

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Disasters • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is August 24, 1943.

Location. 47° 19.229′ N, 106° 54.515′ W. Memorial is in Jordan, Montana, in Garfield County. It is on Main Street just east of Jordan Avenue (State Highway 200), on the right when traveling east. The marker is located near the sidewalk on the east side of the Jordan Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: 302 Main Street, Jordan MT 59337, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this

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memorial is in the American Mountain West,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

on the Great Plains,

and specifically on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within walking distance of this marker: Indian Country (approx. half a mile away).

Also see . . .
1. 1943 – Aug 24, USAAF B-17F crash, Gibson Ranch near Dovetail & Winnett. (Compiled by Wayne Blanchard) Excerpt:

“At 2300 MWT, a Boeing B-17F flying in poor weather crashed on the Fred Gibson Ranch, Garfield County, Montana, killing the crew of eleven. The airplane took off from Lewiston Army Air Base, Montana, at 2000 with three other B-17 aircraft for local formation training flying. At 2215, the formation broke up and each airplane was to proceed to the Glasgow Bombing Range, Montana, to perform individual bombing runs at an altitude of 14,000 feet above sea level. The B-17 completed its bombing mission at 2245 and let
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2024

2. In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker
(south side)
down to about 11,000 feet for the flight back to Lewiston. On the way back the B-17 encountered severe thunderstorms that contained strong turbulence. The pilot apparently executed a 180-degree turn in an effort to avoid the weather and to land at the airfield at the Glasgow Range. Minutes later, the B-17 slammed into the ground at a steep angle and exploded into flames 58 miles southwest of the Glasgow Range (83 miles northeast of Lewiston AAB). Investigators could not determine the cause of the accident.” (Mireles 2006, Vol. 2, July 1943-July 1944, p. 490.)

(Submitted on August 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. 401st Bombardment Group. Excerpt:

Constituted as 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 20 Mar 1943. Activated on 1 Apr 1943. Prepared for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Oct-Nov 1943, and served in combat with Eighth AF, Nov 1943-Apr 1945. Operated chiefly against strategic targets, bombing industries, submarine facilities, shipyards, missile sites, marshalling yards, and airfields; beginning in Oct 1944, concentrated on oil reserves. Received a DUC for striking telling blows against
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2024

3. In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker detail
One of Ed Gregorich’s dog tags found at the crash site September 1997 by his brother Fred Gregorich and cousin Gene Brinkley
German aircraft production on 11 Jan and 20 Feb 1944. In addition to strategic missions, operations included attacks on transportation, airfields, and fortifications prior to the Normandy invasion and on D-Day, Jun 1944; support for ground operations during the breakthrough at St Lo in Jul, the siege of Brest in Aug, and the airborne attack on Holland in Sep 1944; participation in the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945, by assaulting transportation targets and communications centers in the battle area; and support for the airborne attack across the Rhine in Mar 1945. Returned to the US after V-E Day. Inactivated on 28 Aug 1945.

(Submitted on August 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. 401st Bombardment Group photo gallery. (Submitted on August 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2024

4. In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 2, 2024

5. In Memory of this B-17F Flying Fortress Crew Marker

Looking south from Main Street. There is an unrelated war memorial metal sculpture on the right/west side of the marker.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 31, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 208 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 1, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.