The Crash of the Flying Sioux

The Crash of the Flying Sioux. World War II Bomber Crash Sites. , (side 1) , On June 13, 1943, three B-17 bombers of the 393rd Bomb Group , the “Flying Sioux” , left the Sioux City, Iowa, airbase on a routine training mission. The pilots of flights 446, 750 and 790 flew rigorously for three hours, then maneuvered to switch formation. In the exchange, at 3,000 feet, plane 750 and plane 790 collided, causing 790's propellers to cut off the tall section of 750. The pilot of flight 750 instantly lost control of his tailless plane. The men in plane 446, piloted by Lt. Fred Glazier, watched in horror as the massive bomber did a half loop and slammed into the ground on its back. Ten airmen abroad were killed instantly. The tail gunner fell from 750's severed tail section and was also killed. , With two engines out and a third on fire, bomber 790 was so severely damaged that the pilot could barely keep it in the air. The damaged plane struggled for another eight miles before belly landing on a creek bank. Due to Lt. Billy Fuller's masterful job in bringing the plane down, all the crew on plane 790 survived. , After witnessing the accident, plane 446 radioed in and returned to base in Sioux City. (Continued on other side). , (side 2) (Continued from other side). , Lt. O.B. Groves, the pilot of plane 750, was the “old man” of the crew at age 23. The others who were killed: , 2nd Lt. Michael R. Hric, Co-Pilot; 2nd Lt. Roy B. Lever, Navigator; 2nd Lt. James J. O'Connell, Navigator; S/Sgt. Rodney T. Cassidy, Bombardier; Sgt. Sidney S. Packer, Radio Operator; S/Sgt. Dean M. Garland, Engineer; S/Sgt. Murry V. Whitehead, Radio Operator; Marvin J. Curtis, Gunner; S/Sgt. Charles R, Bowers, Gunner; S/Sqt. Bruno E. Twardy, Gunner. , These young men gave their lives for this country just as surely as if they were in the skies over Germany or the South Pacific. , The crash site where these men were killed is approximately two and one-half miles SE of this marker, in the south half of section 13, Clinton Township, 106-58 in Miner County, South Dakota. The site where plane 790 crash-landed and the crew survived is located eight miles further SSE in the NE 1/4 of section 29, Rock Creek Township, 105-57 in Miner County, South Dakota. , This ranks as the single biggest air disaster in the history of Miner County or South Dakota.