![[Photo] The American Cemetery in Margraten.](images/allies/jvh_997.jpg)
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I have read Fernando Rangel's personal file again and
this is what I can tell: These are the men who were in the plane:
T SGT McNeil, Albert W.
SGT Peterson, Richard H.
SGT Rangel, Fernando B.
1st LT Bertaux, John F.
1st LT Fried, Mardy J.
F/O Gustina, Charles F.
F/O Kiolbassa, Chester L.
SGT Aiello, Anthony J.
SGT Streit, Matthew G.
1st Lt Bertaux, John F. was the leader and the pilot of
the group, and F/O Kiolbassa, Chester L. was the co-pilot.
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They were on a bombing misson to Vienna, Austria -
11 December 1944 (on B-24 serial no. 42-95337). Sgt Streit, Matthew G.
was the only one who jumped out of the plane...he jumped out of the bomb
chamber. He gave a good, detailed report:
"On 11 December 1944 we took off from our base,
on a mission in a B-24. All personnel on this mission were assigned to the
464th Bomb Group 776th Bomb Squadron. Just as we approached the target
we were hit by flak, resulting in damage to the right wing, which a few seconds
later snapped off."
"The co-pilot, First Officer Chester K. Kiolbassa
was hit in the leg. I helped him adjust his seat so that it would ease the pain.
I managed to bail out through the bomb bay section and as I was parachuting
to earth I noticed pieces of the plane floating down."
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"All the bombs were not released over the target,
due to a malfunction. It is my opinion that after I bailed out, the plane exploded
and all of the personnel mentioned above met their death."
"However, I did not witness the explosion nor do I
have any concrete evidence. Upon hitting the ground, German civilians held
me and a few minutes later german soldiers arrived. I was held as a prisoner
of war. This happened in the vincinity of Vienna, Austria."
"Two days later I was interrogated by German Intelligence
officers, and it is my opinion that they did not know what happened to my
plane - because of the method used questioning me. They were trying to
obtain information from me as to what happened to the members of the crew
as well as to the fate of the plane."
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![[Photo] Jasper Van Haren at Rangel's grave marker.](images/allies/jvh_4014.jpg)
Jasper Van Haren at Rangel's gravesite in Margraten.
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The final report said that the airplane went into a dive
after Sgt. Streit jumped out and while he was parachuting down to earth the
airplane blew up with the bombs in it - which is why he saw parts of the plane
falling past him.
The report also stated that the last time Streit saw any
of his crew members was when he saw the navigator getting his chute on
just before he (Streit) bailed out. Streit also saw the pilot and the co-pilot trying to
get the plane under control.
There is also a report that tells us that there was a malfunction
with the bomb release and that one of the soldiers was to have gone down
to release the bombs by hand....after that...everything went very fast as was
also reported by Sgt. Streit.
Then, there were a couple of eyewitnesses from other
planes in the formation - as Rangel's:
Sgt Norman W. McCoulskey said:
"Our ship was in No. 21 position of Dog Box. As
we went over the target, I saw Black E, in the No. 31 position of our box,
drop her bombs. About a minute later I looked away and when I looked back
toward No. 31 position I was unable to see Black E. I observed a cloud of
smoke that might have been flak or the remains of Black E. That is the last I
saw of Black E."
Sgt. Kenneth L. Burton reported:
"Our ship was in No. 23 position in Dog Box as
we approached the target. At that time, I saw Black E in 31 position in our
box. Our ship left the formation with engine trouble about three minutes from
the I.P. and, at that time, Black E was still in No. 31 position with no apparent
trouble."
After 11 December: First, Sgt. Rangel was missing,
together with Albert McNeil and Richard Peterson. Later, they found some of
of Fernando B. Rangel's remains - skull fragments, a portion of his jaw (with
some teeth intact), a few bones from the fingers of his right hand and arm and
chest bone fragments.
That's the main reason he was reported missing - because
the remains weren't sufficient for a proper ID. They were later examined by an
anthropologist who made the determination that they were Rangel's.
Fernando was first buried in Vienna, Austria, (in a civilian
cemetery) after that he was moved to the cemetery of St. Avold, in France.
Then the military sent letters to his parents, to aid them
in getting Fernando B. Rangel buried in America, but his father and mother both
died in 1949. Rangel's sister requested that his body be buried close to his
brother in the war cemetery in Margraten, Holland. This was when I found out
he had a brother, Joe M. Rangel, who was also buried in Holland. Now I am
trying to adopt that grave, too.
After they buried him in the War Cemetery Margraten,
and they sent the flag of the United States that draped the casket during the
final interment to his sister. The only thing he left behind was some books
and religious articles and some writing gear, souvenir money, a pair of shoes,
1 cigarette lighter, 9 patches, 1 cruicifix, 1 medal and his testament.
Fernando B. Rangel flew 5 missions: Vienna 6 Nov,
Northern Italy 8 Nov, near Vienna 26 Nov., Linz 29 Nov., and the last
Vienna again on 11 December.
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![[Photo] Jasper Van Haren's son accompanies him to Margarten.](images/allies/jvh_4015.jpg)
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This is the story about his death...I hope to find something
about him during the time before combat and more about who he was before
he went in the army...but that will take time I quess.
Until then, my son keeps me company as I continue to tend the graves
I've adopted.
Update!
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This is the story about the Rangel brother...which was
sent to me by Rene Glove - the granddaughter of Catalina R Guzman.
Catalina was the sister of the Rangel brothers...
"My great grandparents Jose and Concepcion
Rangel moved from San Antonio, Texas around 1937. Jose, Sr. sold his club/bar
and other business interests at the request of his wife."
"When they arrived in Corpus Christi, Texas, they
bought and opened a restaurant called the Riverside Café located
on N. Staples. The restaurant did very well. Concepcion was the cook. Jose Sr.
would open the café early in the morning and there would be a line of people
waiting outside prepared to get inside to eat. Jose Sr. would make the coffee.
The restaurant did so well that they opened a second restaurant called El
Patio located downtown at 201 N. Water Street."
"Everyone in the family helped out at the restaurants
while continuing to pursue their own goals and dreams outside the family
businesses."
"Fernando and Joe attended Corpus Christi High
School which today is called Roy Miller High School. I attended that same
high school. Fernando and Joe, Jr. were 16 and 14 years-old when World
War II began."
"In 1942 Joe, Jr. opened his own shoe repair
business called People’s Shoe Shop. It was located at 710 N. Staples.
Fernando was a mechanic by trade. He wanted to open his own business,
he had a small shop that he worked from the homestead fixing pinball machines."
"Who knew then that a war that seemed so far
away from home at the time raged on thousands of miles away across the
Pacific Ocean for four years. That war would soon find its way here to the
home front of Corpus Christi, Texas. It would come knocking on the Rangel
brothers' front door. One brother volunteered...the other was drafted."
"Both had promising and prosperous careers, the
future seemed so bright for both of them. It also seemed that one day they,
too, would have the American dream of raising families of their own. But the
war that they would soon find themselves participating in would change their
lives, the lives of my family, and the the lives of many others - forever. The
brothers' sacrifices allowed others, around the world, to survive - in order to
LIVE on to pursue their own dreams."
"Fernando was assigned to the 464th Bombardment
Group 776th Squadron, he attained the rank of Sargeant. He was killed in
action while flying in a bombing mission in Vienna, Austria, on December 11,
1944."
"Fernando was born November 30, 1924 in San
Antonio, Texas. He died at the age of 20. This is what I remember hearing
while I was growing up from my grandfather and other family members."
"Fernando's plane came under attack of enemy fire.
A radio man from down below kept in contact with the crew (in the cockpit)
and announced over and over for them not to bail out. As the plane continued
to lose altitude the radio man continued to announce over the radio the following:
'I repeat, Do Not Bail Out, Stay The Course. I repeat, Do Not Bail Out - Over.'
One of the crewmen did not listen. He bailed out (parachuted) and survived.
He was the one who told the story as to what happened that day and what
he heard the radio man say to those in the cockpit."
"So, my Uncle Fernando followed orders as directed
and he died along with the rest of his crew."
"While Fernando was fighting in the air - and would
eventually lose his life - his youinger brother, Jose, Jr. was fighting on the
ground. Less than a month after Fernando died, his brother Jose, who
Fernando admired so much, was fighting in the Battle of Bulge."
" Jose, Jr. was an infantry man, a foot soldier.
PFC Jose Rangel, Jr. died at the tender age of 18 years-old on the combat
field on January 6, 1945."
"When the U.S. Government military vehicle slowly
pulled up to my great grandparents' residence and a small group gathered
around their home, I cannot imagine how they must have felt when they were
told that not only one son was lost - but both. For the life of me I do not know
how they managed to have the strength, the courage, and the poise to continue
on with the normal, daily, course of living."
"My great grandparents could not deal with or handle
the loss of their two sons. Jose, Sr. struggled with the death of his two beloved
sons, whom he felt had such bright futures, that his health took a turn for the
worse. Jose, Sr. was bestowed with so much grief and stress that he suffered
a stroke. He died a few years later, in 1949. His wife, Concepcion, followed
him in death a month later."
"My grandmother, Catalina R. Guzman, would
also die a young woman. In 1966 she died of pulmonary illness. I never met
my grandmother, I was not born yet, but she was a very pretty women."
"Jasper, thank you, again, for your wonderful heart
and spirit. I am so grateful to the Dutch - knowing that on Christmas someone
is there to greet them (Fernando and Jose, Jr.) and to bring them flowers. Just
knowing that they did not die in vain and that they are still remembered by others
today, after so many years, is touching in itself and brings upon me a great
sense of pride that they (the Rangel brothers), because of their unselfish acts of courage,
honor for their country that they set aside their future plans to take on the
world cause of freedom and helped so many others LIVE. It was an amazing
act of bravery. God Bless America, the Dutch, and my two uncles - who today
are not forgotten!! Sincerely, Rene"
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![[Graphic] Snapshots from the 464th Bombardment Group.](images/flagd.jpg)
![[Photo] Fernando B. Rangel's (776) crew photo.](images/allies/jvh_kiolbassacrw.jpg)