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| B-17 navigator Richard Zahm earned the Silver Star for bombing missions to Rabaul. He served in the 43rd Bombardment Group in New Guinea. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40833190/richard-eugene-zahm/photo https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/usa/aircrafts-2-3/b-17/1943-new-guinea-b-17e-43rd-bomb-group-nose-art-blonde-bomber/ |
Richard Eugene "Dick" Zahm never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
Richard was born on May 22, 1920 in Indiana. His parents Eugene and Edith were also both born in Indiana. His father worked in the insurance business. Dick had two younger sisters and three younger brothers. He graduated from Huntington High School in 1938 and attended Huntington College for two years.
Dick enlisted in the Army Air Corps aviation cadet program in April 1941 and trained as a bomber navigator. He graduated from navigator training three days before Pearl Harbor and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was then assigned to submarine patrol duty off the Atlantic coast, flying out of fields in New York, Virginia, and Florida. His crew flew air cover for the first convoy of American troops to Ireland and participated in the capture of persons delivering fuel to a German submarine off the coast of Florida.
In May 1942 he was transferred to the Southwest Pacific theater, where he joined the 19th Bombardment Group in Australia and participated in the Army Air Corps’ first operation against Rabaul, as well as the Battle of the Coral Sea. According to his obituary, Captain Zahm was awarded the Silver Star due to his valor during a series of raids on Rabaul in August 1942, however I was unable to find the citation.
In January 1943 he joined the 64th Bombardment Squadron of the 43rd Bombardment Group, 5th Air Force in which he served as the squadron navigator and intelligence officer. The 64th was based in Port Moresby, New Guinea and was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and was tasked to attack enemy shipping. During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943, Captain Zahm and his crew participated in multiple attacks on a Japanese troop convoy approaching the coast of New Guinea, sinking or damaging several enemy vessels. As a result of these actions, the crew was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster to the Distinguished Flying Cross for completing three successful missions in a period of less than 36 hours while scoring hits or near misses on all enemy vessels attacked. In all, Captain Zahm flew more than 50 missions during his service in the Pacific.
On 14 June 1943, Captain Zahm was the navigator aboard B-17 41-2664, nicknamed The Jersey Skeeter, as it took off from 7-Mile Drome in Port Moresby on a routine reconnaissance mission. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft crashed and exploded roughly 1,000 yards beyond the end of the runway. Eight of the crew, including Captain Zahm, were killed instantly in the crash. The cause of the crash was never determined. Six citations were awarded posthumously to his father, including the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Captain Zahm was initially buried in Ipswich, Australia and was later reinterred in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Huntington, Indiana.
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This profile was written by Bob Fuerst, a third cousin twice removed of Captain Zahm. "I’m a NASA engineer, B-17 Flying Fortress enthusiast, and amateur genealogist so this kind of research is an ideal outlet for me. But more than anything, it’s a way to express my sincere appreciation for The Greatest Generation and the sacrifices that they made, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They should never be forgotten and I’m grateful to Don for allowing me to play a small part in honoring them."
Editors Note: Captain Zahm was a cousin of Bob's. I did not know this when I wrote his story, so Bob updated it to add more details.
Last year on this date I profiled Leyte fallen medic Merle Lehmkuhl, 24th Infantry Division. You can read about Merle here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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