Episode 022 - Last Combat Mission - Col. Richard Bushong

Episode 022 – Last Combat Mission – Col. Richard Bushong

In this unforgettable episode of American Warrior Radio, 98-year-old World War II veteran Colonel Richard Bouchong recounts the harrowing story of his last combat mission in a B-17 Flying Fortress over Nazi Germany. Facing devastating flak, engine failures, and frozen windshields, Bouchong managed to bring his crippled aircraft—and entire crew—safely home against impossible odds.

Listeners will hear firsthand about the mission to bomb a Messerschmitt factory in Augsburg, the chaos of being forced out of formation, and a dramatic landing without brakes that ended with a desperate ground loop into English mud. The story of the “Bell of the Brawl” is both thrilling and sobering—especially when we learn the plane was later shot down, killing most of the replacement crew.

Colonel Bouchong reflects on leadership, duty, and the generation forged by the Great Depression and World War II. Featuring commentary from aviation artist John Mollison, this episode is a powerful tribute to resilience, skill, and the importance of remembering those who flew into history.

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Episode 22: The Day Colonel Richard Bouchong Flew a Wreck Home

In this episode of American Warrior Radio, listeners get a unique glimpse into history through the eyes of a true “National Treasure”, Colonel Richard Bouchong, a 98-year-old veteran of World War II. The episode centers around a special event at the 390th Memorial Museum honoring Colonel Bouchong and commemorating his last combat mission flown in a B-17 against Nazi Germany. This mission took place on April 13, 1944.

The target for that day was a Messerschmitt factory at Augsburg, Germany. As part of a formation that started with 21 B-17s, Colonel Bouchong’s crew, like all the others, faced intense heavy flak over the target area, a constant threat when bombing heavily defended areas. On the bomb run, which lasted a long five minutes flying straight and level, the formation took hits. Three planes from their group were lost right over the target.

Turning back towards England, with 18 planes left in formation, they encountered a towering storm. To avoid crashing into each other within the cloud, they diverted around it, which unfortunately took them right over a German Airfield. Here, already damaged, they faced extremely accurate and intense flak, taking more hits.

It was after leaving this airfield that Colonel Bouchong’s situation became critical. His ball turret gunner reported a “gusher on number two and number three engines,” with oil running back in great quantity, indicating a major hit to oil lines or tanks. The flight engineer monitored the oil pressures. When the pressure dropped on number two, the engine had to be feathered and shut down. This immediately caused the windshield to frost over and the cockpit to get extremely cold, forcing them out of formation.

A few minutes later, the pressure dropped on number three, but it was too late to feather. The engine shut down, but the prop, no longer connected to the engine, kept spinning like a whirligig due to the plane’s forward motion, creating significant drag. Now crippled, with number one engine still running but leaking oil, number two feathered, number three shut down with a spinning prop, and only number four engine operating normally, they were a single, vulnerable aircraft in enemy territory.

Despite the damage, Colonel Bouchong headed straight for home, gradually descending to maintain airspeed. Arriving within sight of their airfield, he found many damaged planes already circling to land, signaling their issues with red (wounded) and green (mechanical) flares. On final approach to the 6300-foot runway, he carried an extra 10 miles per hour airspeed to avoid settling out short. This resulted in landing farther down the runway and faster than usual.

Then came another terrifying moment: the brakes didn’t work. Cruising ahead at 85 miles per hour towards the base’s Boneyard, Colonel Bouchong made a desperate move. About 600-700 feet from the end of the runway, he applied full power to the working number one engine to make a sharp ground loop to the right, using the remaining power to pull clear of the runway. He credits the “good old gooey English mud” with grabbing the tires and stopping the airplane.

All ten crew members, one of whom was wounded by flak, got out safely. Looking at the wreck that brought them home, the crew chief rode out on his bike and, seeing the plane covered in oil and holes, with the feathered engine and flopping prop, exclaimed, “She’s a tenant, what did you do to my airplane?“. Colonel Bouchong’s memorable reply was, “the Germans did that“.

In a poignant detail highlighting the ever-present danger, this B-17, nicknamed “Bell of the Brawl“, was repaired and flew again just 25 days later. On its very next mission, it was shot down, killing eight crew members and taking two prisoner. Colonel Bouchong considers himself incredibly lucky to have survived his 28 missions, though he acknowledges skill in flying formation helped. He flew 43 different types of airplanes during his 32-year military career, including jets at Mach 2.1 and helicopters.

Colonel Bouchong also shared insights into leadership, learned from mentors like Bud Anderson, the importance of hard work, and the difference he sees in responsibility between his generation and the present one, perhaps influenced by the Depression. He maintains his positive attitude and vigor at 98, crediting his “younger girlfriend” who is 93.

The event featured artwork by John Mollison, an aviation artist known for telling the stories behind the aircraft. Mollison’s piece commemorating Colonel Bouchong’s mission is titled “A Greater Mission Remains“. Mollison spoke about the importance of preserving history and the stories of those who made it, quoting, “When an old man dies, a library burns“.

This episode serves as a powerful reminder of the courage and sacrifice of those who served and the importance of preserving their stories for future generations.

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