WWII Veteran reunites with family

  • Published
  • By Airman Jack Sanders
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs Office
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  It served its country and fought in the war, but now it stands, rigid, like a doll, in this dark room few people know about. Not long ago, it would greet curious minds as they entered the big doors from its lavish case telling them the story about the war and how the Airmen fought. It's one of a kind, in how it looks and how well it was taken care of, but now it almost feels as though it was forgotten. The door opened with a bright light, as Dianne. Mills looked at the old WWII flight jacket hanging there ever so delicately yet, proud. She pulled her hand back to continue her phone call, and walked away closing the door.

The closet wasn't the home the jacket was intended for after it had first belonged to a gunner named Jack Jett. John Mills, Dianne Mills late husband, had once acquired it for display at the 305th Bomb Group Memorial Museum in Chelveston, England. Chelveston was also the location where the movie "Twelve O'Clock High" was filmed. Since his death she had kept all of the items her late husband had placed into the museum. 

"It was one of the prized displays that they had in their museum," said Major Jay Moore, from the 19th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Moore's grandfather, Jack Jett was the jackets original owner. 

Jett was a B-17 Waste Gunner from the 305th Bomb Group around 1943-1944. He flew missions during World War II, and even doubled them for a chance to get home sooner. 

Jett was never as famous as some of the WWII dog fighter pilots were. His plane, a B-17G, "The Leading Lady" made history. She was the first Chelveston B-17 to fly 100 missions. The Leading Lady survived the war with 133 missions but, like most military equipment from that era, after the war she was scrapped, Moore said. 

Jett was proud of his plane regardless of her historical value, a fact he made clear by having a likeness of it painted on the back of his flight jacket. Jett also had his squadron patches painted on the front of the jacket. "He had the jacket painted up and took good care of it," said Moore. 

Jett passed away in 1966, and all his military historical items stayed with his wife. "My grandmother was still friends with some people involved with the historical society," said Moore. So, she sent the jacket to John Mills in England to be placed in the museum. The museum was created in 1980 in memory of the bomb group. 

Moore's grandmother packed away the jacket knowing the historical value and the lessons it could teach people and sent it to Chelveston, England. There it was placed on display in the museum for all to see. That is, until the passing of John Mills when the jacket, along with all other items he placed in the museum, was returned to his wife. 

Although Moore had never met his grandfather, throughout his childhood his mother told him stories about his jacket. She told Moore he even wore the jacket once when he was a small boy. "On the sleeve there's a little bit of white paint, which evidently I got on there when I was really little," Moore said with a slight smile. He said he felt like he almost ruined it. 

His mother decided to try to retrieve the jacket after the passing of Moore's grandmother in 2001, so that she could pass it down to him. He could then continue the tradition, and pass it down to his sons when they were old enough. 

Moore's mother had a problem. The only information she had on the jacket's location was a thank you letter sent by John Mills to Moore's grandmother. Moore and his mother were at a roadblock. "I just started searching online," Moore said. "I couldn't find Mr. Mills, but I found the 305th Bomb Group website." 

From the Website Moore was able to get into contact with Ian White, a site manager for the 305th Bomb Group Memorial Website. "Mr. White responded back latterly within hours, and said I know exactly the jacket you're talking about," Moore said enthusiastically. White gave Moore a phone number to reach Dianne Mills and explained that she had the jacket. 

"I remember the fist phone call I had with her," Moore said with a smile. " I felt like I was being interrogated, ' well, how do you know about this jacket? Do you know about the white paint on the sleeve?' She thought that was just as funny of a story of that jacket as any history it had," Moore said and laughed. 

Moore's mother and he still had a problem. How would they retrieve the jacket? It happened that Lt. Col. Robert Renner, a member of the 19th fighter Squadron here, was going on a trip in July. He agreed to retrieve the jacket for Moore while he was in England. 

"Mrs. Mills is a lovely lady in England," said Renner. "She was very reluctant to part with the jacket knowing it had such historical value, but knowing it was going to a good home she was willing to let me take it." 

After all the time and energy to retrieve the jacket, the heirloom is finally back with Major Moore and his family. Moore plans on passing it down to his sons one day. However, right now the jacket is relaxing in Moore's display case after its latest journey.