Captain Jack Cody, B-24 Liberator Mission 151 Story to Odertal Germany

Young Officer, Jack Cody, Commands Air Base Unit

Lieutenant Cody, 22, Directs Squadron at Pocatello Center
Tribune Intermountain Wire, Pocatello, Idaho --  At 22 years of age, First Lieutenant Jack R. Cody is already an "Old Man"

Jack Cody Reported Prisoner of Germans

First Lieut. Jack R. Cody, husband of Mrs. Mary Lou Cody, 2913 North Edith, who was reported missing in action on Dec. 17, 1944, has been reported a prisoner of war of the Germans, according to a telegram received by his wife from the War Department.  He was gunnery officer in a B-24 Liberator group of the Fifteenth Air Force in Italy.  Before entering the service, Lieut. Cody was an employee of the Continental Oil Co. here.  He has been in service three years and over seas one year.

Lieut. Cody Liberated

First Lieut. Jack R. Cody, whose wife, Mrs. Mary Lou Cody, lives at 2913 North Edith, has been liberated from a German prison camp and is on his way home, according to word received by Mrs. Cody.  He had been a prisoner since December.  He was gunnery officer of a B-24 of the 15th AAF based in Italy.

Promote Officers

WASHINGTON, The war department announced the temporary promotion of Jack Riley Cody,  3005 Mesa Verde Dr., Albuquerque, and Davis Matthias Santa Rita, N.M. from first Lieutenant to Captain in the air corps.  Lt. Col. Clarence Frederick Vogel, Albuquerque, was ordered to active duty in the Army of the United States.

Cody is Retired from Army Duty

Capt. Jack R. Cody, 604 W. Iron, after four years service with the U.S. Army Air Forces, has been retired from Active duty.  He served as a gunnery officer in a heavy bombardment group of the 15th Air Force based in Italy.  He was shot down on a mission over Vienna and was liberated from a German prisoner of war camp near Munich, last April by Patton's Third Army.  He has been decorated with Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal with clusters, Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation with clusters.

Mission #151 ODERTAL, GERMANY, MY 10th MISSION
by Hugh Hanley -- 765th Squadron.

Having checked the flight board on the evening of Dec. 16th, and finding our crew scheduled for tomorrow's mission, we all went to bed early.  We were awakened at 4 AM with the terse notification, "briefing in an hour"  After coffee and a light breakfast (we didn't have a big appetite on those days we were flying), we went to the briefing room.  As we entered, and saw that grin black line due almost direct northeast into Eastern Germany, someone muttered,   Oh ----, Blechanner again!".   Bill McClain, our Navigator replied,  "No, it's East of that area".

S-2 began the briefing by telling us that the target today was Odertal, a small oil refinery near the Polish border.  There would be little if any flack.  Ball turrets would not be lowered until we came to the IP, Zuckmantel.  Loading was 6,500 lb GP's and 2700 gallons of fuel.  Altitude would be 26000 ft.  (What else?)  Almost as an afterthought, he mentioned that we would likely catch fighter opposition.  In retrospect, this would have to qualify as the understatement of the year, if not the century.

We set at the flight line, our crew consisted of following: Phil Crossman - Pilot; Whitey Kreps - Co-pilot; Bill McClain - Navigator; yours truly - Bombardier; Larry Eidsmore - Nose gunner: Lenny Geier - Engineer; Val Barnson - Radio Operator; Bill White - Ball Turret; Johnny Sainio - Waist Gunner; and Bernie Freeman - Tail gunner.  In addition to our regular crew, 1st Lt. Jack Cody, Squadron Gunnery Officer, would fly with us, and man the Top Turret.  This necessitated moving Barnson to one of the waist guns.

The green flare arched into the sky and the mission was underway.  A typical Italian winter day, weather overcast and somewhat chilly.  Takeoff was uneventful and we began our climb t altitude to formation.  Over the spur of the "boot", and out over the Adriatic, - climbing all the way.  Strictly routine, as in the previous nine.  Oxygen checks - crew banter.  All of a sudden, somebody is in TROUBLE.  "Horizontal" Moore is aborting - engine trouble.  Lucky so and so.  Through the alley between Vienna and Bratislava.  Always NNE.  Check arming, five minutes to IP.  Routine up to here.