History of the Diary

1. Veteran/Position/Squadron/Crew:
   S/Sgt. John Veenschoten
   B-17 Radio Operator/Gunner
   603rd Squadron
   Howard W. Rehme crew
2. Original Diary Location:
   The handwritten original diary is with the John Veenschoten family.
3. Copies at Key Repositories:
   8th AF Heritage Museum in Savannah: Partial
   Hertfordshire Archives: Unknown
   398th's Wally Blackwell: Paper and Electronic
   398th's Dave Jordan: Paper and Electronic
   398th's Allen Ostrom: Unknown
   398th Web Site/Archive: Final Electronic
4. Period Covered:
   Thirty 398th Combat Missions between July 24, 1944 and March 1, 1945
5. When written:
   Thought to be written right after each mission.
6. Transcribers to Electronic Text:
   Wally Blackwell
7. Contact Information:
   Comments or corrections about this diary can be sent to the 398th Comment Coordinator.
8. Epilogue:
   
   After the war I attended the New York State College of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University. I also married my childhood sweetheart, Muriel Crooks, and we lived in a tiny apartment while I completed four years of college.
   
   We returned to my home town, Erie, Penna, and I opened a sporting goods store which grew to two stores in Erie and a ski shop in New York. After 20 years of 12 hour days, I sold the business and went into the fine arts business, selling American Eighteenth and early Nineteenth century furniture, paintings and accoutrements. I also bought and sold antique weapons which had been a hobby since boyhood. We did antique shows all over the Eastern United States and I never thought working could be so enjoyable.
   
   I retired in 1985 and we moved to Sanibel Island, Florida, a place I had been coming to since 1928. During our phase training at MacDill field in Tampa our pilot, at my request, would fly over the island and we would “bomb it”. I now do volunteer work for the city, serving on the planning commission and also I am site chairman for the Sanibel Historical Preservation Committee Museum and village. We raised and educated three girls who are all married now and have given us four lovely grandchildren. It has been a good life.
   
   The war years are a long time ago and yet I can remember them as if they were yesterday. I didn’t talk about those times during my working years, but after I retired, I went to see a B-17 on display at the local airport (Collins Foundation plane) and I found out that the old 398th had been revived and was actually having reunions. I contacted George Hilliard and he led me back into the group. I have traced my crew (thanks to Wally and George) and found most of them had died. My pilot I did correspond with for a short time before he died. Our radio operator Bogdanski is still alive, but does not want to join in the fun.
   
   John Veenschoten
   March 2003