Ray Rhoades.
Navigator · 330th Squadron · Of Lincoln, NE.
The Man Behind the Name
Arrived at Hardwick on Aug. 9, 1944; trained and flew with 93rd Bomb Group, 330th Sqdn. Completed 35 combat missions from September 1944 to February 1945. Received major flak damage on many missions and made emergency landings at RAF emergency fields. Had the memorable experience of circling the Eiffel Tower in a two-ship formation at half the height of the tower while flying food to France.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
Before and after.
Born Jan. 3, 1920 in Lincoln, NE. Graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1942. Worked for U.S. Rubber in Pennsylvania until joining USAAC in November 1943. Completed Aviation Cadet Program in Class 44-C as a navigator. Joined the B-24 crew of J.W. Reid in Boise, ID.
Flew home in a C-54. Married Mary Smyth in Omaha, NE on Feb. 15, 1947. Retired from Nebraska Public Power District as power production manager in 1985. Three daughters and four grandchildren.