Every family has at least one hero. During WWII, I doubt there was not a family who did not lose a loved one to that war and our family on my mother's side was no exception.
I have loved learning about one of our family hero's of that era. He was my great-uncle and his name was Lyman York MeGehee. He was born in 1920 at Wayside, Texas. His nickname was "Squirrelly" and when talked about he was always called Uncle Squirrelly, not Uncle Lyman.
The following is an excerpt from "A Collection of Memories: A History of Armstrong County 1876-1965":
He graduated from Texas Tech in June 1941. Early in 1942 he volunteered in the Air Force. He became a radar man, and was sent overseas in April 1944 with the first B-29 Bombers as a member of the 44th Bomb Squadron and was on the first B-29 bombing mission on Tokyo.
On May 26, 1945 the bomber on which he was a crew member was lost over Tokyo Bay. The left wing gunner on the crew, Dale Johnson, was the only survivor. He visited the family of " Squirrelly" in 1947 and told the following details: A few seconds away from their target something struck their plane-either flack or a suicide plane. He never heard a single voice over the intercom after that. He did discover a hole over his head and was able to escape. As he rode his parachute down, he saw what he took to be his plane explode just before it plunged into Tokyo Bay. He landed in shallow water, waded to shore and was soon taken to prison where he stayed until the war's end.
Early in 1944 " Squirrelly" become engaged to Wanda Kimbrell of Lubbock, Texas. They were classmates in college. Their post war plans were to be married, go to graduate school where they both would complete work for masters degrees in theology and then volunteer to be full time Christian workers abroad.
It seems proper to quote from a letter, one of many received from Squirrelly's" friends that he made in the Air Force each one expression their admiration for him. This one was written by John Jensen, Jr of Grand Rapids dated December 31, 1945: " I received your letter this morning and I can't begin to tell you how sad it makes me feel to hear Mac went down. I really thought an awful lot of him. For you to understand better maybe I had better tell you how I knew him so well. We were in Pratt, Kansas together before we went overseas. He slept right across the room from me and we become quite good friends. Then after we got overseas he was transferred to my crew, but when we came home, he lacked a few hours so he stayed there. Mac is a fellow I am more than happy to say that I have had the chance to know. I know everybody in our outfit looked up to Mac. Maybe it was because he did what he thought was right when many of us fell short. The things that I admired most about him was the fact he did not smoke or drink even though we gave him an awful lot of kidding about it, and we may as well have been talking to a brick wall, he went on undisturbed. All in all he was a type of fellow I would have been proud to call my brother. We used to ask him if he did not get scared back there where he couldn't see, and he would say, " Nope, I just keep myself busy and I don't mind it at all." But I know Mac believed so strongly in God that he was unafraid of death...." On the memorial stone in the Wayside Cemetery you will find: Staff Sergeant Lyman York McGehee July 2, 1920 - May 26, 1945 " He lived fully, neglecting no worthy interest, leaving no opportunity uncultivated, no challenge unanswered."
Interesting to note that he did not have to fly on his last mission. His service was complete but he volunteered to go out anyway. His fiance never married. His mother died only a two years after his death and the family has always claimed it was due to heart-break.
I cannot wait to meet him when I get to heaven. I will tell him, "Thank-you for living your short life so well. You were an example to my children as to what bravery and integrity are. You are our hero."
I have loved learning about one of our family hero's of that era. He was my great-uncle and his name was Lyman York MeGehee. He was born in 1920 at Wayside, Texas. His nickname was "Squirrelly" and when talked about he was always called Uncle Squirrelly, not Uncle Lyman.
The following is an excerpt from "A Collection of Memories: A History of Armstrong County 1876-1965":
He graduated from Texas Tech in June 1941. Early in 1942 he volunteered in the Air Force. He became a radar man, and was sent overseas in April 1944 with the first B-29 Bombers as a member of the 44th Bomb Squadron and was on the first B-29 bombing mission on Tokyo.
On May 26, 1945 the bomber on which he was a crew member was lost over Tokyo Bay. The left wing gunner on the crew, Dale Johnson, was the only survivor. He visited the family of " Squirrelly" in 1947 and told the following details: A few seconds away from their target something struck their plane-either flack or a suicide plane. He never heard a single voice over the intercom after that. He did discover a hole over his head and was able to escape. As he rode his parachute down, he saw what he took to be his plane explode just before it plunged into Tokyo Bay. He landed in shallow water, waded to shore and was soon taken to prison where he stayed until the war's end.
Early in 1944 " Squirrelly" become engaged to Wanda Kimbrell of Lubbock, Texas. They were classmates in college. Their post war plans were to be married, go to graduate school where they both would complete work for masters degrees in theology and then volunteer to be full time Christian workers abroad.
It seems proper to quote from a letter, one of many received from Squirrelly's" friends that he made in the Air Force each one expression their admiration for him. This one was written by John Jensen, Jr of Grand Rapids dated December 31, 1945: " I received your letter this morning and I can't begin to tell you how sad it makes me feel to hear Mac went down. I really thought an awful lot of him. For you to understand better maybe I had better tell you how I knew him so well. We were in Pratt, Kansas together before we went overseas. He slept right across the room from me and we become quite good friends. Then after we got overseas he was transferred to my crew, but when we came home, he lacked a few hours so he stayed there. Mac is a fellow I am more than happy to say that I have had the chance to know. I know everybody in our outfit looked up to Mac. Maybe it was because he did what he thought was right when many of us fell short. The things that I admired most about him was the fact he did not smoke or drink even though we gave him an awful lot of kidding about it, and we may as well have been talking to a brick wall, he went on undisturbed. All in all he was a type of fellow I would have been proud to call my brother. We used to ask him if he did not get scared back there where he couldn't see, and he would say, " Nope, I just keep myself busy and I don't mind it at all." But I know Mac believed so strongly in God that he was unafraid of death...." On the memorial stone in the Wayside Cemetery you will find: Staff Sergeant Lyman York McGehee July 2, 1920 - May 26, 1945 " He lived fully, neglecting no worthy interest, leaving no opportunity uncultivated, no challenge unanswered."
Interesting to note that he did not have to fly on his last mission. His service was complete but he volunteered to go out anyway. His fiance never married. His mother died only a two years after his death and the family has always claimed it was due to heart-break.
I cannot wait to meet him when I get to heaven. I will tell him, "Thank-you for living your short life so well. You were an example to my children as to what bravery and integrity are. You are our hero."
