Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Foreword
- Decision Time
- One Hurdle after Another
- Diary of a Navigator-in-Training
- Reliving Black Tuesday
- In Memory - The Lewis Crew
- Photo Album
Introduction
The following was sent to Lynnita Brown of the Korean War Educator, along with Mr. Bergstrom's memories
of Black Tuesday. Mr. Bergstrom was a member of the Capt. James Lewis' crew on Black Tuesday.
1Lt. Robert L. Bergstrom later received the Air Medal for meritorious achievement in aerial flight from May
23, 1951 to July 22, 1951. Robert Bergstrom was born in Karlstad, Minnesota. His family moved to
Bock, Minnesota in 1930. Graduating from Milaca High School at age 17 in 1943, Robert joined the Army
Air Corps and underwent cadet training. He was commissioned and earned his wings at age 19.
After receiving training in bombers and radar in California, he shipped out to Okinawa as a radar operator near the
end of World War II. Among his assignments at that time was a mission to fly over the bomb sites of Nagasaki
and Hiroshima with a special filter attached to his plane. The filter checked on the radiation level
from the atomic bomb sites. Another mission was to secretly map North Korea by radar.
After completing his tour of duty in the Air Corps (name later changed to Air Force) he returned home,
remaining in the reserves. When the Korean War broke out, Robert was recalled to active duty and
ordered to report to an air base in Illinois. From there he was assigned to Shreveport, Louisiana for
a six-week refresher course. He was then shipped to Okinawa, from which he flew B-29 bombing missions
over North Korea during the Korean War. According to a feature story by Thomas A. Kvamme in the
publication My Generation (June 2013), Robert said, "I began to realize what I had been doing in
North Korea and why they called me back." Robert Bergstrom served nine years in the military, with two of
them on battle duty and four years in Okinawa. He was released from active duty in 1952. He
married a nurse, Erma Johnson, on the historic date of October 23, 1965 (the date of Black Tuesday in 1951).
The couple lived in Alaska and Africa as missionaries, raising four children. They retired to
Minnesota. His memoir was forwarded to the KWE, with his permission, by his neighbor, Mary Martin of
Milaca, Minnesota. She purchased Earl MacGill's book, Black Tuesday Over Namsi to share with
Robert.
Foreword
I finally sat down and made an effort to write my story as I remember it over "Namsi," as I have been
reading Black Tuesday Over Namsi. I realize the many years of trying to gather information and
putting it all together. I have come to understand why you were not able to find Captain Lewis'
crew--or any of us. It wasn't many days before we were flying missions again. We made ten
missions after "Black Tuesday Over Namsi." They were night missions by "Shoran."
They finally told us that replacements were coming and we would be going home. We were slated to go
by commercial air. No parachutes, of course! I didn't care for that. I am sure I had the
stewardess flustered and was glad when we landed in San Francisco. At the airport they told us they
would fly us anywhere we wanted--just come up and sign the manifest. I called home and told them I was
taking the train. I didn't want to fly. After a couple weeks at home, the Air Force was training me
in B-29s at Barksdale Air Force Base, and I was slated to go to Morocco, North Africa. The General called me
in and said I was up for getting my Captaincy and they wanted me to stay in the Air Force. I had made
up my mind to be discharged, so I made my salute and about-face and left for home. I often thought
over the years that if I had more R&R and stayed in the Air Force, where I would be today. "No
Regrets." I met my spouse, had four children, and made our future going to Africa, the "Congo" as
missionaries for twenty years before retiring in 1991. In my retiring years I now realize some of the
mistakes I have made. Looking back a few months, with my health issues, I needed some help with dental
work. I went to the VA thinking I would get some help. Looking at my records, they immediately
said that only having 70 percent service connected, "They couldn't help." I needed 100 percent.
I was really disappointed. Thinking about it, my "mistake" was not going to the dispensary for my arm
wound when I returned from the Namsi mission. Even the next day others told me that I would have
received a Purple Heart. I have heard that all who were given Purple Hearts got 100 percent service
connected when discharged. I wonder? Also, over the years I cannot believe that the Air
Force never gave our crew (Captain Lewis' crew) any recognition with a medal--Distinguished Flying Cross or
Air Medal. I realize we were never interviewed, but maybe in all that was going on at the time it just
got overlooked. I wouldn't now know who to turn to, if anyone. Actually, I don't know
why I am telling you all this. Maybe I just need to get it off my chest. Many have told me I am
entitled to full benefits at the VA. One thing is for sure. If it wasn't for my faith in God and
my wife helping me through some rough times with my "invisible wounds," I don't think I would have made it.
Allow me to say "Thank You" for taking so much of your time reading my story as I remember, "Black Tuesday
Over Namsi."
Decision Time
I reported to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, the 5th of January 1944 for active duty. My
brother had already volunteered and was serving in the Navy Air Corps flight training at Purdue University
Air Field in Indiana. I decided to go down and ask him what I should do. I was 17 years old at
the time. Talking it over with my folks, I took a bus down to see him. Arriving at the
airport, I went up to the guard. "What can I do for you?" he asked. I said, "I am here to see my
brother. He is here in flight training. I am from Bock, Minnesota. Can I see him?"
He turned and after a moment said, "You go into those doors and wait there. He will come out in that
room." I did, and sure enough, it wasn't long before he showed up. It was good to see
him. We talked a while and, of course, he had classes and went flying. I took some pictures out
on the flight line. I finally asked him what he thought I should do. His advice to me was, "The
Navy is really hard. Why not try the Army Air Corps?" At the same time, he asked me, "How is it
you are able to get in here, for NOBODY is allowed in this airport other than Navy personnel." I told
him, "I just told them that I'm from Bock, Minnesota and I came to see my brother, and they let me in.
I must look okay." After returning home to our farm, I right away went down to the barn where
my dad was finishing up milking the cows. I told him that I had decided to join the Army Air Corps.
My dad thought a little and then he said, "I guess the way things are going with the country, if I was your
age I would join too. I told my mother and she said, "One in the service is enough." I was able
to overcome that with a little convincing.
One Hurdle After Another
Now it was off to take tests in St. Paul, Minnesota to see if I would qualify for cadet
training. I remember there were 270 questions on the test and I got 247 correct. The one giving
the test said, "That was really good." That was my first hurtle.
After some basic training I had to take more tests for a week. I found out later that
it had nothing to do with flying, but was given to see if I was able to be taught in future training and to
determine what would be best for me in the different areas available in the Air Corps. Then I
was told that I needed some college education to allow me to go into cadet training. They sent me to
Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater, Oklahoma for about a three-month crash course. It was hard, but I passed
and was on my way.
Diary of a Navigator-in-Training
Before entering college training I was sent to Garden City, Kansas for my first flights in
the air. The following is from a few pages of the diary that I kept at that time.
5/23/44 - Third Flight - Wind: southeast - Time: 1 hour We took
off due south. Had to hold left rudder to account for the wind coming from the southeast.
Left the pattern and I did a few left and right turns. We then did some climbing turns until we
reached 4000 feet. At that altitude my instructor went through the series of turns which I
observed as I was to try them after he was through. I remembered the procedure quite well, but I
lost quite a lot of altitude in my 360 degree turns. I also forgot to increase my throttle in
making my 260 degree turns and to decrease my speed on recovering. I went through the series of
turns twice after that. I made gliding turns to 500' when my instructor demonstrated the
rectangular course and I then tried it. My greatest trouble was crabbing into the wind and holding
the nose straight and level. We then went back to the home airport after one hour of flying.
Series of Turns LYNNITA - ADD DIAGRAM 5/24/44 -
Fourth Flight - Wind: southeast - Time: 1 hour We took off south. Held left rudder
to account for the southeast wind and leveled off at 400', made a 90 degree level turn to the left.
Climbed to 500' and made a 45 degree level turn to the right and left the traffic pattern. Made
climbing turns to 1500' when I tried the series of turns. It was a quite stiff wind and my
greatest trouble was remembering to make a shallow bank when going into the wind. I also looked at
the wing when making my 260 degree turns. I also forgot to turn into the wind before making my 360
degree turn. We then went down to 500' and made the rectangular course. Here I also forgot
to make a shallow bank when turning into the wind. I then followed my instructor in on a landing.
I then took off and flew around out of the pattern and back into the pattern and landed. In my
instruction today I was also shown the "S" turn following through with the instructor.
5/27/44 - Sixth Flight - Wind: south - Time: 1 hour We left traffic pattern, went
out to the practice area. I then flew the rectangular course twice and made some "S" turns and
elementary eights and parachute eights. I did a little better in accounting for the wind, but I
still have the tendency of holding a back pressure on the stick and I gain some altitude. We then
went and made climbing turns to 3600' and my instructor showed me the three types of stalls and then we
went into a spin. 5/29/44 - Seventh Flight - Check ride - Wind: west - Time:
1 hour Today was my check flight after 5 1/2 hours in the air. I taxied and on the
runway and took off due west. Left the traffic pattern and flew straight and level to the practice
area. I started my rectangle and flew that and went right into "S's", elementary eights, and then
did climbing turns to 1500 degrees. At 1500' I did my series of turn and then made gliding turns
and landed. I did pretty good as I am getting more of the feel of the airplane and I am
concentrating more on the wind drift and bank to be made in my sequence. 5/31/44 -
Eighth Flight - Wind: south - Time: 1 hour Today I took off and flew out of the traffic
pattern and flew at 500' to the practice area. I then flew the rectangular course and then went
into the elementary eights , "S's" and parachute eights. Then did climbing turns to 3500' and my
instructor showed me the three series of stalls. I then did them. Had a little trouble in
keeping the wings level, but I got on to it pretty good. My instructor then took me into a spin
and I did five more Two-turn spins after that. I began to like them quite well toward the last.
We then glided to the airport and landed. 6/1/44 - Ninth Flight - Wind: south -
Time - 1 hour It is a brisk wind today and I took off and flew the traffic pattern.
I tried to fly straight and level out to our practice area, but the winds, updrafts and downdrafts were
awful. I did pretty good at my rectangle and eights and "S's" and then I climbed to 3500' and did
the three series of stalls and then I went into spins. I liked the spins swell today. I went
into three spins one right after another. I pulled out of the spins pretty close to exactly two
turns. Can improve on my spins if I didn't push the stick forward too fast. We then returned
to the home airport. 6/2/44 - Tenth Flight - Wind: south - Time - 1 1/2 hour
Today's flight consisted of taxing out on the runway and taking off for a check flight. I left the
traffic pattern and headed north to the practice area. I then went into my rectangular course and
then my "S's", eights, and parachute eights. I then did climbing turns to 1500 feet and did my
series of turns. After completing the series of turns I made climbing turns to 2500' and did the
three series of stalls. Did climbing turn to 3000' and did spins to the right and left. The
wind today was very brisk about 30 miles per hour and at the lower altitude the air was quite rough.
I did comparatively good and then I had completed my spins. I did gliding turns and returned to
the home airport.
Reliving Black Tuesday
written by
Robert Bergstrom
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