Sixty-four years ago, an American bomber carrying a crew of eight and a New York Times reporter was shot down in Germany. Two weeks ago, a German with a metal detector found one of the crew members' dog tags.
The address engraved on its decaying surface: 1202 E. Washington St., Boise, Idaho.
Jim Hamilton of Marshfield, Mass., e-mailed the Statesman last week with news of the find. Hamilton is the author of "The Writing 69th," which tells the story of the bomber's demise. Tomas Hauschild, the German who found the dog tag, contacted him in hopes of finding at least one of its late owner's relatives, who may still live in Boise.
"I consider it my duty, when I find personal effects, to find the descendants or direct relatives and get them these artifacts," Hauschild said. "In addition, through this piece of metal one sees a reference to the events of the time and to a life and its history."
To that he added his hope that no other generation ever has to face a tragedy like World War II, which the members of Writing 69th risked their lives to cover.
It's an odd name, isn't it? The Writing 69th sounds like a misprint for The Fighting 69th, but it isn't. Also known as "the Flying Typewriters" and "the Legion of the Doomed," it was a group of eight journalists who volunteered to fly combat missions and report what they saw. Two of the eight, UPI reporter Walter Cronkite and Stars and Stripes writer Andy Rooney, went on to become famous. Robert Post wasn't so lucky.
Post was the New York Times reporter. Like the other eight members of the group, he felt guilty about having a relatively safe job interviewing flight crews that never returned. They decided the only honest way to cover the air war was to report it firsthand, by flying missions with the airmen they wrote about in their stories. Their first - and last - mission was on Feb. 26, 1943.
The journalists flew in separate planes. All but Post flew in B-17 bombers, which they considered safer than B-24s. Post was the only one who volunteered to go in a B-24. Its gunner was a young airman from Boise - Scott Everhart Brewer.
Their target was an aircraft factory in northern Germany. It was too cloudy for them to see it, so the pilot diverted to a secondary target, a submarine base on the North Sea coast. He was turning back after the bombing run when German fighter planes attacked.
"The plane carrying Bob Post was hit and blew up at 20,000 feet," Hamilton said. "Two crew members who were able to pull their rip cords were the only survivors. One ended up in Stalag Luft III, the prisoner of war camp made famous in the film, 'The Great Escape.' Both have since died."
Post, Brewer and the rest of the crew either were killed in the explosion or fell to their deaths. Three generations later, Hauschild was working with his metal detector near the lakeside village of Bad Zwischenahn when he found Brewer's dog tag.
Hamilton is trying to help him find a family member, so far without success.
"I think it's really great that Mr. Hauschild wants to tie this up by giving the dog tag to the family, but I've struck out on finding any of his relatives," he said. "They may still live in Idaho, but it was a long time ago and Brewer is a very common name."
Here's what he's been able to learn so far:
Brewer as born in 1915. He was 28 at the time of his death.
His mother's name was Louise E. Brewer. Hamilton thinks her middle initial may have stood for Everhart.
Louise Brewer spent time in Grand View, Idaho.
Scott Brewer's father's name was Paul B. Brewer. Hamilton learned from Scott Brewer's military records that his father was born in Toledo, Ohio, and is buried at Cloverdale Memorial Park in Boise.
Brewer was wearing a bracelet engraved with three names - his, his mother's and "Mary."
"Who was Mary?" Hamilton asked. "If we could find her, we'd have something."
Paul Brewer died on March 6, 1943 - two days before his wife received the telegram saying that their son was missing in action.
"That poor woman," Hamilton said. "Her husband dies, and two days later she gets word that her son is gone."
Whether Brewer had brothers, sisters or other relatives in the Boise area isn't known.
"I'm hoping your column will bring out a relative or someone who knew the family," Hamilton said.
If you know anything about Scott Everhart Brewer, his family or the mysterious Mary, please contact me at twoodward@idahostatesman.com or the phone number below.
It will make a good-hearted man in Germany happy, and close a chapter for the family of a Boise hero.
Tim Woodward: 377-6409
