Subject: Re: Submission for ARC gallery
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2013 23:28:02 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
ARC Air - Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.arcair.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: [email-masked] 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Monday, December 31, 2012 10:50 AM
  Subject: Submission for ARC gallery

  "The Goon and T/Sgt. Arthur Benko" 

  B-24D Liberator and Zero 3D model by Konley Kelley
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  The B-24D Liberator “The Goon” was a well-known bomber in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater in the Pacific War.   This was due in a large part to a photo of its nose art appearing in an issue of National Geographic magazine. 

  What made “The Goon” even more famous and the pride of the 308th BG was its top turret gunner, T/Sgt. Arthur Benko.  Benko is officially credited with 18 Japanese aircraft shot down.  His deadly aim was forged as a skeet and rifle champion in Arizona before the war. 

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  Some were skeptical asT/Sgt. Benko’s score mounted so an intelligence officer boarded “The Goon” on a mission to see for himself.  On that mission, T/Sgt. Benko shot down seven Japanese aircraft, quickly making a believer of the officer. 
    
  Prior to a mission, Benko removed all tracers from his ammunition belt.  He used this tactic so the enemy would not know they were being fired upon and tracer fire can show a false trajectory as the shells lose weight when burning in flight. 

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  In December, 1943, “The Goon” lost two engines after a night attack on the Kowloon docks.  The crew jettisoned all non-essential items and everyone bailed out except for the pilot, who was eventually able to make it to a friendly base.  Benko and another crewman were captured and killed by the Japanese.  T/Sgt. Arthur Benko, the leading air gunner of all allied forces in WW2, was lost.

  Goon1.jpg
  T/Sgt. Arthur Benko sitting atop "The Goon" next to the top turret

  Goon2.jpg
  "The Goon" crew with T/Sgt. Arthur Benko next to the top turret

  Goon in 3D
  Original 3D art of the B-24D Liberator "The Goon" and Japanese Zero.

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  Photos and text © by "Konley Kelley"