“Smilin’ Jack” in “Unflyable Condition”
Beginning in mid-April 1945, about two hundred 14th Air Force fighters and bombers attacked Japanese targets in areas from southern China to the northern China plain, hitting numerous targets that included bridges, river shipping, town areas, trucks, railroad traffic, gun positions, storage areas, and general targets of opportunity. Among the attack planes were those of the Chinese-American Composite Wing. The 3rd Bomb Squadron’s A/C #714, “Smilin’ Jack,” named in honor of the squadron’s popular commander, Capt. Jack M. Hamilton, was a victim of the raid against Loyang on April 16, when a tire blew out on takeoff.