{"id":3447,"date":"2024-07-22T15:50:12","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T15:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/?p=3447"},"modified":"2025-03-24T12:59:31","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T12:59:31","slug":"toney-george","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/toney-george\/","title":{"rendered":"Toney, George Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>S Sgt George Toney Jr. (March 11, 1909 \u2013 October 17, 1943)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>By Haley Shaner and Brett Nystrom<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Early Life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>George Toney Jr. was born on March 11, 1909 to Syrian immigrants from the Ottoman Empire.<a name=\"_ftnref1\" href=\"#_ftn1\"><sup>1<\/sup><\/a> From the 1890s to 1914, displaced Muslim populations from around the region migrated into the Ottoman Empire. Significant in-migration and a weak central government, coupled with European imperialism, war, and economic stagnation, created trying conditions that inspired many, called Assyrians at the time, to emigrate to industrialized nations like the US.<a name=\"_ftnref2\" href=\"#_ftn2\"><sup>2<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A part of this wave of migration, the Toney family lived in Jacksonville alongside many Syrian immigrant families, forming a close-knit community with a shared culture.<a name=\"_ftnref3\" href=\"#_ftn3\"><sup>3<\/sup><\/a> Toney Jr.\u2019s father, George Toney Sr., owned a produce wholesaler business in Jacksonville, FL. His mother, Ada Toney, cared for George Toney Jr. and his six siblings. Toney Jr. had an older sister, Mary (1907), and five younger siblings, Sarah (1911), Nellie (1912), Helen (1914), Edward (1916), and Charles (1922).<a name=\"_ftnref4\" href=\"#_ftn4\"><sup>4<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 1920s, all the Toney children attended school, but only Helen completed all four high school years.<a name=\"_ftnref5\" href=\"#_ftn5\"><sup>5<\/sup><\/a> Toney Jr. left high school, having completed only one year, likely to help his father in the family produce shop. Despite the financial hardships of the Great Depression, Toney Jr. married his love, Ms. Eleanor Rose, in 1930, a short time after he turned twenty-one. In 1934, George and Eleanor welcomed their daughter, Patsy Toney.<a name=\"_ftnref6\" href=\"#_ftn6\"><sup>6<\/sup><\/a> By the mid-thirties, Toney Jr.\u2019s mother, Ada, passed away, and by 1938, Toney Jr. and Eleanor divorced.<a name=\"_ftnref7\" href=\"#_ftn7\"><sup>7<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Military Service<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Toney Jr. registered for the draft on October 25, 1940, followed by his brother, Edward, one day later.<a name=\"_ftnref8\" href=\"#_ftn8\"><sup>8<\/sup><\/a> Soon after signing up for the draft, Toney Jr. found love again with Ms. Sophie Antone. The two wed on March 25, 1941, in Macclenny, FL. One year later, Toney Jr. enlisted at Camp Blanding in Starke, FL, on August 19, 1942, at the age of thirty-three.<a name=\"_ftnref9\" href=\"#_ftn9\"><sup>9<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After basic training at Camp Blanding, Pvt. George Toney likely joined the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force. He headed west for bombardier training at Gowen Field, ID (in what is today the Boise Airport) and, later, more training in Wendover Field, UT, after the unit relocated. Activated for combat on March 1, 1942, at Gowen Field, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group consisted of airmen from around the country. It eventually relocated to Thurleigh, England, at the beginning of September 1942.<a name=\"_ftnref10\" href=\"#_ftn10\"><sup>10<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with the rest of the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group, Toney Jr. received further training at the airbase in Thurleigh. The infrastructure within the airbase could not efficiently house the ever-growing number of American airmen arriving from overseas. Toney Jr., like much of the 306<sup>th<\/sup>, had to sleep in tents and follow an irregular schedule, including taking rotating shifts over a 24-hour period to ensure the base\u2019s facilities operated efficiently until the airbase could accommodate the force. The 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group trained alongside British crews, learning British codes, phrases, and techniques to better work alongside them in the air. Airmen practiced these techniques through the bombing of dummy targets placed along the English countryside.<a name=\"_ftnref11\" href=\"#_ftn11\"><sup>11<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While training and preparing for the war in continental Europe, Toney Jr., and other Floridians spoke with war correspondent, Marjorie Avery. A photo of their conversation appeared in this <em>Miami Herald<\/em> article,<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-3444\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/GeorgeToney-MHer.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/GeorgeToney-MHer.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3444\" width=\"306\" height=\"383\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>George Toney in The Miami Herald, September 26, 1943.<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;which referred to their location as &#8220;Somewhere in England&#8221; to avoid divulging information regarding the whereabouts of Allied servicemen and operations to the Germans. The <em>Herald<\/em> likely captured the photo in Thurleigh, but it may have also taken it in Duxford, a significant hub for servicemen in the Eighth Air Force and the present-day location of the American Air Museum in Britain.<a name=\"_ftnref12\" href=\"#_ftn12\"><sup>12<\/sup><\/a> On September 28, 1942, the US Army Air Forces declared the 306<sup>th<\/sup> ready for combat, joining the rest of the Eighth Air Force.<a name=\"_ftnref13\" href=\"#_ftn13\"><sup>13<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Eighth Air Force intended to deprive Germany of its ability to wage war by destroying ammunition and aircraft assembly plants &#8211; infrastructure vital to the German war industry.<a name=\"_ftnref14\" href=\"#_ftn14\"><sup>14<\/sup><\/a> Between their activation in 1942 and the beginning of 1943, most 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group missions flew daylight aerial strikes within B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft formations. More dangerous than night attacks, the bombers reached their targets more accurately. During this time, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> flew thirty-five missions, molding them into an experienced, battle-hardened force.<a name=\"_ftnref15\" href=\"#_ftn15\"><sup>15<\/sup><\/a> The 306<sup>th<\/sup> targeted various industrial targets throughout the war, including the bombing of railroad infrastructure in both Rouen and Lille, France, and wartime industries from Hannover to Stuttgart, Germany. In addition to their task of targeting wartime industry, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> also conducted raids on German naval operations, such as the bombing of submarines at Bordeaux, France, and the disruption of shipbuilding in Vegesack, Germany.<a name=\"_ftnref16\" href=\"#_ftn16\"><sup>16<\/sup><\/a> Toney Jr., as a bombardier, operated at the nose of the plane, shooting at enemy aircraft while loading and fusing bombs to strike targets on the ground. The crew\u2019s survival and the mission\u2019s success relied heavily on Toney\u2019s position within the plane. Toney Jr. also actively communicated with the pilot to ensure successful bomb delivery.<a name=\"_ftnref17\" href=\"#_ftn17\"><sup>17<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On October 17, 1943, the Eighth Air Force participated in the Second Schweinfurt Raid, also known as \u201cBlack Thursday.\u201d<a name=\"_ftnref18\" href=\"#_ftn18\"><sup>18<\/sup><\/a> US Allied command tasked the Eighth Air Force with a mission to destroy German factories producing ball bearings, an essential ingredient in enemy aircraft production. Schweinfurt\u2019s factories turned out two-thirds of all ball bearings produced in Germany, and destroying that production would cripple the German war effort in the air.<a name=\"_ftnref19\" href=\"#_ftn19\"><sup>19<\/sup><\/a> This mission was the first time George Toney Jr. flew in the B-17 Flying Fortress, nicknamed the <em>Jackie Ellen<\/em>.<a name=\"_ftnref20\" href=\"#_ftn20\"><sup>20<\/sup><\/a> The crew joining Toney Jr. hailed from across the US, including pilot Douglas White (TX), co-pilot Emil Rasmussen Jr. (OR), navigator Carl Alexander (NY), waist gunner Charles Adams (PA), waist gunner William Earnest (PA), ball turret gunner Francis Pulliam (CA), top turret gunner\/flight engineer Gus Riecke (OR), radio operator Joseph Bocelli (PA), and tail gunner Walter Sherrill (CA).<a name=\"_ftnref21\" href=\"#_ftn21\"><sup>21<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The US Army Air Forces considered the mission a strategic success; however, they also recognized the disastrous loss of life for the crews of aircraft involved. Of the eighteen 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group aircraft on the mission, only eight planes returned to Allied territory.<a name=\"_ftnref22\" href=\"#_ftn22\"><sup>22<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Jackie Ellen<\/em> suffered severe damage to its horizontal stabilizer from German aircraft, according to Captain Charles T. Scholfield, who saw the <em>Jackie Ellen<\/em> from his own aircraft nearby.<a href=\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=3447&amp;action=edit#_ftn23\"><sup>23<\/sup><\/a> The <em>Jackie Ellen<\/em> exploded mid-air shortly after the initial hit, breaking in half at the radio room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/GeorgeToney-Missing-Person.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1153\" height=\"1760\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/GeorgeToney-Missing-Person.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3445\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Page from the &#8220;Jackie Ellen&#8217;s&#8221; Missing Air Crew Report.<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The plane&#8217;s remains fell over Northwest Thuringia, Germany, forty minutes before reaching their target in Schweinfurt, Bavaria, Germany. George Toney Jr. and eight of his crewmates perished. Joseph Bocelli, the lone survivor, spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner of war (POW), eventually returning home to Philadelphia, PA, after the war\u2019s end.<a name=\"_ftnref24\" href=\"#_ftn24\"><sup>24<\/sup><\/a><sup> <\/sup>After his liberation, Bocelli completed a casualty questionnaire, a key element of any Missing Aircrew Report. On the page, reproduced here, Bocelli, asked if he bailed out, responded, \u201cNo, I was blown out,\u201d shining light on the final moments of the lives of Toney Jr. and the rest of the crew of the <em>Jackie Ellen<\/em>.<a name=\"_ftnref25\" href=\"#_ftn25\"><sup>25<\/sup><\/a> Once blown clear of the aircraft, Bocelli managed to open his parachute and landed not far from their target in Schweinfurt, Germany.<a name=\"_ftnref26\" href=\"#_ftn26\"><sup>26<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the Second Schweinfurt Raid, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group continued to serve in significant operations within the European Theatre, destroying enemy infrastructure related to the German war effort. Starting in February 1944, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> bombed V-Weapons sites, home to the infamous V-2 missiles, which terrified Allied forces and destroyed European cities.<a name=\"_ftnref27\" href=\"#_ftn27\"><sup>27<\/sup><\/a> After the war, the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group and the 305<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group worked on the then-classified Casey Jones Project to capture US Army post-war reconnaissance photos of Iceland, Europe, and Africa using the Eighth Air Force&#8217;s vast B-17 Flying Fortress fleet. Officially deactivated from service on July 1, 1947, the men of the 306<sup>th<\/sup> became the longest-serving group in the Eighth Air Force. A museum and memorial dedicated to the 306<sup>th<\/sup> Bombardment Group currently resides on its former airbase in Thurleigh, England.<a name=\"_ftnref28\" href=\"#_ftn28\"><sup>28<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>George Toney Jr. left behind his daughter, Patsy, his wife, Sophie Toney, his father, George Toney Sr., and his siblings. In 2017, Patsy left virtual flowers for her father on the website <em>Find A Grave<\/em>, with a note wishing to see him soon and reminding us how much she missed the father she lost when she was nine years old. Sophie did not remarry and passed away on March 25, 2005.<a name=\"_ftnref29\" href=\"#_ftn29\"><sup>29<\/sup><\/a> The US military awarded Staff Sgt. George Toney Jr. an Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters for completing at least fifteen bombing missions and posthumously awarded him the Purple Heart.<a name=\"_ftnref30\" href=\"#_ftn30\"><sup>30<\/sup><\/a> He is interred at the Lorraine American Cemetery at Saint-Avold, France, Plot A, Row 26, Grave 51, where he may forever rest in peace.<a name=\"_ftnref31\" href=\"#_ftn31\"><sup>31<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn1\" href=\"#_ftnref1\">1<\/a> George Toney, <em>Find a Grave<\/em>, accessed September 17, 2022, https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/56661660\/george-toney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn2\" href=\"#_ftnref2\">2<\/a> Kemal H. Karpat, \u201cThe Ottoman Emigration to America, 1860-1914,\u201d introduction, in <em>Studies on Ottoman Social and Political History: Selected Articles and Essays<\/em> (Leiden, Netherlands: Brill, 2002), 90\u2013131.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn3\" href=\"#_ftnref3\">3<\/a>Kathleen Cohen, \u201cImmigrant Jacksonville: A Profile of Immigrant Groups in Jacksonville, Florida, 1890-1920,\u201d master\u2019s thesis, (University of North Florida, 1986), 47-60.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn4\" href=\"#_ftnref4\">4<\/a> \u201c1930 US Census,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com<\/em>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney Jr., Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn5\" href=\"#_ftnref5\">5<\/a> \u201c1930 US Census,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com.<\/em> (<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for Helen Toney, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn6\" href=\"#_ftnref6\">6<\/a> &nbsp;\u201cFlorida, U.S., State Census, 1867-1945,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com. <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney Jr., Eleanor Rose Toney, and Patsy Toney, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn7\" href=\"#_ftnref7\">7<\/a> \u201cFlorida, U.S., Death Index, 1877-1998,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com. <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for Ada Toney, Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida; \u201cFlorida, U.S., Divorce Index, 1927-2001,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com. <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney Jr., Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn8\" href=\"#_ftnref8\">8<\/a> \u201cU.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com. <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney Jr., serial number 34247980, and entry for Edwin Toney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn9\" href=\"#_ftnref9\">9<\/a> Florida Marriages, 1830-1993,&#8221; database, <em>FamilySearch.com<\/em>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/familysearch.org\/ark:\/61903\/1:1:234K-346\">https:\/\/familysearch.org\/ark:\/61903\/1:1:234K-346<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney; \u201cU.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946,\u201d entry for George Toney Jr.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn10\" href=\"#_ftnref10\">10<\/a> Charles Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers: An Analysis of the 306th Bomb Group during World War II,\u201d (Masters Thesis, Air University, 1998), 6, 72.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn11\" href=\"#_ftnref11\">11<\/a> Charles Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn12\" href=\"#_ftnref12\">12<\/a> \u201cHerald War Correspondent Marjorie Avery,\u201d <em>The Miami Herald<\/em> (Miami, FL), Sep. 26, 1943; \u201cAbout IWM Duxford,\u201d <em>Imperial War Museums<\/em>, accessed June 26, 2023, https:\/\/www.iwm.org.uk\/iwm-duxford\/about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn13\" href=\"#_ftnref13\">13<\/a> Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 11; \u201c42-37720 Jackie Ellen,\u201d <em>American Air Museum in Britain<\/em>, accessed September 18, 2022, https:\/\/www.americanairmuseum.com\/archive\/aircraft\/42-37720.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn14\" href=\"#_ftnref14\">14<\/a> Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn15\" href=\"#_ftnref15\">15<\/a> Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn16\" href=\"#_ftnref16\">16<\/a> \u201c306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers,\u201d <em>American Air Museum in Britain<\/em>, accessed March 5, 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanairmuseum.com\/archive\/unit\/306th-bomb-group-reich-wreckers\">https:\/\/www.americanairmuseum.com\/archive\/unit\/306th-bomb-group-reich-wreckers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn17\" href=\"#_ftnref17\">17<\/a> AAF, \u201cThe Bombardier,\u201d in <em>Pilot Training Manual for the Flying Fortress B-17<\/em> (AAF Office of Assistant Chief of Air Staff, 1945), pp. 18-22.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn18\" href=\"#_ftnref18\">18<\/a> John M Curatola, \u201c\u2018Black Thursday\u2019 October 14, 1943: The Second Schweinfurt Bombing Raid,\u201d <em>The National WWII Museum: New Orleans<\/em>, published October 16, 2022, https:\/\/www.nationalww2museum.org\/war\/articles\/black-thursday-october-14-1943-second-schweinfurt-bombing-raid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn19\" href=\"#_ftnref19\">19<\/a> John T. Correll, \u201cThe Cost of Schweinfurt,\u201d <em>Air &amp; Space Forces Magazine<\/em>, published February 1, 2010, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airandspaceforces.com\/article\/0210schweinfurt\/#:~:text=World%20War%20II%20created%20a,ball%20bearings%20and%20roller%20bearings\">https:\/\/www.airandspaceforces.com\/article\/0210schweinfurt\/#:~:text=World%20War%20II%20created%20a,ball%20bearings%20and%20roller%20bearings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn20\" href=\"#_ftnref20\">20<\/a> \u201c42-37720 Jackie Ellen,\u201d <em>American Air Museum in Britain<\/em>; \u201cMissing Air Crews Reports,\u201d database, <em>Fold3.com <\/em>(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fold3.com\">www.fold3.com<\/a>: accessed March 28, 2023), entry for aircraft 42-37720.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn21\" href=\"#_ftnref21\">21<\/a> \u201cU.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946,\u201d entry for Douglas H. White, Serial number 18063911; entry for Emil O. Rasmussen Jr., Serial number 19047718; entry for Carl A. Alexander, Serial number 12051889; entry for Charles A. Adams, Serial number 13113209; entry for William R. Earnest, Serial number 13041315; entry for Francis W. Pulliam, Serial number 39393944; entry for Gus Riecke, Service number 39092509; entry for Joseph C. Bocelli, Service number 13045657; entry for Walter D. Sherrill, Serial number 39529633; \u201c42-37720 Jackie Ellen,\u201d <em>American Air Museum in Britain.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn22\" href=\"#_ftnref22\">22<\/a> Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 23.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn23\" href=\"#_ftnref23\">23<\/a> \u201cMissing Air Crews Reports,\u201d database, <em>Fold3.com <\/em>(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fold3.com\">www.fold3.com<\/a>: accessed March 28, 2023), entry for aircraft 42-37720.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn24\" href=\"#_ftnref24\">24<\/a> \u201cPennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for Joseph Bocelli. Bocelli had two kids, Augustine (1949) and Dolores (1958), passing away on February 19, 1993, at the age of 72; \u201cJoseph C. Bocelli,\u201d <em>Find a Grave<\/em>, accessed February 1, 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/110906986\/joseph-c-bocelli\">https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/110906986\/joseph-c-bocelli<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn25\" href=\"#_ftnref25\">25<\/a> \u201cMissing Air Crews Reports,\u201dentry for aircraft 42-37720.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn26\" href=\"#_ftnref26\">26<\/a>&nbsp; \u201c42-37720 Jackie Ellen,\u201d <em>American Air Museum in Britain<\/em>; Dave Osborne, \u201cB-17 Fortress Masterlog,\u201d <em>91st Bombardment Group<\/em>, accessed May 31, 2023, https:\/\/www.91stbombardmentgroup.com\/Aircraft%20ID\/FORTLOG.pdf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn27\" href=\"#_ftnref27\">27<\/a> Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn28\" href=\"#_ftnref28\">28<\/a> Robert J. Boyd, <em>Project \u2018Casey Jones\u2019: Post-Hostilities Aerial Mapping; Iceland, Europe, and North Africa, June 1945 to December 1946<\/em> (Offutt Air Force Base: Strategic Air Command, 1988); Westgate, \u201cThe Reich Wreckers,\u201d 73; \u201cThe 306th Bombardment Group Museum,\u201d <em>306th Bombardment Group Museum<\/em>, accessed March 8, 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.306bg.co.uk\/\">https:\/\/www.306bg.co.uk\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn29\" href=\"#_ftnref29\">29<\/a>George Toney, <em>Find a Grave<\/em>, accessed September 17, 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/56661660\/george-toney\">https:\/\/www.findagrave.com\/memorial\/56661660\/george-toney<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn30\" href=\"#_ftnref30\">30<\/a> \u201cU.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949,\u201d database, <em>Ancestry.com. <\/em>(<a href=\"https:\/\/search.ancestry.com\">https:\/\/search.ancestry.com<\/a>: accessed September 17, 2022), entry for George Toney Jr. Serial number 34247980.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a name=\"_ftn31\" href=\"#_ftnref31\">31<\/a> George Toney, <em>Find a Grave<\/em>. \u201cGeorge Toney Jr.,\u201d <em>American Battle Monuments Commission<\/em>, accessed June 30, 2023, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abmc.gov\/decedent-search\/toney%3Dgeorge\">https:\/\/www.abmc.gov\/decedent-search\/toney%3Dgeorge<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"S Sgt George Toney Jr. (March 11, 1909 \u2013 October 17, 1943) 306th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force By Haley Shaner and Brett Nystrom Early Life George Toney Jr. was born on March 11, 1909 to Syrian immigrants from the Ottoman Empire.1 From the 1890s to 1914, displaced Muslim populations from around the region migrated&hellip;","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3487,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-narrow.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":{"x":0.48,"y":0.36},"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,19],"tags":[501,116,31,14],"veteran_name":[475],"veteran_rank":[120],"biography_author":[477,476],"army_branch":[484],"unit":[483],"division":[],"award":[362,460,348],"hometown":[352],"cemetery":[401],"class_list":["post-3447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lorraine_american_cemetery","category-world_war_2","tag-306th-bombardment-group","tag-air-medal","tag-oak-leaf-cluster","tag-purple-heart","veteran_name-george-toney-jr","veteran_rank-staff-sergeant","biography_author-brett-nystrom","biography_author-haley-shaner","army_branch-eighth-air-force","unit-306th-bombardment-group","award-air-medal","award-oak-leaf-cluster","award-purple-heart","hometown-jacksonville","cemetery-lorraine"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3447"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3479,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3447\/revisions\/3479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"veteran_name","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/veteran_name?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"veteran_rank","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/veteran_rank?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"biography_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/biography_author?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"army_branch","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/army_branch?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"unit","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/unit?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"division","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/division?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"award","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/award?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"hometown","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hometown?post=3447"},{"taxonomy":"cemetery","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.cah.ucf.edu\/fl-francesoldierstories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cemetery?post=3447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}