Avoiding Muddy Foxholes: A Story of an American Bombardier

By Jim Loveless

The future looked bright for many young men before the United States entered World War II on December 7th, 1941. Richard (Dick) Loveless from Washington, DC, was no exception. He had joined an apprenticeship program to follow in his dads’ footsteps to become an electrician. The prospects were good for Dick as he seemed to have what it took to succeed. Handsome and athletic, he had charmed his way into the heart of Mary Lu Farrell, a beautiful and equally talented girl from Northwest Washington, DC. 

Though neither really discussed it, marriage was undoubtedly on the horizon. Unfortunately, a war got in the way. He was forced to decide between being drafted into the Army or enlisting so he could choose what branch of the service he would serve. Dick enlisted. Regrettably, enlisting didn’t matter; he wound up in the coastal artillery. As luck would have it, an opportunity to join the Air Corps presented itself, and Dick took it. 

Thus, the adventure began for Dick. From boot camp and flight school to flying bombing missions over Germany for the 388th Bombardment Group, things never got easier. But it was only in his sixth mission over Stuttgart, Germany, that his strength, courage, and faith were put to the ultimate test. No training could prepare him for what lay ahead. 

Eighty years later, Dicks oldest son finally made good on a promise he made him. He vowed never to let his father’s remarkable story go untold, so “Avoiding Muddy Foxholes” is his story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9781977267504

Jim Loveless

Born in Washington, DC, in October 1954, Jim Loveless grew up in suburban Maryland. As a boy, he was taken in by his father’s experience in the United States Airforce during World War II. Learning as much as he could about the plane and the Airforce his dad flew in, friends of Jim’s father were amazed at how much he knew about the B-17 bomber and the Eighth Airforce.  Even though his career had been in electrical contracting, Jim loved writing. If something piqued his interest, he wrote about it. A friend once joked, “If I could steal anyone’s laptop, it would be Jim’s just so I could read all the adventures he’s written about.”  Before his retirement, Jim’s first real challenge as a writer came when he started writing a column about his dog in his dog club’s newsletter. It was called “Brooks World” and was written as the dogs told their story. It was a big hit and led to his first published book and audiobook, “Big Paws, Bigger Heart, a Dogs Memoir.”  After fifty years as a third-generation Loveless in the electrical contracting business, Jim retired, ending a one-hundred-year family presence in the industry. Still, the one thing he never gave up on was his interest in his father’s adventures during the war. Jim was very proud of what his father did and could spend countless hours talking about it to anyone willing to listen. He has done extensive research and has a wide-ranging library about the air war in Europe during World War II.  Though people loved his work, a much bigger task lay ahead, writing his father’s story, which he had wanted to do for what seemed to be forever. The day after he retired, work started in earnest, and two and a half years later, his labor of love was finally complete.  

Book preview

PART ONE

UNSETTLED TIMES

Chapter 1

SO, YOU WANT TO BE A FLYBOY

JULY 22, 1942, Richmond, VA. Dick sat at the table, shoulders back, head erect. With every question asked of him, he ended it with, "sir, just as his father instructed him to do throughout life. Interviewing him was a gruff-looking Sergeant that was making life miserable for Dick. His name was Larry Bergdorf, and he hated his job. He was demoted from Drill Sergeant to an administrative clerk over a fight he had gotten into over a girl. It was the way he was throwing question after question at him and giving little time to answer before he fired off the next one that was so aggravating. Your name, soldier, the man shot. Private Richard Vincent Loveless, sir, was the answer. The Sergeant bluntly interrupted before Dick finished his last name, Last name first followed by your first, then your middle name, rank, and serial number."

The Sergeant knew why Dick was there. He was looking to jump from the Regular Army to the Army Air Corps. The paperwork explained who he was and why he was there. "So why all the bull crap, Dick thought. Then it dawned on him, It’s the Army, and guys like this like to make it tough for their subordinates." It was part of the game, and if he wanted to get ahead, he had to play along, and so he did.

"So, you want to be a flyboy, Sergeant Bergdorf quizzed him. I want to join the Air Corps, sir, Dick replied. You know how many upstarts like you are fighting to become an Air Corps Cadet? he barked back, Too damn many. Leaning back in his swivel chair, he crossed his arms and looked Dick square in the eyes. Why do you really want to join the Corps, he asked. Dick thought for a long minute. That was something he had no answer for other than he did not want to serve out his tenure in a muddy foxhole and have to eat cold K-rations out of a tin can in some faraway place. He could not tell the Sergeant that, or could he? That’s just what Dick said. I’m not fond of muddy foxholes and hate cold k-rations, sir, he proclaimed. Falling forward in his chair, Bergdorf belched out a loud laugh. By God, you’re the first honest recruit I’ve gotten all month. He signed the necessary paperwork and gestured to a chair on the far side of the room. Sit over there and wait for your name to be called. As Dick hurried away, the Sergeant mumbled, He’s not fond of muddy foxholes. That’s a real kicker." Dick had passed his first hurdle. But there would be more.

The next challenge was the dreaded physical exam. As Dick sat on the hard steel chair, he wondered if endurance was part of the exam. He was guaranteed to have them afterward if he did not have hemorrhoids before the examination.

The long wait allowed Dick to reflect on the past and what may lay ahead. Not long ago, he had graduated from McKinley Tech High, located in Washington’s northeast section. Dick spent his first two years of high school at Saint John’s Academy. By the end of his sophomore year, it became clear that military school and he were not working out. Daydreaming about girls and other things were taking priority over academics. The only alternative was to transfer to McKinley Tech High School, a public school not far from his home on North Capitol Street. There he could get his education and spread his wings a little socially without the pressure St. Johns put on him.

His father, John Prentice Loveless, was an electrical project manager for O. R. Evans, Inc., an electrical supply company in the city. The electrical trade was what he thought was in his future so, Dick decided to join the local electrical apprenticeship program. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW, offered qualified applicants a chance to become journeyman electricians. It took four years to graduate from the course, like a college degree. One big difference was that interns were paid while they learned their trade in the apprenticeship program. Dick, knowing full well the value of a buck, loved the idea of making money while learning his craft. Besides, he would be following in his father’s footsteps. His dad had entered an early version of the program many years ago.

Dick as a freshman at St. Johns Acadamy

He was admitted into the program that September and the future looked excellent. There was plenty of good work on the horizon for electrical contractors. As long as the economy was recovering from the depression it had been in since the 1929 stock market crash, Dick believed he had made the right choice.

By now, time was slowly ticking by. Dick’s now aching rear end started to make him shift around in the torturous chair to aid comfort to his arduous wait. So, likewise, did his thoughts turn. He reminisced about when he and four of his buddies skipped their afternoon classes at Tech and went skating at the Ice Palace on Connecticut Avenue in northwest Washington.

Mary Lu Farrell

There Dick spotted Mary Lu Farrell skating with several of her friends. They all attended Holy Cross Academy, which was a school holiday for them. One of Dicks buddies happened to know MaryLu, and after they finished skating, they took her home. As far as Dick was concerned, no prettier girl existed.

It took two months for Dick to drum up the courage to ask Mary Lu out on a date to watch McKinley Tech play Wilson in a hotly contested basketball game. She accepted his invitation, so they considered it their first date. It did not hurt that it was Valentine’s Day, and Dick bought her a red rose to commemorate the occasion.

After their third date, Mary Lu’s father intervened. He was very protective of his one and only daughter. He insisted on knowing more about this older fellow she was now seeing. The only thing he knew of him was that he could not cut it at St. Johns. After their next date, he needed to know more, so he would politely introduce himself and try to learn more about this boy from northeast Washington. Unfortunately, Dick lost track of time. Instead of getting Mary Lu home at the designated nine o’clock deadline, it was more like ten-thirty when he dropped her off. From nine to ten-thirty, Ray Farrell, Mary Lu’s father, went from wanting to be an accepting father to a raging, fired-up Irishman ready to blow this kid off his front stoop with his golf club. Before Dick could apologize, the door slammed in his face with a "You’ve seen the last of my daughter, good night!"

"Not a good start to a relationship," Dick mused. He spent several days trying to devise a way to clear things up with Mr. Farrell, but nothing came to mind. In time though, Mary Lu calmed her father down, which gave Dick another chance. This time he would be on his best behavior, and on their next date, he arrived with flowers for Mary Lu’s mother and a box of cigars for her dad. It also did not hurt that he turned on the Loveless charm, complementing her parents for having such a lovely home and daughter. The only thing missing was a little something for his date. Dick made up for it at the end of the evening with their first kiss. They were now an item.

Mary Lu and Dick dated steadily through Dick’s graduation from Tech. Shortly after he joined the apprenticeship program, Mary Lu entered her senior year at Holy Cross Academy. Both had to adjust to Dick’s new career and Mary Lu’s rigorous study schedule. In reality, all it meant was limiting their seeing one another to weekends and assorted holidays. However, things were working out, and their relationship strengthened even more. Mary Lu made the best of her senior year, and Dick struck his mark on the apprenticeship program. The future looked promising for both as Mary Lu strived for honors at her graduation from high school, and Dick followed in his father’s footsteps, determined to become an electrician.

That damn chair was now a torture device. It did not matter what position Dick tried to put himself in; the butt cramps just got worse and worse. It was going on twenty minutes, and so far, Dick’s thoughts spanned several years. Finally, after standing and stretching for a few seconds, he established a new position in his chair. He simply sat on his hands so he could massage his butt when the need arose. It looked ridiculous, but what did he care? All the folks in the room were strangers anyway.

With no end in sight, Dick went back to his daydreaming, this time keeping his thoughts more current. Mary Lu had graduated from High School with Honors. Her hard work and excellent grades got her accepted to Dunbarton College along with her best friend, Ree. Ree Sauter and Mary Lu’s friendship dates back to their first year in grade school. They were inseparable throughout their lives and depended on one another to get through their worst problems. It was Ree that convinced Mary Lu to give Dick a second chance after their dreadful first date. After that, they often double-dated and took advantage of whatever free time they could get to have a good time.

Mary Lu was in her first year at Dunbarton College. Fortunately for Dick, the college was in northwest Washington, so Mary Lu did not have to go away for school. But, like always, Ree was right there with her. Meanwhile, Dick was in the apprenticeship program and working at National Airport. He had saved his money and bought a car, a 1932 Ford coupe. Dick bought it from a friend for $125, about $2,350 in 2021 currency accounting for inflation. Now that he had wheels to get around in, the trip to work was a snap. Also, it gave him more freedom to get around and play his favorite game, golf.

Golf seemed to be the only optimistic thing that came from Dick’s experience at St. John’s Academy. That’s where he first learned to play the game and joined the school’s golf team in his sophomore year. He took it up mainly because his dad played a round or two on weekends, and the game simply fascinated him. Little did Dick know the game would play a considerable part in his future. But, of course, it also did not hurt his relationship with Mary Lu’s father, an avid golfer and a pretty good one at that.

September 28, 1941, was Mary Lu’s nineteenth birthday, and Dick planned to spend the day with her. It was a Sunday, so he had the whole day to spoil her. Flowers and a box of her favorite Whitman’s Chocolates started things off, followed by a picnic lunch in Meridian Hill Park, prepared by Dick’s mother. They spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the park and enjoying the unusual eighty-six-degree September weather. Later that evening, Mary Lu’s mother, Myrtle, invited Dick and Ree to the house for a birthday dinner.

Dick and Mary Lu were going to pick Ree up at her home and bring her to dinner. Meanwhile, Dick had something important on his mind and struggled all afternoon to figure out how to break the news to Mary Lu that he had decided to enlist in the service. Rather than wait to be drafted, he hoped to get into the Air Corps. Dick had not told anyone of his decision. He wanted to keep working right up to when he had to report to save as much money as possible to buy a diamond ring.

As things turned out, Dick never let on about his decision to enlist that day. They picked up Ree and had a marvelous time at dinner, topped off by an elegant birthday cake decorated by Mary Lu’s mom. "It couldn’t have been a better birthday, she proclaimed later, but Dick’s mind seemed to be somewhere else, and I couldn’t figure him out."

Following work and school for Mary Lu that Tuesday evening, Dick met her for coffee and dessert. After a little small talk, he broke it to her, "I’ve decided to enlist." Her look of dismay was still etched in his mind as he waited to be admitted for his physical. Dick wondered if he had done the right thing.

"Private Richard Loveless," a voice shouted from a tall skinny fellow in a white lab coat. Dick, immersed in his reminiscing, did not notice that the guy was standing right in front of him. Once again, the tall skinny guy shouted, "Private Richard Loveless!" This time it woke him out of his funk. "Yes, here sir." With that, Dick sprung straight up out of his seat and now stood face-to-face with the man. "You hard of hearing, boy," he yelled in Dick’s face. Dick had something in mind to shout back but thought the better of it, so instead, he simply answered, "No, sir. Then get your lovesick ass in my office toot sweet, he growled. Dick felt, Could this get any worse?"

The tall skinny fellow in the white lab coat turned out to be a medical officer and a Captain to boot! Now one would think a guy like that would be proficient at his job and know the procedures necessary to move the inductees along at a steady pace. "One would think," Dick pondered. Now he knew why he had sat so long waiting for his turn to get his physical. This guy hated his job almost as much as Sargeant Bergdorf did and disliked would be cadets even more. Owen Brock was his name, and he was a captain. He thought this job of giving would be cadets their physicals was beneath him. After all, he was a captain and should be working in a hospital, not an induction center.

Captain Brock was responsible for determining whether a recruit met the Army’s minimum standards to be inducted into the branch suitable for him. The recruit had to be intelligent, his vision and hearing excellent, and speak clearly. The heart and lungs had to be sound physically, and his arms, legs, and feet well-formed, with all joints free and in perfect motion. He also had to be free from any acute and chronic diseases. Most importantly, he had to have enough healthy teeth to eat the kind of chow the Army mess served them.

All this and more were explained to Dick, then the captain asked him if he had had a bath in the last week. Lifting his arms one at a time to give a smell, he innocently asked, "I did this morning, Sir, can’t you tell? The response, Then strip!"

Dick was weighed, measured, eyes checked, and measured again before more physical tests. He was ordered to walk up and down the room several times, then hop across the room on one foot, then the other. The captain stopped him in his tracks, directed him to place his arms above his head, and just stand there while he walked around him more than a few times. Dick started to shiver. It was only 62 degrees in the room and standing there buck-naked in front of a guy made him self-conscious. "I’m not a Greek Adonis posing to be sculptured, he thought. It’s a Goddamn physical exam I’m here for. Let me put some clothes on."

After what seemed to be an eternity, the captain finally gestured to Dick’s clothes, "You’ve got one minute to dress, starting now. Despite all his belongings being across the room, Dick was dressed, and his shoes tied well short of the mark. 48 seconds, that’s a new record for getting dressed, chuckled the captain. Pretty damn good. Now get the hell out of here before I flunk your ass."

Dick was then placed back in the interview room, where he again waited, but the wait was much shorter this time. Finally, the door opened, and upon seeing who entered, a lump suddenly grew in the pit of his stomach. To his dismay, he was facing Sergeant Bergdorf again. Sitting down at the desk across from him, he never glanced Dick’s way. Spending several minutes going over some paperwork, he sat back, folded his arms, and gave a menacing grin. "Your comment about not liking muddy foxholes is a real pisser, but I’m not the one you have to sway to get into the Air Corps, Sonny. He handed Dick a large manilla envelope. You have one hour to complete this classification test. Pass it with a 75% passing grade, and you’re in. Less than that, and who knows where you’ll wind up. The clock is now ticking. Good luck, boy."

To say Dick did not see this coming would be untrue. He did expect it, but not such a comprehensive test, and to complete it in such a short time. "Holy crap, Dick thought. Nothing like putting me on the spot, he mumbled. The Sergeant put his face square in front of Dick’s and shouted, You now have 55 minutes. If you have anything else to complain about, I will deduct another 5 minutes. You read me, sonny? Risking any more repercussions from his comments, he simply saluted, put his nose in the exam, and started working.

By the time Dick completed the test, it was half past four in the afternoon. In retrospect, the test did not seem that difficult, although he had some trouble with English-related questions. Math and engineering problems were his strong suit. Nevertheless, he was reasonably confident in his performance both mentally and physically despite the ordeals he had gone through. He was tired and hungry and just wanted to go where some regular people were. Somewhere that there was not any shouting. One thing was for sure, he had his fill of people that hated their jobs.

He was sent home that evening for 21 days to await the test results and hopefully receive new instructions about reporting for duty and training. But, for the next day or two, Dick just wanted to be alone and contemplate what he had gone through and what to expect. Three weeks was not a lot of time, and before he knew it, he would be "Reporting for Duty" as an Air Corps Cadet.

Chapter 2

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

BACK IN JULY of 1941, Dick became eligible for the draft and dutifully signed up. When his friend, Fred Nichols, found out, he started ribbing him, Are you nuts? If you get drafted, they’ll put your butt wherever they want, more than likely the infantry. Enlist now, and you will be able to choose where you want to go, like the Navy or Air Corps.

Fred was right; Dick could wind up anywhere the draft board wanted to put him, and more than likely, it would be the infantry. Another benefit to enlisting in the service at that time, since the United States was not officially at war, was that it would only be for twelve months and be in the western hemisphere.

His brother Pete had joined the Air Corps a year earlier, and Dick figured it must be okay if it was good enough for him, so he enlisted. In September, orders came for him to report to the recruitment station in Richmond, Virginia. Once there, they did not give him a choice other than Infantry or Artillery. The Navy and the Air Corps were not an option for whatever reason. He thought he got cheated, but at least they gave him a choice, so he chose the Artillery.

Dick was assigned to Fort Eustis in Newport News, Virginia, for boot camp and specialized training. From there, it was likely that he’d wind up somewhere in the Pacific.

Before Dick decided to join the service, the war in Europe intensified. Efforts over the past years had yielded nothing to stop Hitler. His quest to enact revenge on the European countries for what he and his Nazi Party members believed were unjust reparations for World War 1 had gone unchecked. The Munich Agreement, signed by Germany, The United Kingdom, France, and Italy, allowed Germany to annex the Czechoslovak Sudetenland area to halt his attempt to dominate all of Europe. "I believe it is peace for our time," proclaimed England’s Neville Chamberland. In retrospect probably one of the most bogus statements ever given. Less than a year later, on September 1, 1939, Hitler’s Germany attacked Poland, which ignited another world war.

Pete (top), Dick (middle), and Jim (right) at Randolph Field, Texas

Not only was Europe now at war, but the Pacific was also becoming a hotbed. Japan was aggressively conquering territory they felt needed to fuel their pursuit to become a significant world power. Being an island nation, they had limited natural resources such as iron, rubber, and oil to expand their economy. The Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, and British-held Malaya held many of these raw materials. With the European nations that governed these regions embroiled in a war with Germany, Japan decided in July of 1941 to aggressively overtake these areas. They felt strong enough to defeat anyone, even if it meant going to war with the United States and Great Britain.

The feeling throughout the United States was that President Roosevelt could keep the country out of the war. However, after Roosevelt signed the selective service act on September 16, 1940, Dick started to wonder if it was just a matter of time before they went off to war.

If that was not enough, Italy had joined Germany and Japan in the Tripartite Pact in late 1940, and together they seemed invincible. Then, in June of 1941, the unthinkable happened. Hitler broke their non-aggression pact with Russia and began its attack on them.

With all its allies at war, isolation seemed impossible for the United States. It now appeared to be a matter of time before it was sucked into the conflict. More concerning to those in the service was how and where.

Chapter 3

PEARL LEADS TO A DIAMOND

THE DATE WAS December 7, 1941, and Dick had been home for a 21-day leave to get his affairs in order before reporting for basic training at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

It was around three in the afternoon when he returned from playing his last round of golf before the winter weather set in. He wanted to meet up with Mary Lu that afternoon and see The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. After that, they would go to dinner and call it an early evening. Upon entering the house, he found everyone in the living room huddled around the radio. "You guys listening to the Redskins game, he inquired? All he got in response was his mother flapping her hand up and down for him to sit down and shut up. Then, leaning over him, his father whispered, Japan just attacked our base in Hawaii. A place called Pearl Harbor. Stunned and feeling like he just got sucker-punched, he blurted out, Oh shit! Unbecoming of his mom, Grace snapped, Bastards! God damn bastards!"

They listened intently while more news started trickling in, and none of it sounded good. Neighbors were coming out all along North Capitol Street and other communities all over the city, spreading the news they heard over the radio or got from friends over the phone. Rumors also started to fly, from Japanese landings on Hawaiian beaches to air raids on Seattle and San Francisco.

No matter what, the news spread quickly except in one unexpected place. Some 27,000 fans had gathered at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC, to watch the Redskins play the Philadelphia Eagles in a meaningless divisional matchup. Other than many strange announcements during the game requesting various diplomats and military authorities to report to their offices, nothing was announced about the attack. It was said that with that many people gathered in one place, Redskins management was afraid the news would cause a riot. Later the next day, owner George Preston Marshal was asked about his decision not to make the announcement. His answer was, "I did not want to divert the fans’ attention from the game." The Skins came back from 14 points down to win 20 to 14, and no one gave a damn.

Dick now did not feel like going to the movies or even dinner upon hearing the news. So, he called Mary Lu to cancel that part of the date but still wanted to see her. He had something important to talk to her about, and it had to be tonight. She was okay with that, and they agreed to hook up later that evening at her house.

Before he went to Mary Lu’s, Dick had to take care of some business. First, he needed to contact a friend’s father that owned a pawnshop. Dick had put a substantial deposit down on a diamond ring, which would be financially out of reach at a jewelry store. Now that the country going to war seemed inevitable, he needed the ring now. After pleading to open his store, the owner relented. The fact that Mary Lu’s engagement ring came from a pawn shop has remained a secret to this day. Dick only told his oldest son and swore him to never to tell his mother. He was off to meet his girl with the ring now in hand.

It was not until seven-thirty in the evening when Mary Lu and Dick met up at her home on Utah Avenue. Her parents had gone out to an impromptu prayer service for the Pearl Harbor victims. There were reports of heavy casualties, and details of the attack were still unclear. It would not be until the next day before President Roosevelt asked Congress for a formal declaration of war and received it less than an hour later. Meanwhile, there was no doubt in Dick’s mind that he was going to war.

The events of the day created a drastic change in attitude for Dick. Instead of being apprehensive about enlisting, he was now angry and anxious to get in and do his part. It became a growing sentiment for many others in the same position. As for his plans to get married, they