# Hello from Arizona....



## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 18, 2016)

My name is Freddie Cisneros I'm 69 yrs old, my father was with the 20th Army Air Force in Guam. He shared some amazing stories with me.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome aboard.

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## fubar57 (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome Freddie


Geo

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## Thorlifter (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome to the forum. I lived in Morenci, Arizona from 2012 to 2014 working at the copper mine there.

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## Wurger (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome to the site. Greetings from Poland.

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## Capt. Vick (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome my friend! We would love to hear some of those stories your dad told you.

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## vikingBerserker (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome aboard, and a big  to your father!

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## Wildcat (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome from down under!

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## michaelmaltby (Jul 18, 2016)

I agree with Cap Vick .... love to hear some stories

Welcome from Canada

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## Lucky13 (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome to the family mate!

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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 18, 2016)

My dad's name was Tony Cisneros, from Brownsville ,Texas. His father was an artist and sign painter and he was artist and sign painter.
This will be important later. After the Pearl Harbor attack, Dad volunteered for the Army like many did at the time. He was just another GI private, doing jobs that most lowly GIs do. One day a Captain with a driver, pulled up in a Jeep and asked if he was Tony Cisneros my father replied yes and the Captain said get in. My Dad though he was in trouble but did as he was told. The Army Air Force was looking for artist, illustrators, press operators, photographers anyone with graphics back ground. Out of 300 or 400 people my Dad and a few others were assigned to the Army Air Force to work directly under the command of Curtis Lemay. They would be responsible for a monthly publication called the "Bomb Rack", also they also painted signs as needed for the base in Guam, nose art, truck lettering, flight scheduling charts and so on. When dad finally got settled in in Guam, he reported directly to Lemay. Dad said, Lemay pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured them both a drink and proceeded to tell my dad what he needed him to do, and who to talk to if he needed any specialty supplies. My dad had a drink with Lemay!! Wow! More to follow.....Stand By.... .

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## Wurger (Jul 18, 2016)

Nice....


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## Gnomey (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome.


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## Crimea_River (Jul 18, 2016)

Welcome aboard. Looking forward to more stories.


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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 19, 2016)

So Dad worked at 20th Air Force headquarters for about 3 years until the end of the war. He would sketch and then paint nose art request from the crews on a small board and give it to the guys who would enlarge the design and do the actual painting. Dad and his artist friend Charlie Harris did cover art and cartoons for most of the "Bomb Rack" publications. The Bomb Rack was distributed to Air Force personnel in the Pacific. When time permitted, Dad and Charlie would make a few extra bucks painting leather jackets for the crews. Those two guys ended up in the commercial art business after the war. Dad said he was surrounded by officers at Command but the Art Department at HQ was Lemay's baby and off limits and everyone knew it. KP and guard duty, well nobody got out of those work details. I'll try and find a photo of 20th Bomber Command HQ, I know my Dad's lettering and layout style and I'm almost sure he painted it. Dad said there was scuttle butt about a new plane entering the War and it was a monster.
He said everyone on base was out to greet the B29s when they first arrived on Guam. Everyone was amazed at how
big these bombers where. When they would fly a mission it would take hours to get them all off the island. The dust covered everything. More to come.....

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## fubar57 (Jul 19, 2016)

Checked out a few Bomb Racks on eBay, saw one for $30

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## Thorlifter (Jul 19, 2016)

Do you still have his old Bomb Rack magazines? that would be something nice for you to have.

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## Capt. Vick (Jul 19, 2016)

Damn! Get stuff!


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## Wayne Little (Jul 19, 2016)

Welcome to the forum good Sir!

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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 19, 2016)

Thorlifter said:


> Do you still have his old Bomb Rack magazines? that would be something nice for you to have.


No sorry...


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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 19, 2016)

fubar57 said:


> Checked out a few Bomb Racks on eBay, saw one for $30


FUBAR57,




So I checked it out. It's a "Bomb Rack" and my Dad's picture is in it!!!! I had to buy it, I didn't care how much they wanted for it.
Here's his picture from the item description on Ebay. He's on the left and that's his illustration in the middle......Thanks

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## Capt. Vick (Jul 19, 2016)

Cool!

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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 20, 2016)

My wife and I are on vacation I will continue in about 10 days.


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## fubar57 (Jul 20, 2016)

Happy trails Freddie


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## Freddie Cisneros (Jul 31, 2016)

So I'm back from vacation.
Dad worked at HQ and was privy to a lot of intel and scuttle butt. He and a Captain were talking about the end of the war. The Captain looked around to make sure no one was looking and circled August 6th on Dads calendar, then he walked away not saying another word.. It turned out to be the date of the Atomic Bomb drop on Hiroshima. Dad told me that Lemay was not invited to the signing of the Instrument of Surrender on the USS Missouri. Dad said he was so pissed he got every plane he could into the air and buzzed the Missouri. Dad was in one of those planes. Afterwards the US occupied Japan and Dad was there for a few months, bunked in Japanese Naval barracks and still putting out the "Bomb Rack". The picture in a previous post shows Dad in occupied Japan living it up a little. Everything I'm telling you about my Dad's service is how he described it to me. Thanks to all who served!


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