# Pictures ...of a friend's relative.



## plan_D (Oct 7, 2005)

I think it's her uncle ...It's a girl I know in Seattle and her uncle (or whoever he is) served in the USAAF/USAF post-war in the occupation of Japan. I keep pressuring her to find out more about the military history of her family. Unfortunately her dad died recently and the only other person in the know is her senlie grandmother! But I have got a picture of her grandmother's first husband in World War II. Aha ...anyway, enough of this. His name was Benny Podowski - and it's in Japan ...and that's all I know. 

Anything...by some miracle...that anyone works out from the pictures. Tell me! And not you NS ...you'll come out with some Canadian joke and...we'll have to kill you. Oh ...she said I can share 'em ...or she wasn't really bothered...the bloke in the first picture is her uncle...great-uncle...someone ...and..he's in most of the pictures! Look in the background of the first picture...what aircraft are they!?


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## Nonskimmer (Oct 7, 2005)

Hey man, I'd never diss a person's relative who served in the Air Force. 
And what's wrong with my Canadianism?


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## Gnomey (Oct 7, 2005)

Nice pics pD!


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## evangilder (Oct 7, 2005)

Neat stuff, d. I can't be sure, but I am wondering if those planes might be captured Japanese aircraft. There is a brief history of Misawa at:
http://www.misawajapan.com/aboutmisawa/then-now.htm


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## cheddar cheese (Oct 7, 2005)

Interesting pictures! Ive no idea what those planes are, at first glimpse they looked like Meteor's, then 262's, but obviously they're not. Im having trouble relating them to Japanese aircraft, they look like they have tricycle undercarriage and I cant think of any Jap planes with that configuration.


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## Nonskimmer (Oct 7, 2005)

Good link, evan. Interesting little history there.


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## FLYBOYJ (Oct 7, 2005)

When in there one night when I was in the reserves. It was cold!


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## JCS (Oct 7, 2005)

Those planes kinda look like F-80s from that angle but I'm not sure, something with the nose and cockpit doesnt look the same...


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## cheddar cheese (Oct 7, 2005)

I think you're right with the F-80's. The quality isnt amazing so details wouldnt be perfect. One thing that sprang to my mind earlier was the XP-83:


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## evangilder (Oct 7, 2005)

They did have F-80s and F-84s there in the 1950s.


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## FLYBOYJ (Oct 7, 2005)

No - the guy in the Photo is an AM1C - He's wearing a USAF Uniform so it has to be after 1952

See Below....

DECEMBER--1952
The - proposed-new-chevrons for the three lower ----
airman grades are approved by General Vandenberg . However, the
procurement action is deferred until existing stocks of the current
chevrons are depleted . This is not expected to occur until June
1955 . 11

22 SEPTEMBER 1954
On this day the new Chief of Staff, General
Nathan F . Twining, approves a new distinctive insignia for First
Sergeants . It consists of a traditional diamond sewn in the "V"
above the grade chevron . Recommendations for adoption of this
distinctive insignia were advanced by two commands : Strategic Air
Command (SAC) and Air Training Command (ATC) . The suggestion from
ATC was included in an appendix buried in a February 1954 ATC
Personnel Planning Project, while the SAC NCO Academy, March AFB,
CA, proposed the design on 30 April 1954 to the Air Council .

21 SEPTEMBER 1955
The availability of the distinctive First
Sergeant insignia is announced . 13
In 1952 General Vandenberg approved a new
chevron for Airman, First, Second and Third Classes . The purpose
of this change was to increase the prestige of the Staff, Technical
and Master Sergeant chevrons . The stripes were to change from the
angled design to horizontal . However, due to the supply of
chevrons on hand, action was delayed until supply had been deleted,
which happened in early 1956 . The decision to change the design
was resubmitted to General Twining on 12 March 1956 . The Chief
replied in a short informal memo stating "No change to be made in
insignia ."

12 MARCH 1956
JANUARY - JUNE 1958 The Military Pay Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-
422), authorized the additional grade of E-8 and E-9 . No
promotions to the new grades were made during Fiscal Year 1958
(July 1957 through June 1958) . However, 2,000 individuals were
expected to be promoted to the grade of E-8 during Fiscal Year
1959 . On the other hand, in accordance with Department of Defense
instructions, no promotions to grade E-9 were to be made in Fiscal
Year 1959 . During May and June 1958, almost 45,000 Master
Sergeants from all commands were tested with the Supervisory
Examination as a first step in the final selection of 2,000 for
eventual promotion to E-8


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## evangilder (Oct 7, 2005)

I knew the AF became a separate entity in 1947, I just wasn't sure when the new uniforms came out. So it is at least the 50s, so it could well be the F-80


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## plan_D (Oct 8, 2005)

That's great. She'll be glad to know I at least found something out about the pictures. Here's a picture of her grandmothers first husband, I don't know his name but it's somewhere in France 1944 or 1945. And I think she said it was september because she made it out on the back of the photo but most of the information was destroy because someone thought it'd be bright to glue the thing and it's rubbed off the writing!


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## FLYBOYJ (Oct 8, 2005)

JCS said:


> Those planes kinda look like F-80s from that angle but I'm not sure, something with the nose and cockpit doesnt look the same...



Those are F-84s!!!


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## evangilder (Oct 8, 2005)

That's a really cool shot, d. It really captures a moment in time.


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## plan_D (Oct 8, 2005)

Isn't that what all pictures do, Eric?


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## evangilder (Oct 8, 2005)

Yes, but that one almost tells a story. I am an amateur photographer, so I see lots of photos. For some reason, that one really caught my attention.


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## plan_D (Oct 8, 2005)

I know, I know. I was ...how do I put this without someone turning it into something gay ...oh wait, I can't. So yeah...

Anywho...it would tell a story if my friends grandma wasn't senile. And if one of her sisters didn't glue the fuckin' picture destroying the writing on the back.


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## evangilder (Oct 8, 2005)

If your gonna glue it in an album, at least label the picture underneath the picture with what was on the back. Sheesh, the way some people do it, you wouldf think that future generations would all have ESP to figure out the detail!


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## plan_D (Oct 9, 2005)

Her family is dumb though. It seems she got ALL the intelligence genes in that family.


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## evangilder (Oct 9, 2005)

Bogarting the good genes, eh?!


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## plan_D (Oct 9, 2005)

Well ...just in case she comes on here ...I'll say ...yes.


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## evangilder (Oct 9, 2005)

hehe The safe play.


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## plan_D (Oct 20, 2005)

Alright, I know this thread was dead. But I've gathered some other information ...that I don't know if it's correct but from the help you all gave me and my own research I've gathered this;

USAF AM1C Benny Podowski - 1953d Airborne Air Control Squadron (AACS). It's in 1953 but before November 1953 (when F-100s were introduced at Misawa) so, it's 6016 Air Base Wing as host of Misawa AB (where it is). Those planes in the background are F-84s. And he's an air traffic controller!

And that large plane is Japanese civil DC-4.


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