Ken Loyd's Eclectic Blog: Marvin Loyd's World War II Account

This blog post is intended as both a tribute and a chronicle.

The tribute is for my father, Marvin Ellis Loyd and the chronicle

is his account of World War II as he experienced it.

What I share on this blog is around 75 pictures, maps, and other

graphics that depict certain aspects of Daddy's journey. This is

in support of a recorded oral account that I made of Daddy when

he was in his 90's. He had told his World War II story to local

school groups in Atlanta and to print and television journalists.

He was something of a celebrity, with a straightforward style

and an incredible memory for the little details that make his

story uniquely his. In five segments of about 15 minutes each,

I recorded the same story in Daddy's living room. He spoke

without notes and brought his journey very much to life for me.

Because Google's Blogger limits the length of videos, I am

posting the five videos on my Facebook page. I hope you will

be able to go there and search on my page (Ken Loyd) for

"Marvin Loyd's World War II Account".

I am not attempting to retell his story here, but the documents

and photos that follow will enhance his tale. If you don't ever

have time to listen to his oral account, I hope you will still

appreciate what you see here. It's the story of an ordinary man,

called to do extraordinary things, in a time of unparalleled peril

to our democracy and our world. Tens of thousands of men and

women have their own accounts of those times, and each one

is unique. I hope you enjoy what I share.

Daddy relates how his two younger brothers were drafted before

him in the year following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Daddy

was exempt for several months because of his role in helping his

father run the family dairy, Sunrise Dairy Farm. But as the need

for men became more critical, Daddy learned he would soon be

drafted. He proactively checked his options and learned that the

Army Air Corps needed five hundred men immediately. He signed up

and was inducted on July14, 1942, just 8 months after Pearl Harbor.

Daddy was a dashing man in uniform. But he didn't
get to dress like this when he was on the job, as you'll see.

Daddy was not in this picture because these are the
pilots of the 365th Fighter Squadron, of the 358th
Fighter Group. Daddy was first a crew chief, then
promoted to flight chief.

These are the names of the pilots, many of whom
Daddy knew, and many of whom survived combat.
The pilot whose plane Daddy was totally responsible
for was Major Robert Fishel, who survived countless
combat missions.

These clippings show the local paper write-ups
about the three Loyd brothers who were all called to duty.

I am so thankful that Marvin, Raymond, and Herman
were all survivors of the terrible conflict.

Training in the states went on for several months. I

believe Daddy's favorite station was Goldsboro, N.C.

Here he's second from the right.

Note the Coca-Cola sign advocates buying

war bonds.

While in Goldsboro, Daddy and friends had a chance to

attend a football game in Chapel Hill.

UNC defeated Duquesne that day 13-6. Thanks to the internet I

now know it was Saturday, October 17, 1942. Little did Daddy

know that he was 30 years ahead of me. As a UNC student

from 1972-75, I was in Kenan stadium for every home game

for four years.

This is Daddy hamming it up with his
pal Ralph Mackey while in Goldsboro.

Nobody was likely to get hurt with these toy
guns used for training. Real guns were needed overseas.

Daddy on the steps of his barracks.

Daddy made a very fine soldier. He cared
about things being done right.

This is not overseas. The back of his photo explained
that he was on maneuvers near Washington, D.C.

Even airplane flight crews had to be prepared
for the unexpected once they were near the
front. A well known story in the 358th was how
three officers were captured as prisoners of war
when they casually took a jeep into a small town
for some local ale. Unfortunately, someone must
not have told the German troops that they had
evacuated the town. Not yet, they hadn't. At least
one of those officers attended the 2007 reunion, and
smilingly took some good-natured ribbing.

When it was time for the overseas voyage, the entire
358th was on the U.S.S. Monterey.

I'm not sure when Daddy took these pictures, but
possibly as they approached the British Isles.

Daddy with some of his flight's crew.
Daddy is on the middle row, 3rd from the left.

There was a lot that could go wrong. The job of
Daddy and the other ground crew was to make sure
EVERYTHING went right.

Daddy (right) with two crewmen.
The P-47 Thunderbolt here is one of the early models,
identified by the sliding cockpit. Later, improved models had
a bubble canopy, giving the pilot greater peripheral vision.

Daddy was promoted to Tech Sergeant.
This was his work outfit. Lots of pockets needed.

Daddy obviously took great pride in caring for
his "baby." It was of life-and-death importance.

The P-47 Thunderbolt, sometimes called
"The Flying Jug", was a massive fighter bomber.
With a 16 piston air-cooled engine, it was almost
impossible to shoot down. It could take extensive
damage, be repaired, and mission-ready again
incredibly fast.

Daddy was 28 and still single. That is
pretty unbelievable, but he hadn't met Mama yet!

Gassing up for a bombing run.

It may have been war-time, but I've never known
a time when Daddy couldn't find something to smile
about.

When I was very young, Daddy showed me this picture
of himself in his Orange Tails book. Scraping snow off every
morning was just as important as the mechanical work.

Following D-Day on June 6, 1944, Daddy crossed the

English Channel into France. For the remainder of the

war, his group would follow the relentless pursuit of the

German army as they were forced back toward their

homeland and ultimate surrender. The Christmas card

shown below would have been sent about the time of

the famed Battle of the Bulge. It was a perilous time

when weather made air support impossible, as Hitler

made a desperate, last-ditch effort to repel the allies.

But the weather cleared, planes took to the skies, and

American troops prevailed. It was a happy Christmas

after all.

The "Orange Tail" was the distinctive marking of all
planes in the 358th Fighter Group. Other markings,
white "zebra stripes" on the wings and fuselage, would
be painted just before D-Day for identification in
heavy air combat.

I feel very fortunate that Daddy's group compiled
this book, a written account of their group's war years.

The "Thunderbolt" was an apt image to represent
the 365th Squadron.

This was the 366th's emblem.

The emblem of the 367th.

Below is a tag from a pin to be removed from a bomb

prior to it being dropped. Here's a message written on

the back: "A little souvenir off of a little present sent

to Hitler."

Daddy wrote on the back of this:
"Don't get excited. This is only a practice one."
There's no telling how many photos he mailed home,
but he took hundreds of pictures.

The title page to the "Orange Tails" book.

The following maps show the progress of the 358th

following D-Day and their deployment into France.

Daddy details their passage through French towns

large and small. He often spoke of places like Le Havre,

Cretteville, Mont St. Michel, Le Mans, Vitre, Toul, and Nancy.

This map shows where Daddy's group came
from High Halden, England, departing at Southampton,
arriving at Cretteville, across the English Channel.

Daddy's specialist training had taken him from Miami, Florida to
Richmond, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Goldsboro before
he and the 358th shipped out for England on the U.S.S. Monterey.

As the text explains, this shows the range of
bombing missions the 358th sortied in support
of the ground invasion and pursuit. The dotted
line labeled "Holding Line" is better known as
"The Battle of the Bulge."

Even in war, there was time to kill. Some creative wit
came up with alternate lyrics for the popular song of the
day, "Thanks for the Memories." The reference to ME 109's
was the German Messerschmidt fighter plane. The mighty
Thunderbolt was more than its match and prevailed.
The attitude shown in the song is characteristic of the
American saying: "It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it."

The amount of armaments required for even a single
bombing mission is mind-boggling. All part of the cost
of a horrific war. But a war that had to be fought.

Daddy is not in this picture, but Colonel Tipton, in
the center, was Daddy's highly respected colonel.
The colonel attended several of the Orange Tail reunions
in the 90's and 2000's. His widow continued to attend
after his death and was held in high regard by the vets.

A sample of the destruction required to dislodge the
German infantry from their positions as they were
gradually pushed across France.

More rubble of war. But the costliest losses were the
lives of many brave soldiers.

Without war-time humor, days would have been even
drearier. Each soldier did his best to lift his comrades' spirits.

The inner workings of a P-47 Thunderbolt's
powerful motor. No wonder Daddy was so good at
fixing our lawn mowers! (He's not in this picture)

A classic picture of P-47's painted and ready for D-Day.

"I know I dropped those cigarettes somewhere.
Hold that take-off!"

Some bridges were destroyed by the allies to slow the German
retreat. Others were blown up by the Nazis to slow allied pursuit.
The wide rivers of France could work for you or against you.

There were no shortcuts for some of the never-ending
tasks. Even loading of bombs was no simple job.

Note the bubble canopy on this P-47.

It's one of the most famous P-47s: "Tar Heel Hal."
I have a model of this plane.

Victory in Europe Day finally arrived on May 8, 1945.
Daddy would turn 31 just a week later. What a celebration
there must have been. His unit was at Mannheim, Germany,
but would soon be headed back to England via Paris,
and then home to the good old U.S.A.

Like any tourist, Daddy wanted a souvenir photo
of the Eiffel Tower. He wasn't planning a return trip!

Here he captures the beautiful surrounding
gardens near the famed tower.

Here's Daddy's description of his visit to the famed
Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph).

This is his sight-seeing group. No weapons required now.

The impressive statistics of the 358th Fighter Group.

This page of the groups roster has Daddy's name.
It also has his right-hand man, Lubbertus H. Lok.
Daddy and Bert were friends for 70 years (1942 till Daddy's
death in 2012. Bert was ten years younger and
died just a couple of years ago) and made
it to every Orange Tails reunion, including the last
one in 2007.

A battle trophy from the infantry to the 358th.
Foot soldiers were deeply appreciative of how the support of
the Orange Tails saved countless lives on the front lines.
Note the suggestion to use the Nazi banner for engine rags.

Colonel Tipton expresses the appreciation for all
the non-pilots whose jobs were just as crucial to the
overall mission. At the reunions, I saw the same
mutual admiration and gratefulness among pilots
and crews, officers and enlisted men.

This book is a treasure of memories for me. It includes
many photos of family groups who attended, spanning
three generations.

Daddy is standing, 2nd from the right. This final reunion
took place at the Tennessee Aviation Museum in Sevierville,
Tennessee. More about that later.

The group picture of veterans and families is a
treasured photo. P-47s Hun Hunter and Wacky
Wabbit are a fitting background.

The 358th Fighter Group and its three squadrons
were all under the umbrella of the U.S. Ninth Air Force.

Daddy (R) and Bert Lok (L). Part of a Band of Brothers.
Daddy was 93, Bert 83 at this time.

Daddy wrote on the back:
"Lok and I on his plane."

Daddy wrote on back:
"Lok and myself. Note cartridge belt and helmet.
That was some time ago."

Just like old times. Well, a FEW things had changed.

The men of the 358th were adopted by two "young"
pilots. Neal Melton and John Shaffner owned their
own restored vintage P-47s and attended several reunions,
where they did fly-over exhibitions and gave all attendees
access to their venerable planes. For the veterans, it was
like Christmas morning. Bert had actually arrived a few
days early and had spent time mentoring some young
mechanics on the fine points of handling the Thunderbolt.

Daddy with Neal Melton's Hun Hunter (actual WW II name)

Daddy and Neal spent many happy hours together
over a period of years. Neal founded the Tennessee
Aviation Museum, where his plane is still housed,
along with many other vintage aircraft. He does daily
flyovers, and I highly recommend that you visit this
venue when in the Pigeon Forge or Sevierville area.
Tennessee Aviation Museum website

Left to right: Me, Daddy, and my brother Ellis "Buddy" Loyd.
Buddy also served in the Air Force in the early 70's. I was
in Air Force ROTC, but when Viet Nam ended, my services
were not needed and I began my teaching career in 1975.

Unknown to me, Bert Lok had arranged for Neal Melton to
take me up for a flight over the Pigeon Forge- Sevierville
area as "payment" for me providing keyboard entertainment
for the afternoon luncheon. It was a treat I'll never forget.
Here I'm getting used to the co-pilot's seat.

It was a privilege for me to play some vintage World
War II era tunes during the luncheon at the museum's hangar.

Daddy with English friend Graham Hukins. Graham
spent several years researching his book "Thunderbolts
Over High Halden." He made trips to the U.S. to interview
Daddy and other members of the 358th to add depth to
his background. Graham grew up in High Halden, where
the feats of the P-47s are still legendary. It was an honor
to have him attend this final reunion of the 358th.

Buddy, Daddy, and me.

At our evening banquet.
Left to right: Judy and Ken Loyd, Caryn Loyd Cole
(my sister), Daddy, Mama, Buddy (Ellis) my brother.

Daddy and his "Baby," 60 years later.

Daddy was presented with one more accolade
for his meritorious service.

It looks like he's ready to crack one more joke.

Before I retired from teaching, I established a

"Patriot's Corner" in my classroom, and shared some

memorabilia from Daddy's WW II experience. When

I retired, I set up something similar on top of a bookshelf

at home. Here's Tar Heel Hal.

A collage of Daddy. The helmet on the rifle is at
the National D-Day monument in Bedford, Virginia.

Historic flags of the Land of the Free and the
Home of the Brave.

Some P-47's I've collected. The Thunderbolt has
become recognized as one of the most under-rated
heroes of the European war effort. As a versatile
fighter-bomber, it was equipped for any combat role.

This is a display I set up to record Daddy's story for
Facebook. Now I have a digital audio recording as
well as my older cassette tapes.

I changed the background between installments.

I hope many of you will take time to visit my Facebook
page and search something like:
Ken Loyd-- Marvin Loyd's World War II Account
Parts 1,2,3,4, and 5.
I plan to post a part each day from May 10 through 14,
with the 14th being Daddy's birthday.

Amanda's husband Stephen Talbert,
now a Chief Master Sergeant in the Air Force,
created this amazing shadow box for Daddy
more than 10 years ago. The flag flew over the
U.S. Capitol and the medals were awarded for
Daddy's service in various combat theaters.

President Obama's note of recognition
from the White House.

Daddy's World War II journey took him from Atlanta
to Miami, from Richmond to New York to Goldsboro.
From High Halden, England to the villages of France. His
trip home would begin when his group stopped at
Mannheim, Germany. It was a journey Daddy would
never forget, and has impacted the lives of his children
and grandchildren as part of his life story.

Daddy may not have been a pilot, but this was
his "Baby." The flight crew's motto was always
"Keep 'em flyin.'" They knew how critical their
job was, and they did it.