Original U.S. WWII Operation Tidal Wave WIA Named B-24 Radio Operator Grouping

Original Items: One-for-kind set. Staff Sergeant Guy Reese Jr (name sometimes spelled Rees) ASN 15098236 was a radio operator aboard B-24 Liberator #42-40658 'Ole Sarge' which was assigned to the 9th Air Force, 376th Bombardment Group, 512th Bomb Squadron. On August, 1st, 1943 it took part in Operation Tidal Wave bombing the Ploesti oil refinery in Romania. Stf/Sgt Reese is listed in the back of the book Ploesti: The Great Ground-Air Battle of 1 August 1943 by James Dugan in the roster. He is also named in the book, Black Sunday: Ploesti! by Michael Hill on page 206. Reese was injured on the raid with a piece of shrapnel in his leg. Included in this grouping are: Reese's uniform which consists of his visor hat, tunic, shirt, tie, pants, belt. The tunic has all medal ribbons with the oak leaves on the Air Medal and Purple Heart. The wing on the tunic is a clutch back sterling aircrew wing along with a pin back 3 inch Amico sterling silver wing. It is a clean tunic no holes tears etc. But no markings to him. The visor hat is a true enlisted men’s crusher with the thin bill. His name is in the hat. There is one small hole in the top about the size of an eraser.Medals: Distinguished Flying Cross engraved with his name on the reverse and a numbered DFC in an untitled box. His Purple Heart medal, slot brooch, in the small Robbins box. No name on the medal but it is numbered and the same number is on the box. On the bottom of the box is his name and serial number. He got the Oak Leaf to the Purple Heart for the Ploesti mission.The gem of this group is that there are two original X-rays taken for his leg wound received on the raid, his medical paperwork for the mission and subsequent treatments. There are 7 copy photos one with him in a jeep, one with crew and others of his and other planes. There are photocopies of his discharge and separation papers. There is list of all the missions he flew. There is a multi page general order with all those listed in the 376 that got the DFC. He is on the second page. There are original general orders for Air Medals, and the first PH. There is a large copy photo sheet with photos of the ceremony after the raid. There is one Dog Tag, an ID bracelet with his name and Serial number. There is a sterling AAC ring. There is a box with misc buttons, patches, stripes, soap, etc. Also a leather garrison belt, R-14 headset, 2 Message books, Some newer maps, Many pieces of paperwork. Newspaper article with his photo telling of his decorations. A couple of newspapers from drew field, another couple of 1960 newspapers of the finding of the Lady be Good which was from his same BG. Finally a small audio tape made between the vet and the original owner of the group. Operation Tidal Wave was an air attack by bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) based in Libya and Southern Italy on nine oil refineries around Ploiești, Romania on 1 August 1943, during World War II. It was a strategic bombing mission and part of the "oil campaign" to deny petroleum-based fuel to the Axis powers. The mission resulted in "no curtailment of overall product output."This mission was one of the costliest for the USAAF in the European Theater, with 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen lost. It was proportionally the most costly major Allied air raid of the war,and its date was later referred to as "Black Sunday". Five Medals of Honor and 56 Distinguished Service Crosses along with numerous others awards went to Operation Tidal Wave crew members. A 1999 research report prepared for the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama concluded that the mission to Ploiești was "one of the bloodiest and most heroic missions of all time.