Frank Pehrson reflects on his time with the 57th Bomber Wing, American Legion and more

"The Greatest Generation" is a term most of us are familiar with and multiple internet searches on a accurate description of this group follows this general consensus, "The Greatest Generation is a term used to describe those who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in World War II, or whose labor helped win it. The term "the Greatest Generation" was coined by onetime NBC Nightly News anchor and author Tom Brokaw in his book by the same name."

There are several residents living in Blaine county who are part of this amazing generation and one of them is Chinook's very own Frank Pehrson.

Frank undoubtedly did his part in making the 'Greatest Generation' GREAT.

Frank was working for Bowen and McLaughlin Construction Company in Glasgow in 1941. He was part of a crew building the historic Fort Peck Damn. In the spring he was transfered to South Carolina to work on a power manufacturing plant and ammunition facility.

On Christmas day of 1941 he went to work in Washington D.C. to help with construction of a new national military headquarters, more commonly known as the Pentagon.

Frank, in just one year had a part in two huge projects in United States history, the construction of the largest man made reservoir in the world as well as the greatest military command center.

While working on the Pentagon in 1942 Frank was drafted into the United States Army Air Corp. The United States Air Force wasn't officially formed until September 18, 1947.

He returned to Montana to enlist in Glasgow. While there he met his future wife Jane who was working as a secretary at the War Department in Glasgow. Upon enlisting Frank immediately headed to Texas for Basic Training.

After Basic, Frank went to Florida for Gunnery School and quickly rose through the ranks from Buck Sergent to Staff Sergent.

In the spring of 1943, Frank was transferred to South Carolina where he was introduced to the B-25 Bomber for the first time. From there he headed back to Miami Beach, Florida where the planes he was working with were to be modified for overseas use.

Frank's unit then deployed to South America for two weeks of training before heading to India. Eventually as part of an unassigned crew of 50, Frank made his way up the coast of North Africa, through Corsica and onto Sicily where they were assigned their first planes as part of the 340th Bomb Group, 57th Bomber Wing, 489th Bomb Squad.

Frank was a Top Turret Gunner and was also responsible for the planes maintenance, ensuring it was fueled and functional, while also ensuring the bomb loads were handled properly.

Under normal conditions there would be 20 planes assigned to a crew their size but the unit took parts from what they could and managed three planes fit to fly. After some time they were relocated and given new planes.

Frank was assigned to a permanent Bomb Squad that made their way north through Italy with the intent of stopping the Germans from retreating back to Germany. In the winter of 1943, while in Northern Italy, Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly destroying their entire encampment.

Reassigned again in April of 1944 Frank began flying bombing missions and continued until September of 1944.

The 57th Bomb Wing Association has a website documenting the history of this amazing unit. Go to 57thbombwing.com to learn more. The website details the units mission during World War II as such:

In the course of its 898 combat missions the 340th group attacked targets in Tunisia, Pantelleria, Lampedusa, Sicily, Italy, Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, Greece, southern France and Austria. Some of its most effective operations, however, were in themselves campaigns - notably the 'Operation Strangle'; the softening-up of southern France before August 15th "D" day; the Battle of the Brenner", and the final blitz in the Po Valley beginning April 8.

Operation Strangle, lasting from late January, 1944, to the end of May, 1944, was a throttling of German communications in central and north Italy, forcing the Germans to abandon Rome and retreat northwards through Italy. In this operation the 340th bombed repeatedly road and rail bridges, viaducts and tunnels, and created road blocks. At the same time it was giving much-needed help to the Anzio beachhead troops.

The group's operations in the Battle of the Brenner railway was almost identically the same sort of campaign, this time the object being to pinch off supplies from the Germans in their then near-impregnable Gothic line. Besides chopping up this fanatically defended railroad artery from the Reich to the Po valley, the campaign served to lock the enemy up in Italy where in April, 1945, he was forced to surrender or die.

All told, Frank flew on 61 missions flying nearly every day at times and even earned two flying awards in one day.

Soon after his last mission, Frank traveled to Rome, Italy for a week. Italy for the most part had been liberated by Allied forces.

He then headed back to Naples, Italy where he began his trip back home. The 11 day trip by boat had him back in Virginia where he was given 15 days of leave to return to Montana.

Soon he was back in South Carolina training for an unknown mission and he stated they were treated very well, "The officers were great, they treated us all very well, food was good. We were there until the spring of 1945. We just knew we were training for something, but they never told us," said Frank.

Soon the war ended and Frank had heard they were training for bombing missions on the B2 Bomber. They were then given the choice to leave the military immediately or continue with their service. Frank chose to continue serving.

Frank's unit then began dismantling the aircraft that was deemed inoperable after the war for scrap metal to be sold for scrap. When his time was up he headed to Salt Lake City, Utah where he was mustered out.

Frank and Jane had maintained communication since their first meeting in Glasgow back in '42 and were soon joined again.

Jane was working in San Francisco as a driver for a Ordinance Depot and Frank took a job as a heavy equipment operator for the same company. The couple the returned to Montana briefly before driving to Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day in 1945 to get married.

Back in San Francisco, Frank soon learned that his father had fallen ill and he needed to get back home if he wanted to see him one last time. Frank embarked on a trip that saw many delays and obstacles extend the trip back to Havre to four days. Frank got off the train and walked the mile and a half up the hill to Northern Montana Hospital only to find out his Dad had passed the day before.

Looking to secure his remains, Frank walked back downtown and after stopping by his third funeral home he finally found them. Frank had been instructed by his father to have him buried next to his mom and dad in Minnesota and Frank completed that task.

Frank's dad had opened up a single room service station in Chinook and he was soon asked by many locals who was going to pay off his bills and it was then that Frank decided to make Chinook his permanent home.

Frank and Jane along with their oldest son John, Frankie and adopted daughter Elly moved to Chinook and in 1951 built a new building for the service station to ensure its continued service to the community.

Frank quickly became active in the American Legion after joining the local post in 1947. He was named Adjutant his first year as a member and became Commander in 1948.

In 1949 the District Convention was held in Big Sandy and after initially being named District Commander he was sworn in as Assistant District Commander. In 1950 he became Commander of the District.

Frank and Jane became heavily involved in the American Legion and the couple attended their first National Convention in Washington D.C. in 1954 where he met senior officials of the United States and was the Flag Bearer for the Montana Delegation. Frank and Jane served as the Montana delegation to the National Convention for years to come.

As time went by, reunion committees started forming looking to recognize the service of his group in Italy that helped win World War II for the Allied Forces. There were a number of reunions through the years and Frank last attended one roughly ten years ago.

Recently the 57th Bomb Wing Association Reunion Committee contacted Frank about attending the 2019 reunion in Seattle. Only four remain that served in the campaign and they were intent on making sure Frank was there. The organizers consist of second and third generation children of those who served.

Dianne Ambrosino had met Frank and Jane at past reunions and called to make sure Frank would be there. After learning that Frank Jr. had obligations and wouldn't be able to get his Dad to Seattle she offered to change her flight from the east coast to allow her and her grandson Christopher to stop in Havre and travel with Frank by Amtrak to Seattle.

Frank absolutely loved the reunion, said it made him feel like 'old home week' and that everyone treated them with great respect.

One last note, not only did Frank work on the construction of Fort Peck and the Pentagon but the recent Netflix show 'Catch 22', directed by George Clooney is based on the 57th Bomb Wing and Frank has first hand knowledge of some of the events described in its storyline.