# This Day In History: December 20th, 1944



## Mad Scientist (Dec 20, 2011)

On this day 67 years ago my Grandfather, 1st Lt. Donald Bone and his crew went down while on a mission to Skoda Works, Pilsen Germany. This is the plane he flew that day.

He's in the middle of the back row.







The crew lost control of the #4 engine when the prop governor stopped working. They turned back to base but were unable to maintain altitude with only three engines and had to bail out.

The Co-Pilot, Lt. Batham was captured by a Nazi patrol and I have the actual translated report of that. It basically reads like this; "American Flyer, captured near the town of (something). Refuses to say anything but his serial number". That always chokes me up when I read that. He spent the rest of the war in a Nazi prison camp. The rest of the crew made it back to their base in Italy 8 days later with the help of people, mostly farmers, on the ground in the occupied territories. All ten crew members surviving a bailout of any bomber was a very rare occurrence during the war.

My Grandfather flew B-24's for the 304th Bomb Wing, 455th Bomb Group, 741st Squadron "Vulgar Vultures" out of San Giovanni Italy from August of 1944 to February of 1945. He flew 38 missions in total and was awarded the Air Medal 4 times and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

I contacted the tail gunner on that mission about a year ago, he said I was the only person to contact him about that mission in the last 66 years! He said that was only his second mission and was his 19th birthday! Amazingly, he said he never had to fire a single shot from his tail gunner position on any mission! He stayed in the service and retired from the A.F. in 1966 as a MSgt.

This is the B-24 my Grandfather trained in while stateside. That's my Grandmother immortalized on the side in all her natural glory. She was really angry when she found out about this but as her grand children say when they see this; "Wow! Grandma was hot!". 






"Miss-I-Hope" was assigned to a different Squadron than my Grandfather was and interestingly, made it all the was through the war in one piece only to be ferried back to the states and scrapped in Arizona. 

My Grandmother died in 1984 and is buried in California, my Grandfather passed way in 1987 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.


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## Swagger (Dec 20, 2011)

Thanks for sharing that with us, MS.

My grandfather was an airman, too. He flew a de Havilland Mosquito. I think I've already recounted one or two of the stories he told us. Interestingly, I saw an old interview from the '70s of an Australian cricketer. During the interview they asked him what the most stressful event of his sporting career was. He looked at the interviewer (Michael Parkinson, I think) very seriously and said something along the lines of: 'Stressful? There's nothing stressful about playing cricket. There is, however, an acute sense of stress that comes with having a Messerschmitt stuck to your arse.' The interviewer joined in the audience's laugther, but from the look on the cricketer/ex-fighter pilot's face, he hadn't been joking.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 25, 2011)

The Mosquito is one of my favorite British planes from WWII, next to the later model Spitfires with the 5 bladed Rotol propellers. I think the "Mossie" looks the coolest with Invasion Stripes. I was really a surprised when I found out they were made of wood!:






*Thank You to the Mod who removed the offending post!


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## Baruch Menachem (Dec 25, 2011)

Kind of hard to think of one's grandma as concentrated hotness.

Thanks for the really cool posting


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## jozeP (Jan 10, 2012)

Dear Ron Paul!

Greetings from Slovenia and Europe. My name is Joze Povsic.

20th December 1944, from 67 years ago, your grandfather Donald Bone and his crew flew the B-24 Liberator on a mission from Cerignola Italy into Hitler's Germany that bombed Skoda Works in Pilsen city.

  For you I have one very interesting piece of news. For more than 20 years looking for data and information about the bomber crash. I have almost all the information about the overthrow of the bomber B-24 Liberator, with the title "Rosalie Mae" which is on Wednesday 20th December 1944 crash in Slovenia, near the village of my birth. The crew jumped with parachutes from a height of 5000 meters. Bomber crashed in the wine houses, which were surrounded by vineyards. Bomber has crashed in an accident. I have parts of the bomber: engine parts, weapons parts and aluminum parts of the body.

Please contact us at my e-mail: joze.povsic @ amis.net

I expect your answer and your nice welcome!

Joze Povsic, Slovenia, Europe


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## FuelRod (Jan 10, 2012)

They never paint ugly chicks on planes.


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## Mad Scientist (Jan 10, 2012)

jozeP said:


> Dear Ron Paul!
> 
> Greetings from Slovenia and Europe. My name is Joze Povsic.
> 
> ...


Wow I can't believe this! I'll contact this guy immediately and if legit (and it looks like it) I'll post all the info!

Amazing!


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## Baruch Menachem (Jan 10, 2012)

That would be so cool if real.    Keep us posted


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## Mad Scientist (Jan 12, 2012)

I e-mailed back and forth a few times with Mr. Povzic and he sent me some pictures I'd never thought I'd see.

The actual crash site in Slovenia:






Mr. Jozef Povzic, who saw the bomber crash. He said all four engines were "howling" as the bomber reached terminal velocity:






Mrs. Marija Kocjan who saw the bomber burning on the ground and remembers seeing the crew! All of whom had bailed out safely but as the Tail Gunner, Sgt Boyd told me about a year ago: "Your Grandfather twisted his ankle on landing so we had to carry him back on a hay cart". A Nazi Patrol was just 2 kilometers away and as the crew made their escape the co-pilot, Lt. Batham, was captured.


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## Crackerjack (Jan 12, 2012)

Very cool.  I wonder what the odds of you two making contact were?

Did you end up with any of your grandfather's stuff from the war?  I'm asking because I obtained almost everything from one of my grandfathers and I can't figure out what to do with it.


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## Mad Scientist (Jan 12, 2012)

Crackerjack said:


> Very cool.  I wonder what the odds of you two making contact were?
> 
> Did you end up with any of your grandfather's stuff from the war?  I'm asking because I obtained almost everything from one of my grandfathers and I can't figure out what to do with it.


You wanna' know what to do with it? Research your grandfathers Unit he was assigned to and what he did, you may be surprised (and amazed) as to what you might find.

I have a pair of his Capt's bars and re-orders of all his medals he won. In the summer of 1979 (I was 15) I stayed with him and Great Grandma for 2 weeks at his little house in Kittaning Pa. We went fishing in the boat he had. I flew with him when he got his Pilot's License renewed in a Piper Cherokee. I also saw the actual log book of all the missions he flew, I remember thumbing through it. He had Instrument time in B-25's so told me a story about how he took a smoke break while he was flying with the "vision limiting hood on". We went to a field nearby where I flew the R/C model I had brought with me. He was a hunter so he showed me his gun collection and how to reload ammo. My wife says I should write a book about it but I'm afraid it would end up being too much like Henry Fonda and Doug McKeon in "On Golden Pond". Which, It kinda' was in a few ways I guess.

I think back on that and I wish I'd have asked him more questions, about everything. But I was a 15 year old and painfully shy kid meeting with a very large and intimidating grumpy old guy for the first time! But after after all these years, and having served in the Military myself (but not in Wartime) I realize he was just your average Veteran. No nonsense, direct and blunt!


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## Mad Scientist (Jan 12, 2012)

Mr. Povzic who very kindly and enthusiastically sent me all these pictures:


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## Mad Scientist (Jan 12, 2012)

A cylinder head and valves from the engine, A three-blade propeller hub and prop governor that controlled the pitch of the blades. I _think_ those ring pieces are from wheel assemblies. And there's a couple of .50 Cal rounds there too:






A piece of the outer skin of the plane. The yellowish-tan portion is the primer that is sprayed on all the aluminum parts by the factory. It's painted O.D. Green so it _had_ to have come from an upper portion of the plane, not the bottom or it would have been Sky Blue.






He has some other aluminum parts and I'm thinking about asking him to send me a piece of it! I'm having a Professional drawing of "Rosalie Mae" done and I suppose I could mount it to the drawing itself.


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## Crackerjack (Feb 8, 2012)

Any updates on this?


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## Mad Scientist (May 6, 2012)

UPDATE! Going to California in about two weeks to visit with Sgt Boyd and wouldn't ya' know it? The only flying B-24 in the world will be making an appearance at nearby Moffet Field so Sgt Boyd and myself will be there when it does!

And because he's a member of the Collings Foundation we're gonna' fly on the plane! At the same time! Yay! Here it is:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTWIDA8sUrE]Collings Foundation B-24 at the Camarillo Airport - YouTube[/ame]

I also have a few surprises in store for him when we meetup too!


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## Oddball (May 6, 2012)

St. John's Grill on Lawrence Expressway, right off the 101.....Awesome food.


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## Mad Scientist (May 6, 2012)

Oddball said:


> St. John's Grill on Lawrence Expressway, right off the 101.....Awesome food.


Looks good! I'm bringing my GPS so I shouldn't have a problem finding it. Thanks!
St John's Bar and Grill


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## Mad Scientist (May 18, 2012)

Just checked-in online for my flight tomorrow, should be there about 1:00 PST. Should be very interesting. I'll update this thread when I can!


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## Mad Scientist (May 21, 2012)

Got here on Saturday and met Sgt Boyd then we took a flight on the Collings Foundation B-24 on Sunday. I took plenty of pics and I'll post a few when I can get to a WiFi spot!


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## Mad Scientist (May 26, 2012)

He's in pretty good shape for a guy his age. When he shook my I hand I thought he was gonna' break it!



His daily driver, a 1928 Ford. He says he's driven it to Alaska and Maine and back, doing needed repairs on the fly! When we get to his house I find out he has not one, but TWO 1928 Fords that he drives all the time!


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## Mad Scientist (May 26, 2012)

The Collings Foundation B-24.


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## Douger (May 26, 2012)

.....and if it were today, and he were a young man, his platoon would have turned Crapital Hell into dust.He deserves serious respect for helping to solve a bigtime problem.

All ya got now is meatheads growing opium and defending the corporate oil whores. 
Thanks to a great murkin iduKashin( #1 !!!!), they're too fucking dumb to know it.


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## Mad Scientist (May 26, 2012)

For takeoff, you're strapped down to a seat (or what is *called* a seat) and soon after takeoff they ring a bell and you can get up and walk all around inside. As soon as they did I *ran* back to the tail gunners position and snapped this pic:



We went out over the ocean and came back to the field. Total flight time was about 35-40 minutes. Cost to keep the only remaining flyable B-24 in the air is about $4,000 an hour. 





Two bells rang and we had go back to our seats. Tom says that during the war if the pilot rang the bell once it meant "get ready to bail out" and when he rang it twice that meant "jump!" 

He related the story about how on December 20th when they bailed out he had heard the one bell so he started to put his parachute on and made for the hatch on the bottom of the plane to bail. When he was standing over the open hatch he saw another crew member who had already bailed pass by underneath the bomber. So he said to himself: "Well, if he can do it, so can I!". He heard the second bell and jumped.

Problem was: He didn't have his chute on all the way! 

"I realized I didn't have both straps around my shoulders so I had to fight to get the other one on and hook it together in front! I did that then pulled the rip cord *and the handle came off in my hand!*" 

"I had to reach over my left shoulder and grab the cable and pull it. All the while I'm falling towards the earth! The chute blossomed over head and before I knew it I was on the ground".

"When I met up with the crew on the ground they were relieved and happy to see me alive because they'd seen me struggle with my chute and then I fell through the over cast before I managed to open the chute. They all thought I was a goner!".

Tom also told me about how when they were making their way to the assigned pick up spot they were spotted by a Nazi machine gunner. They were walking through a valley and the gunner had the high ground and was firing at them. But as it was the gun was firing slowly, not a quick "rat-tat-tat" but a slower "boom-boom-boom". That was because the buffer plate on the gun was adjusted in such a way that it was firing slowly.

So one of the other crew said to Tom: "Hey Tom, *why don't YOU* go up there and show that Nazi how to adjust his buffer plate!" 

He said that's how they reduced the stress all during the war, make jokes and maintain a sort of "gallows humor".


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## Mad Scientist (May 26, 2012)

Special Message to fraudster Joze Povsic: Odjebi!

I saw the article you submitted to the reunion newsletter. I *gave you* that picture but you claim you're still "looking for the grandson of the pilot (me). I know he is interested in what happened to this plane".

I already know what happened. Also, I talked with Tom Boyd and he says he's not in the picture and I doubt my Grandfather is either.

Also, my pics are copyrighted so you can't use them in any way, shape or form.


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## Mad Scientist (May 26, 2012)

Douger said:


> .....and if it were today, and he were a young man, his platoon would have turned Crapital Hell into dust.He deserves serious respect for helping to solve a bigtime problem.
> 
> All ya got now is meatheads growing opium and defending the corporate oil whores.
> Thanks to a great murkin iduKashin( #1 !!!!), they're too fucking dumb to know it.


He retired from the AF in 1966. He said "Vietnam was shaping up to be a place where I didn't particularly wanna' go so I retired instead".

I asked him about Iraq and Afghanistan and he said: "We got *NO* business being over there."

I told him he should speak out more in public because his opinion carries a lot of weight.


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## fred1369 (Jun 2, 2012)

this is so kewl.  My father died about 4 years ago at the age of 89.  He was a navigator on a B-26.  He put in his 32 missions and still had small bits of ack-ack in his neck.  He said he used to sit on a flack jacket while on a mission.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 19, 2012)

Just talked with Sgt Boyd on the phone and wished him a Happy Birthday!

Here's a link to all the pictures I took last May when we flew on the Collings Foundation B-24 together. Enjoy!

Sgt Thomas Boyd May 2012 Photos by uhhuh35 | Photobucket


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## jwoodie (Dec 20, 2012)

My dad was a B-17 pilot in the 379th BG flying out of Kimbolton.  In 1943, he and the other pilot were hit by an ME-109 while over Wilhelmshaven.  Ironically, their injuries and hospitalization probably saved their lives; all of the other members of their air crew were killed on a subsequent mission.

The 8th Air Force lost more men that the entire US Marine Corps in WW2.


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## bestlink101 (Dec 21, 2012)

jozeP said:


> Dear Ron Paul!
> 
> Greetings from Slovenia and Europe. My name is Joze Povsic.
> 
> ...


what does ron paul have to do with anytihg?


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 21, 2012)

bestlink101 said:


> jozeP said:
> 
> 
> > Dear Ron Paul!
> ...


When he found this thread I had "Ron Paul 2012" in my signature so he thought that's who I was!


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## Mad Scientist (Jul 31, 2014)

Just got off the phone with Msgt Tom Boyd and he has a few interesting things planned for this year!

First, he invited me to the 455th Bomb Group Reunion in Oklahoma city in September so I have to get a presentation ready!

And, the big one, on December 20th of this year he's gonna' celebrate his 89th birthday and 70th anniversary of the mission, by making a dual skydive jump!

Tom said he's made all the arrangements and is gonna' do it "Lord willing and the river don't rise!". Should be lot's of fun!


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## Mad Scientist (Aug 29, 2014)

Reposting this picture as I had taken it down a while back. I was just contacted by a granddaughter of the gentleman in the first row, far left, Allen Dalian. 
That's my Grandfather Lt. Donald L. Bone in the middle of the back row.





Also the Missing Air Crew Report for December 20th, 1944.




.


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## namvet (Aug 29, 2014)

Mad Scientist said:


> The Mosquito is one of my favorite British planes from WWII, next to the later model Spitfires with the 5 bladed Rotol propellers. I think the "Mossie" looks the coolest with Invasion Stripes. I was really a surprised when I found out they were made of wood!:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



let's take a ride


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 20, 2014)

Tom is set to jump today somewhere near San Jose. He didn't tell me where it was but I imagine there's not too many places you can do that in the Bay Area.

Today is both his 89th Birthday and the anniversary of that mission. I'll post whatever I can find after it happens.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 20, 2014)

Haven't heard from Tom yet but I just found this local ABC News report about him. You can see both Model A's he owns in the report, one he drove from San Jose to Maine and back then the other to Alaska and back!

I asked him what would he have done had they broken down? Auto parts stores don't carry parts for Model A's and he said; "Well, I'd just fix 'em some how!" And I have no doubt he would have!

http://abc7news.com/society/world-w...tes-important-milestone-by-sky-diving/444527/


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## MaryL (Dec 20, 2014)

My dad received a purple heart, he sold it at a pawn shop in the forties to get money to feed his kids. I would love to buy it back, but those days are gone.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 20, 2014)

Nice write up about him in the Air Force Times.

Vet marks 70th anniversary of parachute jump with another


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## whitehall (Dec 20, 2014)

God bless the heroes of WW2 but we need to recognize that ground Troops were blindsided by the Nazi (Ardennes counteroffensive) on Dec. 16 and about 100,000 would be casualties by Jan. 25 1945.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 20, 2014)

Just spoke with him on the phone! The jump went fine and he's ok. He's disappointed that he couldn't jump from 13,000 feet as planned but 7,000 had to do. He said it was more important that the jump be done today.

Also, please say a prayer for Tom as he might be facing a Health problem in the coming months.


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## Mad Scientist (Dec 23, 2014)

Write up in the AF Times and a nice photo of him free-falling:

WWII vet s anniversary skydive a success


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## LarkHistory (May 1, 2016)

Mad Scientist said:


> On this day 67 years ago my Grandfather, 1st Lt. Donald Bone and his crew went down while on a mission to Skoda Works, Pilsen Germany. This is the plane he flew that day.
> 
> He's in the middle of the back row.
> 
> ...


 I just stumbled upon this post trying to research my grandfather's military service. His name was Henry Lerche and he was a ball turret gunner with the 741st.  I was wondering if you could forward me the information you have about this so I could share it with the rest of the family. Unfortunately he passed away 2 years ago but I know he would be proud that we are researching his service.


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## Mad Scientist (May 3, 2016)

I believe the name H. Lerche is on the side of "Miss-I-Hope". I'll check later and let you know.


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## Mad Scientist (May 3, 2016)

LarkHistory said:


> I just stumbled upon this post trying to research my grandfather's military service. His name was Henry Lerche and he was a ball turret gunner with the 741st.  I was wondering if you could forward me the information you have about this so I could share it with the rest of the family. Unfortunately he passed away 2 years ago but I know he would be proud that we are researching his service.


Quick search of what I have shows your grandfather flew tail #166 on a mission on December 17th:



 

And on December 20th, the mission I've documented in this thread!


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## LarkHistory (May 3, 2016)

Thank you for those. I saw the earlier picture of the Rosalie mae and crew but don't see my Grandpa there. I'munder the impression the gunners especially jumped around from crew to crew so I'm not surprised. I have found pictures of the Miss-I-Hope but can't quite make out the names to see if he is listed. Where do you find the mission lists? We always thought he had gone on about 12 missions but we don't have records to back that up. Thanks again.


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## Mad Scientist (May 3, 2016)

I went through all the mission folders of the 15th Air Force, 304th Bomb Group at the National Archives in College Park Maryland a few years ago. It appears that our Grandfathers flew Miss I Hope over to San Giovanni airfield in about the Summer of 1944.
The crew was assigned to the 455th Squadron and the Bomber went to the 459th.
I'll go through all the stuff I have and send you copies where your Grandfather is listed. It may take a few days or weeks though.
Just send me a PM with your e-mail.


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## research flyer (Jul 19, 2017)

Mad Scientist said:


> I went through all the mission folders of the 15th Air Force, 304th Bomb Group at the National Archives in College Park Maryland a few years ago. It appears that our Grandfathers flew Miss I Hope over to San Giovanni airfield in about the Summer of 1944.
> The crew was assigned to the 455th Squadron and the Bomber went to the 459th.
> I'll go through all the stuff I have and send you copies where your Grandfather is listed. It may take a few days or weeks though.
> Just send me a PM with your e-mail.



Hello,

I'm trying to locate data on a B-24 flown with Capt. William J. Stewart, Jr.  His plane from the 740th BS, 455th BG went down the same day, same mission and I'm looking for the mission loading list.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Randy


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## LA RAM FAN (Jul 19, 2017)

research flyer said:


> Mad Scientist said:
> 
> 
> > I went through all the mission folders of the 15th Air Force, 304th Bomb Group at the National Archives in College Park Maryland a few years ago. It appears that our Grandfathers flew Miss I Hope over to San Giovanni airfield in about the Summer of 1944.
> ...



you should send him a pm then cause this is an old thread and he does not come around the history section much.


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## research flyer (Jul 22, 2017)

LA RAM FAN said:


> research flyer said:
> 
> 
> > Mad Scientist said:
> ...



Thanks for the heads-up and I'll send a PM his way.


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