Six weeks before she was born, Pam Watson's father, Floyd Jamerson, was shot down in a B-17 bomber over Nantes, France.
Jamerson was killed Sept. 16, 1943.
Watson learned at an early age her father had been killed in World War II.
"When I was 5 years old they had his funeral here in Carmi. My grandmother (Clara Jamerson) just couldn't stand he was left over there," Watson said.
Jamerson was an officer with the 524th Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was stationed in Kimbolton, England and he was a collector. The Army returned to Watson's mother, Dorothy, his foot locker filled with artifacts. Watson has tags that were on the bombs he dropped. Some indicate whether the bomb hit or missed the intended target and if there was any loss of life. Some of those tags are connected to chunks of metal -- flak -- blown into the plane by Nazi anti-aircraft artillery.
Watson wanted to know more about the father she had never known. She made a connection in 1993 with a man named Frank Thomas, who had also served in the Army Air Corps. Watson and her husband, Ron, for nine years owned the Harrisburg Dairy Queen. Thomas walked in as a customer wearing a shirt that indicated he had served in the Air Corps and was a member of its historical society. She spoke to him about her desire to speak with her father's fellow officers and he gave her some contacts that helped her to reach them.
She became a member of the 379th Bomb Group, now an organization to connect younger family members with information about those who were or are members of the group.
Through the group she gained the attention of French historian Jean-Paul Favrais who researches World War II crash sites and contacts surviving family members.
Two of the men who served with her father were on the same plane, the El Diablo -- lead plane in the lead squadron of the mission -- when Jamerson lost his life.
Jamerson was killed when an enemy shell blasted through the plane and struck his body directly. Watson made contact with two of the crew members on board. One told her he checked on her father to ensure he was no longer alive before he jumped from the plance. Another of the crew said he owed his life to Jamerson's parachute. His parachute was in the top turret of the plane and was damaged.
"He took Dad's parachute and was able to save himself," Watson said.
Watson has also been in touch with a military documentary filmmaker in California George Ciampa. Ciampa -- who participated in the Normandy Invasion and Battle of the Bulge -- operates the non-profit production company Let Freedom Ring. He has made two documentaries, "Let Freedom Ring...The Lesson is Priceless" and "Let Freedom Ring...The Lessons of France" that are being played sporadically on public television stations across the country for the next two years.
Now, Ciampa is wanting to film a documentary on the Eighth Air Force operations from England during 1943, 1944 and 1945.
Ciampa is asking everyone he speaks with about the film to help spread word about his need for funding.
He may be reached at George Ciampa, Let Freedom Ring, 3304 Whiffletree Lane, Torrance, Calif., 90505, by phone at (310) 539-4345 or by cell phone at (310) 408-2345, by e-mail at gciampa@sbcglobal.net and through the Internet site www.letfreedomringforall.org.
-- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.
ELDORADO —
