Jack L. Heffner of Z-7,and Z-11, "Hell's Belle" and "Holy Joe", Radar Operator

S/Sgt. Jack L. Heffner of Z-7, Hells Belle's

* all images and documents on this page courtesy M.Heffner unless otherwise noted.

"Major Fitzgerald's crew failed to return. Bond (our old engineer) was the engineer.
Cookson was radar and his third baby was just born."

Jack Heffner's comment on the loss of our Uncle Bob and his crew on the
mission to Kobe, Japan, 17 March 1945.

Jack L. “Red” Heffner was born on August 7, 1923 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in December 1942 with his best friend LaVerne Deatrich. During early training Jack came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized briefly, just long enough to hold him back in class.Verne was assigned to B-17's, The 100th Bomb Group, "The Bloody Hundredth" and was shot down over Germany. He evaded capture aided by the French Underground for six weeks before returning to his unit. Jack went on to be assigned to B-29s.

His training included Radio School, Scott Field, IL. January 1943, Radar School, Boca Raton, FL, Gunnery School Tyndall Field, FL September 1942, Air- to- Air Gunnery School, Apalachicola, FL October 1943. Phase training on the B-29 was at Walker AAF, Kansas, May 1944. Training was in B-17s as there were not enough B-29s in service yet.

Assigned to the 73 Bomb Group, 500th Bomb Group, 881st Squadron, he flew 35 missions, 523 combat hours, as radar operator and gunner beginning with the first raid on Tokyo since the Doolittle Raiders, on November 24 1944 led by Col.
Robert Morgan of Memphis Belle fame. Jack survived two catastrophic crash landings pictures of which are in many military history books.

Military honors include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters. He was discharged on Oct 27 1945 with rank of Staff Sergeant. Jack passed away on November 15, 2007.

Jack during stateside training...

Jack Heffner, bottom row-far right, with the Hugh McNamer crew of the Z Square 7, "Hells Bells."

Jack Heffner, bottom row-far left #7, and the James M. Pearson crew of Z Square 11, "Holy Joe." SSgt Heffner replaced Salvador Delgado on this aircraft after Sgt Delgado was seriously injured in both legs by a 20mm cannon shell.

From Jack Hefner’s address book. His son Mike told me his dad had each man write his own address in this book, so this is Robert Cookson’s signature. We believe these two boys were pretty good friends.

Jack Heffner and Robert Cookson were both Radar Operators as well as very close in age. Their wartime chronology also mirrored one another’s.

Jack’s handwritten notes on mission targets and hour durations.

Jack’s miscellaneous notes on May 23rd and June 5th, 1945 missions.

S/Sgt. Jack Heffner of Z-11, "Holy Joe". Standing far left

A "Must-Read" is SSgt Heffner's account of the crew's brush with death in the "Holy Joe" after being extensively damaged on the bomb run over Tokyo on 19 February 1945. They were assisted home by our uncle's plane the Z Square 8.......the round trip flight taking 17 hours and 45 minutes, one of the longest on record.
See the Mission to Albuquerque page for the story and link.

Authographed photo from Col. Robert Morgan of "Dauntless Dotty" to Mike Heffner. Morgan was the Pilot of the infamous "Memphis Belle." (courtesy M.Heffner)

B-29 Bomb load

Z-7 Hells Belle Crew-McNamer

Written by Jack Heffner

B-29 Egress...Jack Heffner exiting down the rope from the fatally damaged "Holy Joe" after crash landing on Saipan after the 19 February 1945 mission. This plane broke in two upon landing

Jack’s notes on his fellow Radar Operators KIA or missing. Robert D. Cookson is #24.

Jack’s notes on Col. Richard King. King flew as Pilot beside A/C Major Robert Goldsworthy on the ZSquare1 on a mission to Tokyo 3December1944. They were shot down and only King, Goldsworthy and another man survived and became POWs. At the time, King was the Commanding Officer of the 500th BG.