Arthur Allison Huston


S/Sgt    37264453    612th
South Dakota
1921 - 1944

Left Waist Gunner aboard 42-38026 ( My Day )


    

Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.






     Arthur was born on May 9, 1921, Midland, Sout Dakota.
     He is the oldest child of nine children of Jack and Margaret Huston.

     In Sept 22, 1942 he enlisted to the aircorps.

     On Dec 16, 1943 he arrived in England to join the 401st BG
     His last mission, May 9, 1944, Target: Kiel (Germany), Aircraft was hit directly just after bombs were away.
     Nose to radioroom blown off A/C burst into flames after wing fell off, Then it blew up...

     In 1944, when Arthur died on his birthday, age of 23 he left behind his family :


         His father, Jack B Huston, age 47
         His mother, Margaret M Huston, age 45
         His brother, Jack B Huston Jr, age 20
         His sister, Mary J Huston, age 18
         His brother, Rex W Huston, age 14
         His brother, Joseph M Huston, age 12
         His brother, Huey F Huston, age 11
         His sister, Josephine A Huston, age 10
         His sister, Margaret Huston, age 6
         His sister, Sharon Huston, age 4



Top Row L-R : H.G. Simmons - A.A. Huston - M.A. Barr - V.W. Moses - W.M. Cox - W.W. Henson
Bottom Row L-R : M.O. Hagen - J.B. Dunn - W.F. Cordell - F.E. Graham






     Arthur Huston was born on May 9, 1921, the oldest child of nine children of Jack and Margaret Huston.
     They lived on a farm south of Capa on one of the largest farms around, where they raised livestock.

                         
                                                            Clockwise starting with little girl crying:
                    Marguerite, Sharon, Huey, Arthur, Margaret, Rex, Jack, Junior, Mary Jane, Joe, Joann.
                              ARTHUR is the tall young man in the back, left, behind Grandma Margaret.


     His sister, Jo Ann, remembers, Arthur was a handsome young man, perfect teeth, looks, and 6 feet tall.
     She also recalled that when Arthur was young, he helped his father break horses to ride and for teams.
     He had no fear of horses and broke many in a plowed field so that the landing wouldn't be as hard.

     Life was hard back then - all they did was try to survive.
     Arthur liked playing baseball, he earned a little money by working for farmers, and he played the banjo.
     They would have barn dances in the summer and everyone would come.
     He, his parents, and other siblings would play for dances in Midland.
     His Dad was a real good fiddler and violinist.
     They would take up a collection - total about $3.68, mostly pennies.
     They would save the money to pay the doctor to deliver Grandma Margaret's next baby.

                                               
                                                                        Back row L-R : Joe - Rex - Huey.
                                                     Middle : Jack - Arthur - Mary Jane - Baby - Joann.
                                                                                    1934 Midland SD


     He entered the service on September 22, 1942, going to Amarillo, Texas, to train.
     He was shipped overseas from Grand Island, Nebraska, on December 16, 1943.
     His parents made the trip to Grand Island to see Arthur before he left.

     As part of the 8th Air Force unit, S/Sgt. Huston was sent to the European theater of operations, where he,
     as a left waist gunner on a B-17, participated in five combat missions over Germany.

     On May 19, 1944, S/Sgt. Arthur Huston was killed in action over Kiel, Germany.
     Jo Ann, who was only 12 at the time, remembers vividly when the Station Agent from the Chicago
     Northwestern Railroad came to our door to notify us of Arthur's death.
     His family was grief stricken and never fully has recovered.

     Arthur Huston was buried at the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.
     He was awarded the Purple Heart, Air Medal, and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.




Mission to Kiel, Germany, Crashed in Keil on the Professor-Peters-Platz.




Crashed on the Professor-Peters-Platz on the corner of Gutenbergstrasse.


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