Paul Nolan by Jim Masencup from the stories section.
Words from Darwin Schmiedt:
I recently visited with Roger Lange on the phone. He called me one Sat. night out of the blue. We visited for about 45 minuets and enjoyed remembering the times of our tour together with the 129th. Roger was the aircraft commander of the aircraft that was shot down and on which Paul Nolen was the crew chief. Cups has written the story of Paul and is in the stories section of the 129th site. Paul died of the wounds that he received on that mission. I was in the aircraft that was with Roger and we picked up everyone and flew Paul to the hospital at Quin Nhon. I went to see Paul several times and one time I took letters from home with me so Paul could read them. I gave them to Paul but he was unable to read them and asked if I would read them for him. Visiting him in the hospital and reading his letters to him brought the war home to me in a way that I cannot explain. Upon my return to the world I did not go to hospitals if I could avoid it. Even when my daughter was born I could not stay in the hospital for long and I was absent when she was born. To this day I do not like hospitals. I shut out the memory of Paul for many years. Only when I found this site did all those memories come flowing back.
FLAME (Darwin Schmiedt)