Pearl Harbor survivor visits Dobbins Published Nov. 24, 2010 By Brad Fallin Public Affairs DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- A legendary group of 12 B-17s heading to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, left Hamilton Field, Calif. on Dec. 6, 1941. Former 2nd Lt. Ernest L. Reid was the co-pilot on the second unarmed B-17C arriving at Hickam Field, Hawaii, on the morning of Dec. 7, and found himself in the middle of the first wave of attacks by the Japanese. On approach to the field the 8-man B-17 crew saw smoke from the attack and thought it was burning sugarcane fields, but soon realized they were being attacked from behind by aircraft, and they were at war. They made the landing at Hickam Field but, the B-17 was burned through the middle of the fuselage and they became the first American crew downed by enemy aircraft during WWII. The entire crew survived the crash landing but 1st Lt. William R. Schick, a flight surgeon, was killed by strafing Japanese aircraft while taking cover after making it out of the burning aircraft. Look for Col. Reid's video interview soon on the 94th Airlift Wing home page.
