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Submariners Rescue WWII B-29 Crew
Rare Color Film Discovered Over 65 Years Later
This report, originally presented by 9News of Denver, tells the story of Richard Vanden Heuvel, a retired World War II Veteran. Vanden Heuvel was a twenty year old tail gunner when his B-29 was shot down seventy miles off the coast of Japan.
You might wonder why this is categorized as a Sailors' Story. It is because, after bailing out, Vanden Heuvel and eleven other crew members were saved by an American submarine.
To go on, recently Vanden Heuvul received a package with color footage of his and his crews rescue. This footage was taken by a crewman of the submarine that savedVanden Heuvel and was only recently found in the submariner's closet. The video below is of Richard Vanden Heuvel along with the footage of his rescue. Vanden Heuvul received the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross during World War II.
The news account from 1945 gives more of the details of what happened to the plane and how quickly the crew was picked up.
Apparently the submariners' habit of stripping rescued fliers for souvenirs was warmly welcomed by the very thankful fliers.
2 1/2 minute video