Don Nass Visits Pratt
Don Nass Visits Pratt
Don Nass was a CFC Gunner on a B-29 Superfortress crew in WW II. As an eighteen year old cadet, assigned to the 29th Bomb Group (Very Heavy), he was stationed at Pratt Army Air Field from September, 1944 through January, 1945.
Caption: Don Nass 1944
After completing his training in Pratt, Kansas, he was stationed at Guam which is part of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific. Don flew 22 Bombing Missions over Japan.
After the war, Don returned to Jefferson, Wisconsin. On June 27, 1953, he married Nadeane Lester from Winona, Minnesota. Nadeane had come to Jefferson to work as a school teacher at the Lutheran school. She and Don met in church choir. They raised three children – Steve, Sue, and Larry.
Recently, on their way home to Jefferson, Wisconsin from Arizona, Don and his wife stopped overnight in Pratt on Tuesday May 5th 2009. He attended the regular monthly meeting of the B-29 Museum Inc organization and met several of its members including President Phil Schulz. Don was introduced, then the group adjourned temporarily to take him on a tour of Pratt Industrial Airport showing him the Parachute Shop (the site of the planned Bombers On The Prairie Museum) and the All Veterans Memorial Complex.
During the follow-up meeting, Don shared a few personal memories and experiences of his Pratt Army Air Field days. The listeners were very happy to have an Army Air Force Veteran share his experiences of his training and his flights in the B-29.
The next morning before leaving Pratt, Don toured the Pratt County Historical Museum hosted by curator Marsha Brown. Phil Schulz was there to express his gratitude about the forthcoming donation of the 29th Bomb Group Historical Records to the Bombers On The Prairie Museum.
A few days later, Phil Schulz received an email from Don's daughter confirming that Don enjoyed his visit in Pratt as follows:
“I just got off the phone with them. They arrived at Jefferson, WI (my
hometown) at noon today. Dad loved his time in Pratt and was so
impressed with all of you and everything you're doing. He suggested we
hold a Bomb Group reunion there and I thought it was a great idea.”
For more about Don Nass and his WW II experiences see this related website:
