T/Sgt Asa R Hughes was the Engineer/Gunner in the Kohl flight crew. The crew began combat duty with the 392nd Bombardment Squadron in Oct 1944. They were based out of Saipan. Their most frequent target was Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima.

The Kohl flight crew transferred to the 26th Bombardment Squadron (in the 11th Bomb Group) in Feb 1945. Their base was on Guam, and they flew missions to Chichi Jima and Haha Jima.

The plane flown most frequently by the Kohl crew was called TROPICAL TROLLOP (#42-100405).

The members of the Kohl flight crew were:

Leroy P Kohl (Pilot)

Benjamin H Sharp (Co-Pilot)

James W Whitson (Navigator)

Paul F Bellis (Bombardier)

Asa R Hughes (Engineer/Gunner)

Otho E Shults (Radio Operator/Gunner)

Paul K Ward (Radio Operator/Gunner)

Leonard H Marinaccio (Gunner)

Harry L Nelson (Gunner)

Raymond W Rowan (Gunner)

Paul K Ward spent time in the hospital. That may be why the crew ended up with two Radio Operators.

William A Strasser also spent some time in the Kohl flight crew after the Halsey crew lost Lt. Halsey. Bernard J Andrychowski (Radio Operator) and Lenus C Arnold (Ass't Engineer) also spent some time in the Kohl crew.