War hero honored by nephew

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    Clear Lake, IA (Globe Gazette) — As a young boy growing up in Plymouth, Leland Faktor told his mother he would be flying one day.

Little did Faktor know, he would be aboard a stripped down B-25 bomber during one of the most famous and critical missions in World War II.

After joining the U.S. Army Air Corps when he was 19 years old, Faktor was soon after chosen as one of the 80 airmen who, under the leadership of Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, took off from the U.S.S. Hornet on April 18, 1942, in the first bombing raid over Tokyo in World War II.

The raid on Japan’s capital and other targets demonstrated that the Japanese mainland was vulnerable to American air attack. It also served as retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor and provided an important boost to American morale.

At the age of 20, Faktor was the tail gunner on the third B-25 to take off from the Hornet, and after bombing its assigned targets in Tokyo, the crew bailed out over China after 13 hours of flight when their aircraft ran out of fuel.

Faktor was killed at Shui-Chang, Chekiang Province, China, when he parachuted out of the plane and landed and fell down a cliff.

He was originally interred at Wan Tsuen, China, but his remains were later moved to the Bohemian Cemetery in Plymouth, Iowa, in 1949.

A story in The Pittsburgh Press dated Aug. 29, 1947, reported that Faktor’s body had been recovered.

“The last man lost on Lt. Gen. James Doolittle’s historic raid on Tokyo nearly six years ago was accounted for today,” the newspaper reported.

The newspaper account also reported: “Corp. Faktor was buried 450 miles southwest of Shanghai, outside the village of Wang Tsuen. … The grave was marked by a small monument bearing crudely etched air corps wings, fashioned by the country people. … Corp. Faktor was identified through a gold ring and silver name bracelet.”

Of the 80 crewmen who followed Doolittle on the flight, 73 survived and seven were lost, including three who were captured and executed.

Honoring his uncle
Ron Gustin, of Clear Lake, heard the stories of his uncle growing up and said he was enamored by his heroics and wanted to honor him.

One look at Gustin’s home – inside and out – and you see he completed his mission.

A plaque honoring his uncle sits below a flagpole on the Gustin property, while sitting in the driveway is a utility trailer decorated with photos of Faktor, a B-25 bomber and flags and eagles.

Inside the home, photos, prints and plaques of Faktor’s life in the military and of his heroics in the Doolittle raid fill one wall.

“He was only 20 years old and he volunteered for the mission,” said the 68-year-old Gustin, who was born 10 years after Faktor’s death. “Jimmy Doolittle told him he would either be in heaven or a hero here on earth. He was the first to die on that mission and will forever be a hero to me.”

Gustin first learned about his uncle when he was a young boy, listening to stories passed down by his family.

He didn’t really understand everything people were saying about his uncle, but as he got older, he put it together. Then he knew how important the raid was to this country. And also how important his uncle was in the historic raid.

“I grew up hearing stories about Uncle Leland,” Gustin said. “He is the main reason we have the plaque and flagpole and the flags in our yard. This is for him and everybody who served and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Ron and Teri met then-retired Lt. Gen. Doolittle in 1978 in a ceremony at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois, that dedicated a hall in Faktor’s name. The family was the guest of honor.

Ron said he was so fascinated that he can’t remember what Doolittle said, but was in complete awe of the war hero.

“All I know is he spoke fondly of Leland,” Gustin said.

After that ceremony, Faktor’s mother, Juanita, exchanged Christmas cards with the Doolittles up to Doolittle’s death in 1993 at the age of 96.

“She (Juanita) was so proud of that,” Teri said. “He would send a Christmas card and a letter during the holidays. She kept and cherished most of them.”

Faktor receives medal, high praise
Faktor’s first assignment in the U.S. Army Air Corps was with the 95th Bomb Squadron of the 17th Bomb Group at McChord Field, Washington, where he served until being selected for the Doolittle Mission in February 1942.

He was given the Distinguished Flying Cross Citation posthumously, which reads:

“For extraordinary achievement while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. Corporal Faktor volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote, and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on Corporal Faktor and the military service.”

“I’m very proud of his story and proud to be his nephew,” Ron Gustin said. “I wish I could have met him. The stories he could have told. I never want him to be forgotten.”

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