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b. 1923· confidence: medium

James Henry Lorenz

also: Jim · Capt. James H. Lorenz

Author of the Reminiscences (1995). Son of Henry Lorenz and Fanny Mae Shafer. Born at 811 Oakland Avenue, Elkhart, Indiana. Married Mary Jeanne Burton October 14, 1950; bought a new house in Eggertsville, NY for $8,000. They had two children: Richard (Dick, 1954) and Carol (1956). Career chemist at Union Carbide; moved through Tonawanda, NYC area, and retired to Scottsdale, AZ in 1983. Wrote the Reminiscences December 3, 1995 at age 72.

Occupations

  • Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) Tonawanda Labs, NY (1948-1955): bench chemist, monosilane preparation, columbium/tantalum separation, two patents
  • UCC Silicones Division technical service group head (1955-1959)
  • UCC Eastern Region Product Manager, NYC area (1959-1978)
  • UCC Corporate Development, Dept of Energy renewable contracts (1978-1982)
  • Retired from UCC December 31, 1982
  • Consultant 1983-1990: UCC retainer ($5,000/yr for 3 years), Dept of Energy, Linde, Solar Energy Research Institute. Specialty: preparation, purification, handling of silanes and raw materials for photovoltaic solar cells. $600/day plus expenses. Wrote 3 research papers indexed in the Library of Congress.

Events in this life

  1. 1932 · historical-personal

    When President Roosevelt closed the banks (1932), Jim had $12.55 in his account. They gave him $4.00; the balance was paid back years later.

  2. 1941 · historical-witnessed

    Jim and friends Rex, Corvin, and Bob were driving toward Goshen around 4 PM Sunday when the flash came over the car radio. Pearl Harbor was bombed. The next day at school they assembled to hear Congress and President Roosevelt declare war on Japan.

  3. 1942 · military-enlistment

    Enlisted at age 18 (Jim noted 'AGE 18' with original strikethrough/correction). 4-year deferment.

    Place: Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA

  4. 1943 · military-active-duty

    Place: Fresno, California, USA

  5. 1943 · military-training

    Aviation Student. Officers needed 2 years college. Took full freshman classes including evening labs.

    Place: University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA

  6. 1944 · military-graduation

    Graduated as pilot. 10-day delay enroute, then reported to Lincoln, NE for crew assignment.

    Place: Marfa, Texas, USA

  7. 1944 · military-assignment

    Place: Boise, Idaho, USA

  8. NaN · military-deployment
  9. 1944 · military-assignment

    Place: Attlebridge airfield (Station 120), England, UK

  10. 1944 · military-combat-mission
  11. NaN · historical-witnessed

    V-2 missiles hit near Attlebridge base on October 3, 4, and 5, 1944. Probably aimed for Norwich.

    Place: Norwich, England, UK

  12. 1945 · military-combat-mission

    Finished 35th mission (tour). 243 actual combat hours over enemy territory total.

  13. 1945 · historical-witnessed

    Daily Express paper headline 'PRES. ROOSEVELT DEAD' kept by James as part of WWII memorabilia.

    Place: Attlebridge airfield (Station 120), England, UK

  14. NaN · military-return
  15. 1945 · historical-witnessed

    VE Day. James was on board USS Gen. T. H. Bliss in port. 'Wouldn't let me off the 785th SQ flew back to NY' (note in service dates).

  16. 1945 · military-separation
  17. 1948 · graduation

    Place: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

  18. 1950 · marriage

    With: Mary Jeanne Burton

  19. 1957 · military-discharge
  20. 1959 · career-move

    Transferred to Eastern Region Product Manager, NYC area. UCC handled the move (bought old house, lawyers handled closing).

    With: Mary Jeanne Burton

  21. 1982 · retirement
  22. 1983 · relocation

    With: Mary Jeanne Burton

  23. 1995 · document-creation

    Place: 5331 E Poinsettia Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA

Stories

When Roosevelt closed the banks

1932
In grade school, students were encouraged to bring a few pennies every week to be banked in a real 1st National Bank. I usually was given a nickel — but there was a grocery store on my way to school and they had great penny candy. Of course I had to live some, so I usually banked only 3 or 4 cents, to get the 2% interest. When the banks were closed by President Roosevelt in 1932, I had $12.55 in my account. I went to the bank to take it out — on advice — and they gave me only $4.00. The balance they would keep and maybe give to me later. So much for my financial beginning. The bank eventually did return all the money — after some years.
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 5

The corn sheller and the thumb

ca. 1934
On one of our farm visits, around 1934, I almost lost my left thumb. I was playing with a corn sheller — a 3 foot high cast iron, hand operated machine. It had an 18 inch fly wheel of iron, with 1/2 in knobs on it, to hold and then eject the corn cobs. One cob didn't eject, so with the fly wheel still moving, I reached in with my left hand to pull out the cob. My thumb jammed in the machine caught on one of the knobs and stuck. They reversed the wheel and found my thumb had a big tear at the knuckle over 1/2 way around. Grampa Shafer ran some cold well water over it — and I passed out. Mom had come out that day with Eddie and Lorena to pick us up. We then went to the lady country doctor down the road (Maybe she was veterinarian, I don't recall.) She suggested cutting off my thumb — Mom said 'NO.' So they wrapped it up and took us home. Our old family Doctor Wagner said it might heal if we use enough peroxide. 'Soak it for 15 minutes four times a day for a week in hydrogen peroxide, then put this salve on it.' It sure looked like boiling water when I soaked the thumb in the peroxide. And it worked. My left thumb is almost 1/2 inch shorter than my right one — but I still had it — with only a scar at the knuckle joint.
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 6

Hearing about Pearl Harbor

1941-12-07
I well remember Dec. 7, 1941. Rex, Corvin, Bob and I were driving over to Goshen about 4 pm Sunday afternoon when the flash came over the car radio — Pearl Harbor had been bombed and most of our navy ships sunk. We could not believe it. It became real on Monday, as the entire school assembled to hear Congress and President Roosevelt declare war on Japan. Even then, we didn't think too much about it — our lives so far had hardly changed. We all had to register for the draft — but that was next year.
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 9

First mission: emergency landing at Amiens

1944-09-05
On Sept. 5, I flew my 1st mission as co pilot with Lt. Kinsey's crew in 'Gran Slam' — to Karlsruhe marshalling yards. This was Kinsey's crew's 13th mission. And we did not get back to base that day. Flak was heavy and accurate, as we bombed at 26,000 feet CAVU with 10 500 pound G P bombs. We had a FLACK hit in no. 4 engine, lost oil and feathered it. We hit clouds at 20,000 feet and lost the formation. We went under the clouds at 2000 feet to try to tell where we were. A landing strip appeared below, so we started to land. However, the strip had been badly bombed out, and as we pulled up to go around, we lost no. 1 engine and feathered it. We saw a field ahead where gliders and fighters were landing. We fired yellow flares and broke into the pattern and landed. This turned out to be B-48 Advance Field Base near Amiens, France, taken by Canadian forces 2 days earlier. We were fortunate they had a few aircraft mechanics who helped our crew fix the oil leaks and cylinders. We were low on fuel, so they gave us 100 5gal jerry cans of motor fuel. We had to haul it up on top the wing and filter the water out with a chamois as we poured it in the tanks. We officers did this while the crew went to town with the Canadians. We stayed overnight and were not too happy with the German snipers around. The next morning, we took off on four engines, but lost one on takeoff. Flew to England on three engines. Our radio codes were out of date, so we requested 'Colgate' fighters to escort us to base around the London balloon nets. All were glad to see us, as we were reported MIA for 36 hours.
Source: Reminiscences: Lt. James H. Lorenz, Pilot at Attlebridge 466th Group 785th Squadron, August 14 1944 to May 6 1945 · page 26

Never a scratch

1944-1945
I feel I was very lucky, never getting so much as a scratch on my missions — and no member of my crew was ever wounded. I didn't miss not having a Purple Heart medal. I was offered the job of squadron operations officer with promotion to Captain as I completed my missions. I refused, as the point system for separation from the service had been announced — and I had enough points to get back to college life.
Source: Reminiscences: Lt. James H. Lorenz, Pilot at Attlebridge 466th Group 785th Squadron, August 14 1944 to May 6 1945 · page 31

Providence

1944-1945
I had attended the Grace Lutheran Church, but never joined as a member. I went to the chaplain, told him I would like to join now. He arranged a telephone joining for me with Rev. Alpanalp — the minister at Grace Church in Elkhart. This was only the first of many events that I can't explain why I did them — but they must have been Providence guided, as I did survive against great odds.
Source: Jim Lorenz Reminiscences · page 10

Documents and artifacts

donated-artifact-collection
Items in Folder I: Orders and Misc, Lt. James H. Lorenz
Current location: 2nd Air Division USAAF Memorial Room, Norwich Central Library, Norwich, England
donated-artifact-collection
Items in Folder II: 8th Air Force Attlebridge duty materials
Current location: 2nd Air Division USAAF Memorial Room, Norwich Central Library, Norwich, England
artifact-uniform
Captain James H. Lorenz combat and dress uniforms, 466th Bomb Group
Current location: On display at Wright-Patterson Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio.
award
American Chemical Society 50-year pin
Current location: family possession (forthcoming at time of 1995 writing)