Saturday Tidbits

Vincent Rethman

I’ve recently been using the 1941 issues of the Courier Tribune to chronicle military activity involving Nemaha county citizens. It was my intention to use the 17 Mar 1941 issue to obtain information for this post. Page 1 of that issue contains the article, To the Air Corps, about Vincent Rethman. Included with the article is a photograph.

Unfortunately, like many other photographs published in newspapers of that time, the photo was very dark. In hopes of finding a better photo to use, I did a Google search for Vincent Rethman and discovered from his obituary that he was a Colonel when he retired from the military. Curious about his career, I expanded my search to include articles found on Newspapers.com.

Since I had collected a wide variety of information about Vincent Rethman from various sources, I asked Chat GPT to take that information and write a biography. Below is ChatGPT’s biography:

Biography of Vincent Rethman

Early Life and Education: Vincent Carl Rethman was born on February 19, 1916, in Baileyville, Kansas, to Elizabeth (Haug) and Bernard C. Rethman. He was the fourth child in his family, with sisters Agnes, Bette, Marie, and Hildelita. Vincent completed his education at the University of Kansas, earning a degree in chemical engineering in 1939. During his university years, he also completed the ROTC program, which set the foundation for his military career.

Military Career: Vincent received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army after completing his ROTC program. He initially served in the Chemical Warfare Reserve and attended summer camps at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, Fort Crook, Nebraska, and Fort Leavenworth. Although he had not been called to active duty, he passed a severe physical examination and was offered a chance to join the air corps as a flying cadet. His training began at Lakeland, Florida, in March 1941, before moving to Texas for further training.

World War II Service: During World War II, Vincent was commissioned at Maxwell Field, Alabama, after graduating from advanced flying schools. He became a P-38 Lightning pilot and flew 69 missions early in the war. His bravery was evident in missions such as an air battle north of Cape Bon, where he and another pilot downed a Messerchmitt. He was recognized for his contributions with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation in a trans-Atlantic flight and 40 sorties against the enemy.

Post-War Contributions: After the war, Vincent earned a graduate degree in aeronautics from MIT. He served in various capacities, including as a test pilot for the Bell XP-59A, America’s first jet fighter. He also played a crucial role in the flight test of the MiG-21 under the project “Have Doughnut.”

Recognition and Awards: Throughout his career, Vincent received numerous accolades, including the Legion of Merit for his work as commander of FTD’s Detachment 3 in Wiesbaden, Germany. He was promoted to major in 1945 and continued to serve in technical intelligence roles, contributing significantly to military research and development.

Personal Life: Vincent married Rosemary McCrone in May 1949, and they had three sons: Drs. Michael, Kevin, and John Rethman. The family lived in various locations, including Guam, Washington D.C., Germany, and several states across the U.S. Vincent retired as a colonel in 1969 and later worked for McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis. He and Rosemary moved to Prescott, Arizona, in 2012.

Legacy: Vincent Rethman passed away on June 18, 2015, in Prescott, Arizona. He was remembered as a remarkable man, a devoted Catholic, and a true American hero. His and Rosemary’s remains were interred together at Arlington National Cemetery, a testament to their enduring legacy and service to their country.

Sources:

• Courier Tribune (Seneca, KS) 17 Mar 1941, page 1
• The Kansas City Times (Kansas City, MO) 1 Nov 1941, page 6
• The Falls City Journal (Falls City, NE) 10 Mar 1943, page 1
• Columbian Missourian (Columbia, MO) 10 Mar 1943, page 7
• Blackwell Journal-Tribune (Blackwell, OK) 29 Mar 1943, page 8
• The Emporia Gazette (Emporia, KS) 15 Feb 1945, page 9
• The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) 11 May 1949, page 22
• Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH) 17 Nov 1968, page 46
• The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, OH) 6 Oct 1998, page 18
• Vincent Rethman Obituary

Whe I tried the same task in Perplexity with the same prompt, I got a similar biography. However, the sources were lumped together as one since Perplexity took my copied text and ‘pasted’ it as a file named paste.txt. Even though Perplixity shows ‘footnotes’ they are all to this long file of text from various sources.

Vincent Carl Rethman was born on February 19, 1916, in Baileyville, Kansas, to Elizabeth (Haug) and Bernard C. Rethman. He grew up on a farm near Seneca, Kansas, and was the fourth of five children, with four sisters: Agnes, Bette, Marie, and Hildelita.

Rethman graduated from the University of Kansas in 1939 with a degree in chemical engineering and completed the ROTC program. Anticipating the coming war, he enlisted in flight training after college.

In March 1941, Rethman began his active military career by attending flying school. He received his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Chemical Warfare Reserve and was granted a leave of absence from his job at the National Starch Co. in New York City to join the Air Corps as a flying cadet.

During World War II, Rethman flew P-38 Lightnings with the 71st Fighter Squadron, First Fighter Wing of the 12th Air Force. He participated in a historic trans-Atlantic flight of P-38s in July 1942, flying from the United States to England via Labrador, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland. Rethman flew 69 combat missions during the war, including dangerous missions over North Africa. In one notable incident, he had an engine shot out over Tunisia but managed to fly his P-38 back to base on the remaining engine.

Rethman’s wartime achievements earned him several decorations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. By mid-war, he was selected as one of an elite group of test pilots to fly America’s first jet fighter, the Bell XP-59A.

After the war, Rethman pursued further education, earning a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in just one year. His postwar career in the Air Force focused on research and development at the Pentagon for ten years, followed by 15 years in technical intelligence.

In 1949, Rethman married Rosemary “Rhody” Agnes McCrone in Cleveland, Ohio. They had three sons: Michael, Kevin, and John, all of whom became doctors.

Rethman’s later military career included significant intelligence work. He commanded an intelligence unit in West Germany during the mid-1960s and led two classified intelligence missions to the Middle East following the 1967 Six-Day War. He was also involved in the flight testing of the Soviet MiG-21 fighter aircraft in a classified project codenamed “Have Doughnut”.

Rethman retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in 1969 after 30 years of service. He then worked for McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) in St. Louis. In 1987, he and his wife moved to Cleveland and later to Venice, Florida.

Throughout his life, Rethman remained a devout Catholic and was known for his modesty and generosity. In his later years, he advocated for maintaining the name of NASA’s Lewis Research Center, emphasizing the importance of honoring researchers in scientific institutions.

Vincent Carl Rethman passed away on June 18, 2015, in Prescott, Arizona, at the age of 99. He was survived by his three sons, their spouses, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Rethman’s remains, along with those of his wife Rosemary (who predeceased him in 2013), were interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

While I prefer the ChatGPT’s biography, Perplixity’s strength in this situation is the follow-up questions and reponses.

Vincent Rethman had a distinguished career in the United States Air Force with several notable achievements:

1. Trans-Atlantic Flight and Combat Missions: Rethman participated in a historic trans-Atlantic flight of P-38 Lightnings in July 1942, flying from the United States to England. He flew 69 combat missions during World War II, including missions over North Africa where he notably managed to return to base on a single engine after being hit.
2. Aerial Victories: He was credited with downing enemy aircraft, including a Messerschmitt during an air battle north of Cape Bon in North Africa.
3. Distinguished Flying Cross: Rethman was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation in the trans-Atlantic flight and for completing 40 sorties against the enemy.
4. Test Pilot for America’s First Jet Fighter: By mid-war, he was selected as one of an elite group of test pilots to fly the Bell XP-59A, America’s first jet fighter.
5. Legion of Merit: Rethman received the Legion of Merit for his work as commander of the Foreign Technology Division’s Detachment 3 in Wiesbaden, Germany, from 1963 to 1967.
6. Cold War Intelligence Work: He commanded an intelligence unit in West Germany during the mid-1960s and led two classified intelligence missions to the Middle East following the 1967 Six-Day War. He was also involved in the flight testing of the Soviet MiG-21 fighter aircraft in a project codenamed “Have Doughnut”.

Rethman’s career spanned significant advancements in aviation and military technology, and his contributions were recognized with multiple awards and commendations.

Vincent Rethman’s most notable mission in the Air Force involved his participation in a dangerous operation during World War II over North Africa. This mission took place when German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was evacuating along the coast of North Africa to Tunisia. Rethman and his squadron flew from Algeria to Libya to intercept and strafe the evacuating troops. During this mission, Rethman’s P-38 Lightning had its left engine shot out, but he managed to fly the aircraft back to base on the remaining engine, covering approximately 200 miles. This mission exemplified his bravery and skill as a pilot under extremely hazardous conditions.

Vincent Rethman was significantly involved in the operational deployment and combat use of the P-38 Lightning during World War II. His notable contributions include:

1. Combat Missions: Rethman flew 69 combat missions in the P-38 Lightning, primarily with the 71st Fighter Squadron, First Fighter Wing of the 12th Air Force. These missions included dangerous operations over North Africa, where he played a crucial role in intercepting and attacking German forces evacuating along the coast of North Africa to Tunisia.
2. Aerial Victories: He was credited with downing enemy aircraft, including a Messerschmitt during an air battle north of Cape Bon in North Africa. This achievement highlighted his combat prowess and effectiveness as a P-38 pilot.
3. Trans-Atlantic Flight: Rethman participated in a historic trans-Atlantic flight of P-38 Lightnings in July 1942, flying from the United States to England. This flight was significant as it was one of the first mass movements of fighter aircraft across the North Atlantic, demonstrating the P-38’s long-range capabilities.
4. Distinguished Flying Cross: His participation in the trans-Atlantic flight and his completion of 40 sorties against the enemy earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross, underscoring his contributions to the effective use of the P-38 in combat operations.

Rethman’s involvement with the P-38 Lightning was marked by his bravery, skill, and significant contributions to the Allied air efforts during World War II.

A quick search of Fold3 helps fill in the holes in Vincent Rethman’s military career. He is shown on the ‘Active List’ serving in Korea in 1948. (“1948 Korea,” U.S. Army Registers 1798-1969, page 1515, available on Fold3.)

And Fold3 has an excellent photo of Lt. Vincent Rethman as a member of the 71st Fighter Squadron.