Bridge Busters: The Story of the 394th Bomb Group

Bridge Busters is the authentic and gripping story of the 394th Bomb Group. The outstanding and valiant struggle of the Bridge Busters is told with grit, compassion and an attention to detail. Each of the 9 chapters is packed with pertinent pictures and a recap by target and results of each major battle. This beautifully bound 170 page edition contains over 360 fully captioned, action-packed photographs and 20 illustrations. From the activation of the 394th in the United States to its deactivation in Germany after V.E. Day, Bridge Busters presents accurate facts and figures on the missions, from the Washington files, as well as interesting stories about the men on the ground and in the air who made them possible. This newly revised fifth edition includes the official U.S. Air Force report on the final mission of Colonel Thomas B. Hall who was killed over North Korea on February 11, 1951, a complete list of casualties as well as two new chapters with 17 current photographs that feature the return trip of 18 former members of the 394th Bomb Group to Europe in the summer of 2001 and a tribute to those service men fallen and buried in World War II cemeteries in Europe.

Major Ziegler enlisted as an aviation cadet in May 1942 in Oklahoma City. After his assignment to the Western Flying Training Command, he received his commission and pilot's wings at Fort Sumner, New Mexico and joined the 394th Bomb Group at Boreham Field, England in June 1944, as a replacement pilot. Major Ziegler flew an astonishing 55 combat missions during his service in World War II, leaving the Group in September, 1945 from Venlo, Holland. During his extensive and impressive career with the Air Force, Major Ziegler flew a total of 29 different planes, most notably the B-26 Marauder and the B-36 Peacemaker. In 1963, Major Ziegler retired from the Air Force after 21 years of service. Major Ziegler is married, has four sons and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona.