The Fort Snelling Bulletin

One of Capt. Clarno's Three Sons in Air Corps Is Home

The first of the three Clarno boys off to war came home last week and you can be sure the warm homecoming will be repeated when his two brothers return. All three are in the Air Corps.

This time it was Tec Sgt Gene, son of Capt A. Clarno, commanding officer of the Dist. No. 1 M.P. Detachment, who came home. His oldest brother John has not been heard from since 26 Feb. '42, the date of his last letter delivered from Bataan. He was a mechanic in the Air Corps, working at an airfield in the Philippines where his father served as an enlisted man 30 years ago.

Gene's youngest brother George was injured in the invasion of France but has since returned to duty. Before his injury George was a member of the 507th Paratroops, and has been overseas since February '44.

With 4 years in the service and more than 18 months of overseas duty, Sgt Clarno received his furlough back home after 28 missions as radio gunner on a B24 Liberator with the 44th Bombardment group.

In all his flights Sgt Clarno's plane was seriously shot up just once and that at the raid of a fighter factory at Firth, Germany. With the third and fourth engine gone the Liberator crash landed in southern England.

He wears the Distinguished Flying Cross for participating in at least 25 operational flights and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf clusters given for participation in at least 20 flights.

Sgt Clarno also has the presidential unit citation with 2 Oak Leafs given to his unit for their participation in raids at Kiel, Ploesti oil fields and Firth. Most of the sergeant's missions were over Germany, France and Italy.

He will report to the Redistribution Center for the Air Corps at Miami Beach after another two weeks at home with Capt and Mrs. Clarno who live at the Nordic Hotel in Minneapolis.

Capt Clarno & Son
Tec Sgt Gene Clarno