Jack P. Rencher Biography

Jack P. Rencher Biography

358th Jack P. Rencher Crew 358th Werner G. Goering Crew

Louise and Jack Rencher

Jack P. Rencher started flying in Phoenix Arizona in 1937. He was operating a D8 bulldozer, graveyard shift, in an open pit copper mine when Pearl Harbor happened. He had to pass a test to enlist in the Army Cadet Program as he got kicked out of high school his 2nd year. He went through Santa Ana California, Tulare, CA, (PT-17s, for Primary), Bakersfield, CA, (BT-13s for Basic) and graduated from Williams AFB for Advanced, P-38s.

His first assignment was to Yuma Arizona gunnery school where they put him in B-17s to fly gunnery students 8 hours per day, 6 days per week. There he built up a lot of B17 time fast and learned to love them. On Sundays he usually slow timed new engines, test flew repaired airplanes, studied and slept. He did go to Yuma City once maybe.

He was next sent to Salt Lake City where he was asked to and did volunteer to be assigned copilot and was assigned on a B17 crew. After crew training the crew was sent to England on the Aquatainia, a large English ship. They were lucky and assigned to the 358th Squadron in the 303rd Bomb Group. After completing 35 largely uneventful missions, the last one, number 35, was Christmas Eve December 24, 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge, he then returned to the states and was assigned to the 5th Ferry Group in the Air Transport Command in Dallas Texas. There for the next 2 or 3 years he delivered airplanes from PT-17s to B-29s all over the world.

He then became a civilian, acquired an A & E. Mechanics license and over the next half century wore out a Cessna 140, a 170, 4 Bonanzas and 2 Barons. He received an award from the Idaho Dept. of Aeronautics for flying over one half century over 22,000 hours with our an accident or a violation. He confesses to probably having a violation or two but just never got caught. He married a beautiful lady, Louise, before he left the Service and they raised three fine sons.

He has been very successful at growing old and due to this success hung up his pilot's license a few years ago and so far has lived very happily ever after.

Served as Local reunion Chairman 1992 Bose, ID reunion. Elected, or appointed, to the following 303rd BGA positions: 3 April 1994 (1 year) - Secretary; 25 August 1998 (3 years) - Treasurer; 11 October 1999 - Vice President Administration; 7 September 2001 - President; 7 October 2002 - Chairman Past President's Committee followed by three years as member of Past President's Committee; 1997-2002 - Mission Reports Administrator; 1995-1998 - By Laws Chairman; 1998-2004 - Website Committee. Wife, Louise, who provided assistance at many 303rd BGA reunions, died on 18 April 1999

Jack passed away August 20, 2010 on Boise, Idaho.