Posing before THE VIRGINIAN, B-26 #40-1508, upon their return to Garbutt Field following their first combat mission on 9 April 1942 are, from the left in the front row, Sgt. Bernard Erlichman, engineer; Pfc. William J. Westland, turret gunner; and Pfc. Raymond L. Scott, radio operator. In back are Lt. Robert B. "Good Deal" Brown, co-pilot; Lt. Leon G."Gilly" Lewis, pilot; Lt. Pasquale J. Christiano, navigator; and Pfc. L. Jacob Muehl, bombardier. Their target was a Japanese Navy airdrome at Vunakunau, New Britain. One of seven intercepting fighters was shot down by Westland and crashed into the sea in flames. It was the first of 94 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air by the 22nd Bomb Group gunners during the B-26 era. Following a brief period Stateside after 31 missions, Westland and Scott flew 66 more missions together in England and France in another Marauder unit, the 344th Bomb Group.