In the 1943-45 log book of Don McBride, Joseph listed his home address as: From Gene Banning's list of 8/31/00: "... (RCAF) Apr 1943; prom to capt June 1943." From the CNAC Mailing List of 1964: Joe Dionne 30 Vernon St Haverhill, Mass. From the CNAC Mailing List of 1965: Joe Dionne 1618 Coseia Pl. Costa Mesa, Calif. April 26, 2004 Tom, Joe was a quiet fellow who came in early 1944 and was checked out in March. Although he flew with me on at least one trip, I can't remember anything about his flying. He must have been an okay pilot. I think he came to at least one reunion. Christy (Hanks) January 15, 2005 I think the man you are talking about is my father. He was in Canada during the war and I remember hearing about 101 missions "over the hump'" but was too young to understand. He and my mother were married in the US in 1944 and went to Canada shortly after, and she lived in Montreal while he was flying planes to Europe, (piper cubs?), and I also remember he was in India while flying supplies to China. I remember him telling me once he almost crashed there, and I know he was a flying tiger. My dad died when I was still a young man and I was too stupid to commit this to memory-- as you say he was quiet in nature and therefore I didn't get a lot of his "history", so to speak. My mother, also deceased, was Mary Powers Dionne. If you want to contact me for any information, I' ll do the best I can to remember the things my Dad told me. I'd also be very grateful for any insights into my Dad's years during this incredible time. Thanks, Joseph (Joe) A. Dionne III E-mail Bkmanjd@aol.com And more from Joe... April 27, 2007 Hello Tom, I am really pleased that you contacted me again, as I inadvertently deleted your Sept. 2005 email without answering. We are indeed talking about the same person. The 30 Vernon St., Haverhill MA. address is where my maternal grandmother lived and where my mother grew up. My dad was related to the family who lived next door, and though he and my mother both attended Haverhill High School, he graduated at the end of her freshman year, so they mainly got to know each other through him fabricating excuses to go hang out at the house next door to where she lived. The Costa Mesa CA. address is where we lived for about a year in 1964. As far as details on my Dad's life go, he was born in Haverhill, MA. on 4/28/1909 (tomorrow would be his 98th birthday.) He died 4/19/1975 of cancer; we were living in North Hampton, NH. My father had a career in the restaurant industry after he got out of the service, owning and operating several restaurants in New England. His parents, Joseph A. Dionne Sr. and Veronica (Therriault) Dionne, were born in Canada and migrated to the states as a young married couple; first to NH, then to Massachusetts, where they raised 3 children ( my dad was the eldest with younger siblings Roland and Lillian). My grandfather owned a butcher shop in Haverhill, MA. for several years; he and my grandmother retired to California in the 40s to be near my Aunt Lillian, who transferred there as a government employee. That's about all I know off the top of my head. My sister, who still lives back in NH (I'm now in Seattle, WA), has most of the old photos and keepsakes of our family-- I will call her and get some additional information as well as some photographs. If you send me your address I will have copies made and forward them. Again, I'm grateful that you contacted me. My father was very proud of his service with the CNAC, as am I. He was a great guy. Sincerely, Joe Dionne  or would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |