Dayton E. Closson Short Snorter
The Short Snorter Project
Dayton E. Closson, from Trenton, New Jersey, flew B-26 bombers as Co-Pilot, Bombardier, and Nose Gunner with the 9th
Air Force based in England. His son, Bradley Closson, sent photos of his father’s short snorter and wrote,
     
      His plane tail marking was a broad diagonal yellow band. My dad was “tight-lipped” about his service
           as were most of the guys “that really did it”. I remember as a kid in the late 1950’s seeing “scabs” and
           “blood” on his shins from time to time, and asking him what had happened to which he would reply,
   
        “Just some flak finally getting out.” But there were never any “war stories” around the camp fire. As
           best I can tell the airplane tail marking that he said were his was from the 598th Bomber Squadron,
           397th Bomber Group, 9th Air Force. I asked the Military Awards section of the Air Force to send me a
           listing of his medals and they were kind enough to send me the medals as well, which I made into a
           shadow box for a gift to him.  A photo is attached. I know he flew from England before, during, and after
           the invasion of Europe and then from France but I do not know the timing of the events.  At least once
           his plane was shot up so badly they did not make it back to their home base and had to spend a night
           at an English air base.  When they got back to their home base the next day they found that all of their
           personal effects had been collected for shipment home and all of their government issued gear had
           been “reissued”.  The speed at which that those events took place gave me some idea of the accepted
           perish-ability of the B-26 and the “routineness” with which the plane crews accepted the loss of others
           in their squadron.
Dayton E. Closson (photo courtesy Bradley Closson)
Brass plate reads:
Lt. Col. Dayton E. Closson
United States Army
10-4-41 to 29-6-48
United States Air Force
30-6-48 to 30-6-61
Navigator Wings                        Bombardier Wings
National Defense Medal         Army Good Conduct
                     Air Force Gunner Wings        Medal
                                  Air Medal
Europe-Africa-Middle             American Campaign
East Campaign Medal                                       Medal
Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
American Defense Medal       WW2 Victory Medal
              Armed Forces Reserve Medal
            Longevity Service Award Ribbon