Samuel John Van Hamm Jr. was born on 10 November 1918 in Fort Collins, Colorado. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Ingleside, Colorado where he started his schooling. He later went two years to the Fort Collins high schoold and then went to Twin Falls, Idaho with the family and graduated from the local high school in 1939.

On 19 September 1939 he enlisted in the air corps and was assigned to March field, California. On 21 June 1940 he reinlisted for another three years and entered the air corps technical school at Chanute field, Illinois, later being transferred to Scott field where he graduated on 28 February 1941. He was then assigned to March field as a member of the 31st base squadron, 32nd air base group. On 20 October 1941 he received a rating as private first class, first class specialist.

On 12 Dec 1941 the B-18 Bolo #36-306 he was on as the Radio Operator, took off from Phoenix Arizona at 18:35 MST for Hamilton Field California which was expected to be a five hour flight. The last reported position of the aircraft was over Palmdale, California at 20:03 on 12 Dec 1941.

A telephone call came from a civilian in the vicinity of Bishop, California stating that at 9:30 pm on the night of the 12th, he heard a plane flying overhead and shortly thereafter saw a flash against the side of the mountains which was followed by a fire which lasted about ten minutes.

The wreckage of the plane was not sighted until 7 May 1942 by Al Bergen of Spokane and Norman Clyde. They brought down a belt to George B. Burns of Spokane, the 63 year old father of 1st Lt and co-pilot Homer C. Burns, who had climbed within three miles of the site to which he identified it as his son's. It bore his initials.

It took five hours to get to the airplane by horseback from the 35 member search party camp. The last 1.5 miles had to be covered on foot. Five feet of snow covered the wreckage site and it was noted that it would be necessary to shovel off about 25 acres if the bodies were to be recovered.

Private First Class Samuel John Van Hamm Jr.'s body was the first to be found on 07 May 1942, laid out and frozen amongst the wreckage.

S J Van Hamm