B-29s of the 499th Bomb Group were identified by
V Square
on the tail

The 1st Lt Edmund G Smith crew came together at
Smoky Hill Army Air Field (SHAAF), Salina, Kansas during the Spring or Summer of 1944.

In Field Order 288 ( first document ) they are listed as a Theatre Replacement Crew.

There are no movement orders stating how and when they departed SHAAF .
Based on Lt Grace's dental records, he was at Herington AAF
between 6 and 27 November 1944.

Morning Reports indicate that at some point they
were transferred to Lincoln AAF, Lincoln, Nebraska.

There are no available documents indicating if they flew a B-29 to Saipan

or

were part of the Air Echelon,
travelling by rail to Hamilton AAF, Novato , California.

From there they would fly on a C-54 across the Pacific to Saipan.

They arrived at Saipan on 21 December 1944.
( two Morning Reports are below )

Lt Smith's first mission was 24 December 1944 with
499th Bomb Group B-29 V Square 23.

His next four missions were split between V-31 and V-27.

These were in January 1945: 9th, 19th, 23rd, and 27th.
V-27 was usually flown by Lt John Cox.

There are no load lists to determine which men were on any of these missions.

The last document is a page from the 878th Bomb Squadron History
covering the period January - March 1945.
The loss of the Smith Crew is noted.