Pop Rice
Captain Charles 'Pop' Rice, Jr. became Operations Officer of the 499th Squadron and was assigned to 'BettyÕs Dream' in June of 1945. The aircraft was a late-model B-25J with standard Squadron and Group markings. Co-piloted by Lt Victor Tatelman, BettyÕs Dream escorted two 'Betty' bombers carrying the Japanese peace envoys to Ie Shima on August 19, 1945, and again on the return mission from the conference in Manila with General MacArthurÕs staff. By the time these talks ended World War II, 'BettyÕs Dream' carried 22 mission symbols and two silhouettes representing sunken Japanese ships.