Pilot · 329th Squadron · Of St. Paul, MN.
Flew B-24 and crew to Hardwick, England (93rd Bomb Group) in August 1944. Completed 30 missions - 18 as lead crew and 12 on wing.
After six missions he was standing with copilot Art Antonio, navigator Jerry Baughman, and bombardier Al Faulhaber outside the Combat Officers WAAF mess hall when Colonel Leland Fleigel, the 93rd commander, got out of a jeep, shook their hands instead of returning the salute, asked their names and whether they were being treated all right, and wished him good luck. About once a week the officers rode bicycles to a cottage a few miles from Hardwick and bought six-penny eggs from an elderly couple. A crewmate named Harry, a favorite of the egg lady, was shot down with no parachutes; she took to her bed and did not recover while Oberschmid was still visiting.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
Born May 22, 1921 in St. Paul, MN. Joined Air Corps in July 1942. Pilot training February 1943; graduated as pilot December 1943. Flew B-24 and crew to Hardwick, England in August 1944.
Returned to States; separated September 1945. Recalled to active duty December 1948. Flew B-17s in South Pacific Recon; then B-29 and B-50 aircraft commander with SAC. Served in Korea and Japan during Korean War. Assigned to U.S. Embassy Germany (1956); Pentagon (1959). Commander, Air Force Munitions Test Center (1963-65); staff officer to CINCPAC until retirement in 1967. Received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, six Air Medals, and Commendation Medals from JCS, USAF, USA. Married Jean Scannell in August 1947; three children, seven grandchildren.
Articles, columns, and letters naming this airman in the 2nd Air Division Association journals and the group’s own newsletters. The summaries below are ours; the pieces themselves belong to the writers and publications that produced them.
Four new 2nd Lieutenants at Hardwick tried to salute Colonel Fiegel; he walked over, asked where they were from, and closed the rank gap with a grin.
Original documents behind what this page says about this airman — reports, records, and histories the archive holds and is free to reproduce. Check the sources for yourself.