The Man Behind the Name
Joined 409th Sqdn. of 93rd Bomb Group in July 1943 in Benghazi, Libya; returned to Hardwick, England for complete combat tour. Notable missions include Oslo (Oct. 18, 1943), Bremen (Dec. 16 and Dec. 20, 1943), Berlin (March 6, 1944), and Mulhouse (May 11, 1944). Losses were so heavy in 1943 and early 1944 that crews refrained from making close friendships with flight personnel.
From the 2nd Air Division Association Yearbook
Joined 409th Sqdn. of 93rd Bomb Group in July 1943 in Benghazi, Libya; returned to Hardwick, England for complete combat tour. Notable missions include Oslo (Oct. 18, 1943), Bremen (Dec. 16 and Dec. 20, 1943), Berlin (March 6, 1944), and Mulhouse (May 11, 1944). Losses were so heavy in 1943 and early 1944 that crews refrained from making close friendships with flight personnel.
Service record.
Missions flown.
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.
Before and after.
Born in Kentucky; entered service from Florida in 1941. Graduated Flight School Class 1942-J. Three phases of combat training as first pilot in B-17s; became flight instructor in B-24s.
Retired from Air Force as lieutenant colonel. Received two Distinguished Flying Crosses and four Air Medals.