Luther S. Bird.
Pilot · 328th Squadron · Of Greenville, SC.
The man.
Luther S. Bird served as co-pilot on the Martin Red Cap crew from June to September 1942, then as pilot from October to December 1942. He flew 14 missions in the B-24 Bomerang and nine missions in El Toro, serving with the 328th Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group (Ted's Traveling Circus).
He participated in the August 1, 1942 low-level mission to Ploesti, two missions to Wiener Neustadt, Austria, and missions to Danzig, Poland and Oslo, Norway. On his 23rd mission, December 22, 1942 to Osnabrück, Germany, his aircraft was shot down and he spent 16 months as a POW at Stalag Luft 1.
He received six Campaign Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, Distinguished Service Medal, Prisoner of War Medal, and Presidential Unit Citation.
Service record.
Before and after.
Luther S. Bird was born November 25, 1921 in Greenville, SC. He resigned from the Clemson College ROTC program in January 1942 and joined the AAC Aviation Cadet Pilot program. He received his wings and commission on December 7, 1942, as part of Class 42-K.
Bird returned to college in January 1947 and completed his MS and Ph.D. in Genetics at Texas A&M University. He served on the Texas A&M University system staff for 36 years, researching genetic control of diseases and insects in cotton, and retired as Professor Emeritus in February 1986. He was voted Man of the Year in Service to Texas Agriculture in 1982. Bird married Bernice Allen in August 1947; they had twin daughters and four grandchildren and continued to reside in Bryan, TX for 45 years. He went on duty in the Air Force Reserve in January 1947, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in November 1981.