Where
Captured: Shot down south of Pottendorf, Austria over Lake
Neusiedler.
Date
Captured: Shot down May 30, 1944; captured May 31, 1944 in
Hungary
Camps
Held In: Hospital in Budapest, Hungary; Stalag Luft IV
How
Long Interned: 340 days
Liberated
/ repatriated: liberated
Date
Liberated: May 6, 1945
Age
at Capture:
Medals
Received: Purple Heart, POW Medal, Air Medal with clusters,
European-Middle Eastern Campaign with 4 Battle Stars, World War II Victory
Medal, Good Conduct Medal
Military
Job: Radio Operator, nose turret gunner- B-24 Bomber
Company:
Occupation
after War: Farmer, Insurance Exec., Real Estate Agent
Bio:
Robert G. Lankford was born near Browns, Illinois on October 11,
1923. He attended the Browns Community schools and six months at the
Lockyear Business College in Evansville, IN. Lankford was inducted
into the Army Air Corps on January 16, 1943 at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN.
He married Clara F. Lankford of Ellery, IL on December 19,1942 and they
will celebrate their 60th anniversary this year (2002). Seven
children were born in this union. They have four living children and
10 grandchildren. Lankford was discharged from the Army on October
18,1945. He farmed in Edwards County, IL, near Albion, from 1945-1973.
He was Executive Secretary for Farmer's Mutual Insurance Co. until
retirement in 1990. He has spent his retirement enjoying hunting,
fishing, the farm and his grandchildren's activities. For several
years, he spoke to many school classes about his WWII and POW experience.
