Medals
Received: Air Medal w/ 2 clusters Purple Heart POW Medal
Military
Job: Pilot B-17
Company:
Western Gear Corporation, Lynwood, CA
Occupation
after War: Accountant
Bio:
I was a B-17 Pilot in the 15th Air Force, 301st Bomb Group (H), 419 Bomb
Squadron. I was flying my 18th mission on July 26, 1944. We were the
last group in the entire 15th Air Force. Our target was the Engine
Assembly Plant, Weiner Neudorf, Austria, just south of Vienna. Shortly
after entering the Austrian border we were attacked by 100 enemy
FW-190s, ME-109s and ME-210s, lined up in waves behind us firing 20MM
Canons and 50 Caliber Machine Guns. Our P-51 escorts did not meet our
formation as planned. Our B-17 was hit by many 20MM and 50 caliber
shells setting the nose section on fire as well as the left wing. It
seemed the entire aircraft was on fire. I later learned from the Pilot
of another B-17 that the entire tail section was shot off of our plane.
Of the ten members of the crew, only four survived. In addition to the
Engineer, who bailed out immediately, my Radio Operator bailed out but
was badly burned, one Waist Gunner made it and me. I was badly burned,
losing all my hair and injuring my ankles badly upon landing. My
Co-Pilot left his seat and went back through the bomb bay toward the
rear. One Waist Gunner refused to jump and the efforts of the Radio
Operator and the other Waist Gunner to get him to jump were futile.
Apparently my Co-Pilot was able to get him out of the aircraft by
hanging on to him but was unable to pull the ripcord on his chest chute.
My Co-Pilot was found dead on the ground with a person, presumably the
Waist Gunner, wrapped around him. As I was coming down in my parachute,
an FW-190 began circling me. I was sure he was going to shoot me as that
is what they had been doing. As the FW-190 was circling me a P-51 took
after the FW-190. I heard an explosion and the P-51 came by wagging his
wings to let me know all was well. I believe I owe my life to him. The
P-51 was from Squadron 332 of the Tuskegee Airmen who came to our aid
after our escort did not arrive.
I spent the remainder of the war in Stalag Luft 1, Barth, Germany. The
Russian Army liberated us and we were flown out by B-17’s to Camp
Lucky Strike, France for our return to the U.S.A. It took several weeks
for the Russians to release us and we recently learned that the Russians
wanted to send us to Russia to help rebuild their country.
On August 10, 1945 Lois Erickson and I were married. We had been engaged
before I went overseas. We have had a wonderful marriage. We have two
daughters, a son, a foster daughter and eight grandchildren. We lived in
Manhattan Beach, CA for 32 years, moving to Fresno, CA in 1979. We are
both retired, enjoying our grandchildren and traveling each summer in
our motorhome.
