Bernard Arthur Coburn
MilitaryStaff Sergeant Bernard Arthur Coburn was assigned to the 329th Bomb Squadron, the 93rd Bomb Group, in the 8th Air Force, USAAF, in Britain, as a waist gunner, detached (TDY) to the 9th Air Force, USAAF, for Operation Tidal Wave. He flew 25 combat missions, the Air Force's number of missions necessary to earn his way home. He flew on famous Ploesti bombing mission. 1 Aug 43. At the age of 38, he was one of the oldest gunners in the U.S. Army Air Force. ETD
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster - Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Cluster - WWII Victory Medal - European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Medal with 4 Battle Stars.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 84th Fighter Wing 405th Fighter Group 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38002510 / O-666252
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: - Valient Virgin
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 329th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Danbury, CT | 27 April 1906 | Son of Janos and Veronika [Hornjak] Coburn. |
|
Enlisted |
Cleveland, OH | 18 May 1942 | Cleveland, Ohio |
|
Died |
Cleveland, OH | 7 February 1950 | |
|
Buried/ Commemorated |
Holy Cross Cemetery Akron, Summit County, OH | 11 February 1950 | Holy Cross Cemetery Akron, Summit County, Ohio |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ploesti by Dugan & Stewat