He was the first man in the 8th to complete 25 mission combat tour. He got credit for the destruction of two Focke-Wulf 190s on 20 December 1942. He completed 25 missions on 5 April 1943. He flew 20 missions of his 25 with Capt. Purvis E. Youree. Instead of returning to the states after his tour was finished, he elected to remain with the 306th and accepted a commission as 2nd Lt. and the position of Gunnery Officer. He flew a further 8 combat missions due to heavy losses in the 306th. Crashed on take-off from RAF Drem, East Lothian, Scotland on a cross country flight on 4 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31715. KNO.



The story of David E., Michael Roskovich's son, can be found in Pamela Winfield's Bye Bye Baby. In 1987, David was invited by the Friends of the 8th to lay a wreath at the Memorial Day Services at Cambridge, where he was presented with several photographs of his father, a father he had never met.



PH, AM w/ 3 OLC, DFC, Good Conduct Medal (Army), WWII Victory Medal