Sam Russell Oglesby Jr
Military
Best Web - B-24 - 41-11620 - Edna Elizabeth
Object Number - UPL 56175 - B-24D, 41-11620, Edna Elizabeth, showing aircraft name and squadron Number 54.
Sam Russell Oglesby Jr.
BIRTH : 18 Nov 1921 - Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina, USA
DEATH : 21 Oct 2003 - Age 82 - Richland County, South Carolina, USA
BURIAL :
Greenlawn Memorial Park
Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, USA
MEMORIAL ID 136958969 · View Source
Sam Russell Oglesby, Jr. was born at home on November 18, 1920, in Great Falls, South Carolina. He was son to the late Sam Russell and Pearl Gladden Oglesby. On November 10, 1945, he married Glenita Smith Oglesby in Mountain Home, Idaho. She was his beloved wife of 48 years until her death in September 1993.
Col. Oglesby was a lifetime career military pilot and decorated veteran of WWII and Korea, awarded the Silver Star. He was a member of the B-24 Hall of Fame. Following retirement from military service in 1968, he returned to South Carolina, and served as an auditor for Richland County Auditor's Office until his retirement in 1985. Col. Oglesby was a graduate of Spartanburg Methodist College and served as professor of Air Science at Duquesne University. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Blythewood where he was active with the Hillclimbers "Angel" of the Sonrise Band. He was a loyal supporter of Camp Discovery and Epworth Children's Home and a member of the Georgia Masons.
Lt. Sam Oglesby flew the B-24D, 41-11620, named Edna Elizabeth, from the U.S. to North Africa as part of the Halverson Project under Col. Harry A. Halverson. He was the command pilot of the B-24D, Edna Elisabeth, on 13 of the plane's 23 combat missions. He was decorated with the Silver Star for his heroic actions on a mission over Benghazi, Libya in July 1942. His Silver Star was awarded under G.O. #22, HQUSAFIME on 11 Nov 1942. He was also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC #5447) and the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster. He remained in the Air Force after WW II and served in Korea.
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: Ninth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment

- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment

- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment

- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force Twelfth Air Force Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft

- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Edna Elizabeth
- Unit: 376th Bomb Group 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron 512th Bomb Squadron 1st Provisional Group
Missions

- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Great Falls, Chester County, South Carolina, United States | 18 November 1920 | the son of Sam Russell Oglesby Sr and Pearl (Gladden) Oglesby |
Enlisted |
Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina, United States | 26 April 1941 | Sam Oglesby enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S Army Air Corps, 26 April 1941. |
Died |
Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, United States | 21 October 2003 | |
White Oak, Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States | |||
Buried |
Greenlawn Memorial Park, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, United States |
Revisions
Corrected bio data for accuracy against official records.
Sam Russell Oglesby, Jr. - Find-A-Grave Memorials
Best Web - B-24 - 41-11620 - Edna Elizabeth
Added to awards and bio section. NARA files reflect one Silver Star, one Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster. He did not participate in the Operation Tidal Wave mission on 1 August 1943 and is not listed on any Ploesti roster.
Updated by Michelle O Cranfor, daughter on 11-12-20
NARA WWII Enlistment Records
US Censuses 1930 and 1940
SSDI (Social Security Death Index)
http://www.armyaircorps-376bg.com/oglesby_sam_r_crew.html
http://www.armyaircorps-376bg.com/41-11620_edna_elizabeth.html