media-43385.jpeg UPL 43385 Dr./Col. Thurman Shuller's first theatre of operations assignment was as a squadron surgeon with the 306th BG, and he later advanced to Group Flight Surgeon, Wing Surgeon, Bomb Division Surgeon and finally to 1st Air Division Surgeon, with corresponding promotions within the space of 5 years service from First Lieutenant to Colonel. Military awards and citations include the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal and the French Croix de Guerre.
When the bombing war began in 1942 there was no stated number of combat missions a flyer was expected to complete before finishing a wartime tour. As war raged on, U.S. air crews flying in endless bombing missions had little hope of surviving their tour of duty, until a young flight surgeon intervened.
By early 1943 twenty of the original flying crews and some replacements had been lost. Major Shuller wrote a letter to General Ira Eaker, 8th USAAF Commander and requested a limit of 20 combat missions be established after which a flyer would be relieved of flying duties. The response to his letter did establish a limit of 25 missions. This change gave flyers a goal and hope that they had a chance to live through the war.
In 2012, just before Dr. Shuller died at age 98, the 306th Bomb Group Association established the highest award to be conferred by the Association and named it The Thurman Shuller Award in honor of the widely recognized outstanding achievements to the men of the 306th Bomb Group and his lifetime of achievement.
Dr. Shuller was honored with the first award presentation and part of the award commendation read, "How many 8th Air Force crews who flew in the European theater after March 1943 were saved due to this and other limits imposed? Of the tens of thousands of air crews who later flew their missions and went home - how many of them would have been lost on a 40th mission, or on a 50th mission? No one will ever know, but judging by the losses suffered in the first months of combat in 1942, that number would have been high. Those men who have lived long and productive lives since the war - many of them owe their lives, their families, and all of the good things of life to a little known flight surgeon - a civilian at heart, who was a jealous guardian of the rights and privileges of combat crew personnel - a man called Thurman Shuller. Shuller, Thurman

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