Stationed at Fort Story Va. and began flight training with the Army Corp at the beginning of the war.

Acted as a radio operator for the 729th bomb squadron from 1944 to 1945 and was wounded in November 1944 but returned to active service by march 1945.



Completed 19 missions, on Mission to Madgeburg in Sept. plane was shot up badly over target. Crew unloaded everything they could, dropped to 4,000 ft, was able to maintain that and headed for home. Just at the Rhine river, the flak guns spotted them and shot them down. The crew bailed out, I landed on the right bank of the river. A small girl found me and her mother said I was in Luxemburg, Just then a large truck from the US army pulled up and took me to their encampment, still close to German lines. Their corpsman treated me and I eventually returned to my base. On a later flight I was shot down, was injured again and received the Purple Heart.



After the war, he used his communication skills at the CAA and worked as an air traffic controller at a number of airports such as Danville, Lynchburg, Norfolk and Roanoke before retiring in 1977.



A ir Medal w/4ocls; Russian Freeman Medal, Purple Heart