Ruel Gerber Weikert
MilitaryPrinted caption on reverse: 'US AIRFORCE IN GREAT DAYLIGHT OFFENSIVE ON EUROPE. The great daylight offensive on Europe continues, targets in Germany, France and Belgium being attacked by great formations of bombers and fighters from the US Army Air Force and the RAF. Photo shows: Before they take off on the great Ruhr raid- six airmen who together represent 100 operations against the Nazis.
Left to right: front row
Lieut Fred D Albert, of Bronx NY navigator;
Lieut Theodore J Kleuser, of Little Rock Arkansas, co-pilot;
Lieut Ruel Weikert, of Dayton Ohio, pilot and commander of the aircraft.
Second row:
Tech. Sgt Darwin Mushrush, of Castaque, Pa; top turret gunner and engineer;
Lieut Tom Betow, of Marion, Wisconsin, bombardier.
Back row: Tech Sgt Walter Olowniuk of Detroit, Mich; radio gunner.
NC 6th November 1943. PN.' Roger Freeman Collection
Correcting spelling of Olowniuk
Assigned to 551BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF. Flew 42 x missions, never wounded. Flew on "Mary Pat", named after his wife, Mary, and the navigator's wife, Pat. ETD. Ruel was one of the veterans who set up the initial Group reunion in 1957.
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (5OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Middletown, Ohio | 9 June 1916 | Son of Clara Belle [Slimmer] Weikert. |
Enlisted |
Fort Thomas, Newport, KY | 27 January 1942 | Fort Thomas, Newport, Kentucky |
Died |
Indianapolis, IN | 17 December 1999 | |
Buried |
Earlham CemeteryRichmond,Wayne County, IN | 20 December 1999 | Earlham Cemetery Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana |
Based |
Great Ashfield | Assigned to 551BS, 385BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
ontributed courtesy of the 385th BG Association. https://www.385thbga.com/wp-content/uploads/May-1978_OCR_Optimize.pdf
https://www.fold3.com/image/680688437
https://www.fold3.com/image/107990893
https://www.fold3.com/record/34735998/ruel-g-weikert-social-security-de…
https://www.fold3.com/record/84182404/ruel-g-weikert-wwii-army-enlistme…
https://www.fold3.com/record/618324373/ruel-weikert-1916-veterans-affai…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73897128/ruel-gerber-weikert
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Son