APPENDIX VI
The Medal of Honor is given to active-duty U.S. servicemembers for conspicuous gallantry and is America’s oldest continuously awarded honor. President Abraham Lincoln signed Public Resolution 82 on Dec. 21, 1861, establishing the U.S. Navy’s Medal of Valor, “to be bestowed upon such petty officers, seamen, landsmen, and Marines as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry and other seaman-like qualities during the present war.” In recognition of Army soldiers who distinguished themselves on the battlefield, Lincoln signed a resolution providing the Army Medal of Honor for “such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities, during the present insurrection.” In 1863, Congress combined the two service medals into one. In 1942, the medal’s qualification criteria were changed, and the award was subsequently given for combat bravery only.
During World War II, 440 servicemen received the Medal of Honor, 250 of which were posthumously awarded. The Medal of Honor was awarded to 301 soldiers (Army and Army Air Forces), 57 sailors, 81 Marines, and 1 Coast Guardsman. The 15 Eighth Air Force recipients of the Medal of Honor are, in date of award order:
1st Lt. Jack W. Mathis
Born: Sept. 25, 1921—San Angelo, Texas
Died: March 18, 1943—killed in action
Unit: 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group
Action: March 18, 1943; Vegesack, Germany
Sgt. Maynard H. “Snuffy” Smith
Born: May 19, 1911—Caro, Michigan
Died: May 11, 1984
Unit: 423rd Bomb Squadron, 306th Bomb Group
Action: May 1, 1943; Brest, France
First enlisted man to receive the Medal of Honor
2nd Lt. John C. “Red” Morgan
Born: Aug. 24, 1914—Vernon, Texas
Died: Jan. 17, 1991
Unit: 326th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group
Action: Kiel, Germany; July 28, 1943
Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker
Born: Jan. 1, 1907—Chicago, Illinois
Died: Aug. 1, 1943—killed in action
Unit: 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group
Action: Aug. 1, 1943; Ploesti, Romania
Technical Sgt. Forrest L. “Woody” Vosler
Born: July 29, 1923—Lyndonville, New York
Died: Feb. 17, 1992
Unit: 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group
Action: Dec. 20, 1943; Bremen, Germany
2nd Lt. Walter E. Truemper
Born: Oct. 31, 1918—Aurora, Illinois
Died: Feb. 20, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 510th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group
Action: Feb. 20, 1944; Leipzig, Germany
1st Lt. William R. Lawley Jr.
Born: Aug. 23, 1920—Leeds, Alabama
Died: May 29, 1999
Unit: 1st Air Division, 40th Combat Wing
Action: Feb. 20, 1944; Leipzig, Germany
Sgt. Archibald Mathies
Born: June 3, 1918—Scotland
Died: Feb. 20, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 510th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group
Action: Feb. 20, 1944; Leipzig, Germany
1st Lt. Edward S. Michal
Born: May 2, 1918—Chicago, Illinois
Died: May 10, 1994
Unit: 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group
Action: April 11, 1944; Stettin, Germany
Lt. Col. Leon R. Vance Jr.
Born: Aug. 11, 1916—Enid, Oklahoma
Died: July 26, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 489th Bomb Group
Action: June 5, 1944; Wimereux, France
1st Lt. Donald D. Pucket
Born: Dec. 19, 1915—Longmont, Colorado
Died: July 9, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 343rd Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group
Action: July 9, 1944; Ploesti, Romania
2nd Lt. Robert E. Femoyer
Born: Oct. 31, 1921—Huntington, West Virginia
Died: Nov. 2, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 711th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group
Action: Nov. 2, 1944; Merseburg, Germany
1st Lt. Donald J. Gott
Born: June 3, 1923—Arnett, Oklahoma
Died: Nov. 9, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 729th Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group
Action: Nov. 9, 1944; Saarbrucken, Germany
2nd Lt. William E. Metzger Jr.
Born: Feb. 9, 1922—Lima, Ohio
Died: Nov. 9, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 729th Bomb Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group
Action: Nov. 9, 1944; Saarbrucken, Germany
Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Castle
Born: Oct. 14, 1908—Manila, Philippine Islands
Died: Dec. 24, 1944—killed in action
Unit: 4th Combat Wing
Action: Dec. 24, 1944; Germany
Staff Sgt. Maynard H. Smith, from Caro, Michigan, receives the Medal of Honor from Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson on July 15, 1943, at a ceremony at the 306th Bomb Group’s station at Thurleigh, England. Smith, a B-17 ball turret gunner, was the first enlisted man honored with the nation’s highest medal. During the May 1, 1943, mission to the U-boat pens at Saint-Nazaire, France, Smith put out a massive fire in the bomber’s fuselage, aided three wounded crew members, and drove off attacking fighters for more than ninety minutes. USAAF
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SUGGESTED READING
Research material for this book included Individual Aircraft Record Cards (IARCs), Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs), various unit histories, and information sourced from the following publications:
Adams, William H. Fighter Losses of the Mighty Eighth: A Chronological Survey of Spitfire, P-38, P-47, and P-51 Losses, Eighth United States Air Force, July 1942 to April 1945. Savannah, GA: Eighth Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, 1995.
Andrade, John M. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials Since 1909. Earl Shilton, Leicester, England: Midland Counties Publications, 1979.
Andrews, Paul M. and William H. Adams. Heavy Bombers of the Mighty Eighth: An Historical Survey of the B-17s and B-24s Assigned to the Eighth United States Air Force, August 1942–June 1945. Savannah, GA: Eighth Air Force Memorial Museum Foundation, 1995.
Birdsall, Steve. Log of the Liberators: An Illustrated History of the B-24. New York: Doubleday, 1973.
——— and Roger A. Freeman. Claims to Fame: The B-17 Flying Fortress. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1994.
Bishop, Stan D. and John A. Hey, MBE. Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces (four volumes). Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England: Bishop Book Productions, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2013.
Blue, Allan. G. The B-24 Liberator: A Pictorial History. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1976.
Bowman, Martin. B-17 Flying Fortress Units of the Eighth Air Force (Parts 1 and 2). Long Island City, New York: Osprey Publishing, 2008.
Dorr, Robert F. B-24 Liberator Units of the Eighth Air Force. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1999.
Forsgren, Jan. Swedish Fortresses: The Boeing F-17 Flying Fortress in Civil and Military Service. Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus s.c., 2010.
Freeman, Roger A. Mighty Eighth War Diary. London. Jane’s Information Group, 1981.
———. The Mighty Eighth War Manual. London: Jane’s Publishing Co. Ltd, 1984.
——— with David Osborne. The B-17 Flying Fortress Story: Design, Production, History. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1998.
——— with John B. Rabbets. The Mighty Eighth: A History of the Units, Men, and Machines of the U.S. 8th Air Force. New York: Orion Books, 1989.
Griffith, Alan. Consolidated Mess: The Illustrated Guide to Nose-turreted B-24 Production Variants in USAAF Combat Service. Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus s.c., 2012.
de Jong, Ivo. Mission 376: Battle Over the Reich, 28 May 1944. Crowborough, East Sussex, England: Hikoki Publications, 2003.
Johnsen, Frederick A. Winged Majesty: The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in War and Peace. Tacoma, WA: Bomber Books, 1980.
Larkins, William T. Surplus WWII U.S. Aircraft. Upland, CA: BAC Publishers Inc., 2005.
Lloyd, Alwyn T. B-17 Flying Fortress: More Derivatives, Part 3 (In Detail and Scale). Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1986.
Rust, Kenn C. Eighth Air Force Story In World War II. Terre Haute, IN: Sunshine House, Inc., 1989.
Stapfer, Hans-Heiri. Strangers In a Strange Land. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1988.
———. Strangers in a Strange Land, Vol. II: Escape to Neutrality. ———, 1992.
Thomas, Geoffrey J. and Barry Ketley. KG 200: The Luftwaffe’s Most Secret Unit. Crowborough, East Sussex, United Kingdom: Hikoki Publications Ltd., 2003.
Thompson, Scott. Final Cut: The Post-War B-17 Flying Fortress and Survivors (4th Edition). Elk Grove, CA: Pictorial Histories and Aero Vintage Books, 2011.
Veronico, Nicholas A., A. Kevin Grantham, and Scott Thompson. Military Aircraft Boneyards. Osceola, WI: Motorbooks International, 2000.
——— and Ron Strong. AMARG: America’s Military Aircraft Boneyard. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press, 2010.
Widfeldt, Bo and Rolph Wegmann. Making for Sweden: Part 2, The United States Army Air Force. Surry, Kent, England: Air Research Publications, 1998.
INTERNET RESOURCES
Aero Vintage Books—www.aerovintage.com
Scott Thompson’s site for all B-17 and B-25 news. Surviving aircraft, tours, and ride information, plus an active message board about the Flying Fortress and Mitchell bombers.
Air Force History Index—airforcehistoryindex.org
The U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency’s search engine for its 550,000 documents (70 million pages), including unit histories, tour reports, special studies, and more.
Air Force Museum (National Museum of the U.S. Air Force)—www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Currently home to three B-17s: B-17D Swoose, B-17F Memphis Belle, and B-17G Shoo Shoo Baby.
ArmyAirForces.com
Another highly recommended website for research into the USAAF.
Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research—aviationarchaeology.com
Craig Fuller’s site for accident reports, missing air crew reports, individual aircraft history cards, and many other research tools.
B-24 Best Web—www.b24bestweb.com
Image archive and research/reference center for all things B-24 Liberator.
Eighth Air Force Historical Society—www.8thafhs.com
Research site that gathers information on the operations of the U.S. Eighth Air Force during World War II from multiple sources on the web and from printed material.
Fold3—www.fold3.com
Extensive online Army Air Force research material, ranging from photos to missing aircrew reports. Many items are free while other resources require a monthly fee or subscription.
Little Friends—www.littlefriends.co.uk
Peter Randall’s excellent site devoted to Eighth Air Force fighter groups.
Swiss Internees—swissinternees.tripod.com
The Swiss Internee Association’s website offers stories and information about the more than 165 U.S. fighters and bombers that sought refuge in the neutral nation.
Vintage Wings of Canada—www.vintagewings.ca
Outstanding history site that produces a variety of “Vintage News Stories” distributed free of charge. Of interest to Bloody Skies readers is Polka Dot Warriors: The Assembly Ships of the Mighty Eighth written by historian and webmaster Dave O’Malley.
Warbird Information Exchange (WIX)—warbirdinformationexchange.org
The place for information on all types of former military aircraft, then and now.
Select Eighth Air Force Bomb Group Websites
91st Bomb Group—www.91stbombgroup.com
92nd Bomb Group—www.92ndma.org
93rd Bomb Group—www.93rdbombardmentgroup.com
95th Bomb Group—www.95thbg.org
100th Bomb Group—www.100thbg.com
303rd Bomb Group—www.303rdbg.com
379th Bomb Group Association—www.379thbga.org
381st Bomb Group—www.381stbg.org
390th Bomb Group—www.390th.org
390th Bomb Group—Parham Airfield Museum—www.parhamairfieldmuseum.co.uk
398th Bomb Group Memorial Association—www.398th.org
401st Bomb Group—www.401bg.org
447th Bomb Group—www.447bg.com
457th Bomb Group—www.457thbombgroup.org
458th Bomb Group—www.458bg.com
493rd Bomb Group—www.493bgdebach.co.uk
Army Air Forces Reports
Watkins, Col. Dudley W. Final Report on Test of Tactical Suitability of XB-41 Airplane. Proof Department, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, FL: March 19, 1943.
Unnamed. Final Report on Tactical Suitability of XB-40 Airplane. Proof Department, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, FL: Dec. 5, 1942.
———. Final Report on Accelerated Test of Armament Installation in XB-40 Airplane (B-17F), No. 41-24341. Proof Department, Gun and Cannon Section, Army Air Forces Proving Ground Command, Eglin Field, FL: Dec. 5, 1942.
———. Flexible Gunnery Training in the AAF. Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence. Historical Division: March 1945.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Preserving a record of the sacrifices of the Eighth Air Force was an opportunity I undertook with pride and reverence for those who served during World War II. I strove to ensure the accuracy of the information presented here. Any errors or omissions are completely my responsibility.
Regarding Chapter 4, “A Personal Note,” I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Ivo de Jong for his generosity in providing materials and photos relating to the downing of Decatur Deb and Robert L. “Bobby” Woolfolk, along with the permission to publish them. They are now a family treasure. It speaks to de Jong’s depth of research that he also found photos of the pilot credited with downing Decatur Deb.
In addition, a number of other people gave of their time to assist in researching the fate of Decatur Deb and her crew. They include the 390th Memorial Museum (co-located on the grounds of the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona), Emile “Terry” Therrien, Faith Carrabis, Heidi Lundvall, Karen Bell, Carolyn Beaubien, William Fregosi, Hugh Greenwood, Rik Verhelle, Laurie Deredita, Michael Hyatt, Lena Walton, the staff of the Parham Airfield Museum, and the members and volunteers of the Cercle Royal Le Briscard, who have adopted the graves of U.S. servicemen interred at the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium.
I would also like to thank Ian Abbott, Jim Azelton, Caroline and Ray Bingham, Steve Birdsall, Ray Bowden, Roger Cain, Diana Campbell, Sue and Norman Castle, Robert E. “Bobby” Cobos, Rosie and Steven Cobos, Ed Davies, Robert F. Dorr, Jim Dunn, Craig Fuller, Wayne Gomes, Kevin Grantham, Todd Hackbarth, Ted Holgerson, Joan and Bill Hunter, Norm Jukes, Robert Kropp, William T. Larkins, Dave Leininger, Gerry Liang, Dale Messimer, Robert Nishimura, Dave O’Malley, Stan Piet, Taigh Ramey, David Reich, Lee Scales, Tom Schultz, Doug Scroggins, Ron Strong, Scott Thompson, Dave Trojan, Rick Turner, Richard VanderMeulen, Armand and Karen Veronico, Betty Veronico, Kathleen and Tony Veronico, Tom Wilson, Francesca Cooper, Desirae Fromayan, Alan Griffith, Eleanor and the late Chuck Hansen, Lee Hauenstein, Dick Pollack, and Brittany Stoner.
Nicholas A. Veronico
San Carlos, California