World War II Honoree

Wilbur W. Bandler

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

ATTACHED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE, 1ST AIR DIVISION, 384TH BOMB GROUP (H) 546TH BOMB SQUADRON, GRAFTON UNDERWOOD AIR BASE, UNITED KINGDOM, EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS (ETO). SERVED WITH THE CREW OF A B-17 BOMBER. PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL BOMBING MISSIONS OVER GERMANY. AFTER V-E DAY ALL OUR B-17 AIRCRAFT WERE STRIPPED OF THEIR ARMOR AND THE BOMB BAYS WERE SEALED. BENCH SEATS WERE PUT IN THE BOMB BAYS AND THE AIRPLANES WERE FLOWN TO ISTRES LE TUBE AIR BASE NEAR MARSEILLES, FRANCE. FROM THIS AIR BASE WE OPERATED THE GREEN PROJECT WHICH TRANSPORTED HIGH POINT SERVICEMEN TO CASABLANCA, NORTH AFRICA FOR ROTATION TO THE U.S. WE THE FLEW FRENCH REPATRIATES BACK TO MARSEILLES, FRANCE AND FLEW ITALIAN REPATRIATES FROM MARSEILLES TO FOGGIA, ITALY. WE THEN FLEW GREEK REPATRIATES FROM FOGGIA TO ATHENS, GREECE. ALL THIS WHILE ASSIGNED TO THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION.