World War II Honoree

Milo Earl Gnewikow

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wilton, Wisconsin

Honored By

Danny W. Gnewikow

Relationship

Son

VOLUNTEERED AND ENTERED SERVICE AT AGE 21 ON 12/29/41. INDUCTED AT MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. BASIC TRAINING AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS, MISSOURI. RECEIVED AIRCRAFT MECHANICS TRAINING AT NEWARK, NEW JERSEY AND BUFFALO, NEW YORK. RECEIVED FLIGHT TRAINING AT MAXWELL FIELD IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA; HELENA, ARKANSAS; AUGUSTA, GEORGIA AND MARIANA, FLORIDA. IN 1943, GRADUATED IN CLASS 43C AS ARMY PILOT. SERVED AS A PILOT, MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY 1056 WITH THE 48TH FIGHTER SQUADRON AT MARIE DU SIT, NORTH AFRICA. FLEW A TOTAL OF 66 LONG-RANGE COMBAT MISSIONS, MOSTLY IN P-38 TWIN ENGINE PLANES, WITH 312 COMBAT HOURS. THESE MISSIONS WERE FLIGHTS OVER NORTH AFRICA, ITALY AND SOUTHERN GERMANY. CRASH LANDED NORTH OF VENICE, ITALY APRIL 1944 AND WAS A POW OF THE GERMAN ARMY. ESCAPED FROM THE GERMANS AFTER 1 WEEK AND HITCHHIKED BACK TO THE SQUADRON IN NORTHERN ITALY. AT END OF SERVICE OVERSEAS HAD THE RANK OF 1ST LIEUTENANT. CONTINUED ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE U.S. UNTIL MARCH 23, 1947. RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.