World War II Honoree

Albert J. Ostergaard

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Omaha, Nebraska

ALBERT ENLISTED, THEN INDUCTED IN ARMY ON MARCH 5, 1943 AT CAMP DODGE, IOWA. HE COMPLETED COMBAT ENGINEER BASIC TRAINING, 1ST ENGINEER REPLACEMENT TRAINING CENTER, 4TH BATTALION AT FORT BELVOIR, VIRGINIA. PROMOTED TO CORPORAL AND GRADUATED IN CLASS 39 FROM THE ENGINEER SCHOOL, AS A PHOTOGRAMMETRIST IN JULY 1943. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO 361ST ENGINEER REGIMENT, COMPANY A, HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT, ENGINEER SUPPLY POINT AT CAMP CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA FROM AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER 1943. THEN HE WAS ASSIGNED TO 949TH ENGINEER AVIATION TOPOGRAPHIC TRAINING BATTALION (SPECIAL) AT PETERSON FIELD, COLORADO. THEN TO WILL ROGERS FIELD IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA FROM OCTOBER 1943 TO MAY 1944. IN ADDITION HE WAS A STAFF REPORTER FOR THE 'BATTALION NEWS' AND ORGANIZED A BASEBALL LEAGUE AT THE FIELD. HE WAS SENT TO AN AIR FORCE OVERSEAS REPLACEMENT DEPOT NEAR GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, THEN TO NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA FOR EMBARKATION AT HAMPTON ROADS. ON JUNE 29, 1944 HE BOARDED THE SS PATRICK HENRY. IN ONE OF THE LARGEST CONVOYS DURING THE WAR, HE ARRIVED ON JULY 15, 1944 AT THE PORT OF NAPLES, ITALY. THEN HE WAS ASSIGNED TO PLOT SECTION OF 32ND PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON ATTACHED TO THE 5TH PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE GROUP OF THE FIFTEENTH ARMY AIR FORCE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. THE ORIGINAL 32ND PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON WAS TORPEDOED PREVIOUSLY OFF THE COAST OF ALGIERS, NORTH AFRICA BY GERMAN JU-88 BOMBERS, THUS THE NEWLY FORMED SQUADRON WAS A REPLACEMENT. WHEN THE WAR ENDED IN EUROPE, HE WAS SENT TO NAPLES, ITALY IN PREPARATION TO BOARD THE SS NOAH WEBSTER LIBERTY SHIP. HE DEBARKED FROM NAPLES OCTOBER 9, 1945, ARRIVING AT THE PORT OF NEW YORK OCTOBER 26, 1945. THEN TO CAMP KILMER NEAR ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY. TECHNICAL SERGEANT OSTERGAARD WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS ON NOVEMBER 1, 1945. DECORATIONS: PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, VICTORY RIBBON, MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS RIBBON WITH 8 BATTLE STARS (ROME-ARNO, NORTHERN FRANCE, SOUTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, NORTH APENNINES, CENTRAL EUROPE, PO VALLEY AND AIR COMBAT BALKANS.)