World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
John Hazy
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Perryopolis, Pennsylvania
Honored By
John Hazy
SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. POW 13 MONTHS IN STALAG 17-B. SERVED WITH THE 8TH AIR FORCE 1944-1945. MEMBER OF THE 6TH AIR FORCE 1942-1943. STATIONED IN GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA. FLEW ANTI-SUBMARINE MISSION FROM GUATEMALA TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. HE WAS A TAIL GUNNER IN A B-17 AND B-24 AIRCRAFT. FLEW MORE THAN 300 HOURS IN ANTI-SUBMARINE MISSIONS. AWARDED THE AIR FORCE MEDAL. IN 1943 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A B-17 COMBAT CREW AS AS A TAIL GUNNER. TRAINED AT PYOTE AIR BASE, TEXAS AND DYERSBURG AIR BASE, TENNESSEE. IN 1944, THE CREW WAS ASSIGNED TO THURLEIGH AIR BASE, ENGLAND WITH THE 8TH AIR FORCE, 306TH BOMB GROUP, 368TH BOMB SQUADRON. FLEW 3 SUCCESSFUL BOMBING MISSIONS. ON THE 4TH MISSION THEY WERE ATTACKED BY GERMAN AIR FORCE FIGHTER PLANES, B-17 WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND ON FIRE. NINE CREW MEMBERS PARACHUTED AND BECAME PRISONERS OF WAR APRIL 24, 1944. THE PILOT WAS KILLED.