World War II Honoree

Walter Zumbrum

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Americus, Kansas

Honored By

Robert Edmiston & Dean Edmiston

Relationship

Friends

SERGEANT. SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AS AN AIRCRAFT MECHANIC WITH THE 376TH AIR SERVICE SQUADRON, U.S. 5TH AIR FORCE IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATRE. ENTERED SERVICE ON AUGUST 4TH, 1942. HE WENT THROUGH BASIC TRAINING AT SHEPHERD FIELD, TEXAS, WITH FURTHER TRAINING AT SPOKANE, WASHINGTON AND GREAT FALLS, MONTANA. HIS OVERSEAS SERVICE BEGAN IN AUSTRALIA, WITH SUBSEQUENT MOVES TO NEW GUINEA, MOROTAI, MINDORO, AND IE SHIMA. MOVING FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND AND FREQUENTLY UNDER ENEMY ATTACK AS THE FRONT ADVANCED, HE HELPED KEEP OUR PLANES, PRIMARILY B-17S AND B-24S, FLYING THROUGHOUT THE WAR. HE WAS PART OF THE FORCE PREPARING FOR THE INVASION OF THE JAPANESE ISLAND OF KYUSHU WHEN THE TWO ATOM BOMBS WERE DROPPED, ENDING THE WAR. HE WAS DISCHARGED ON JANUARY 2, 1946.