World War II Honoree

Harold Jerome Erickson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Colfax, Wisconsin

Honored By

David Erickson

Relationship

Son

PILOT FOR THE ARMY AIR FORCE; FLEW MISSIONS OUT OF ENGLAND (WITH THE ROYAL AIR FORCE) DURING THE WAR. HIS PLANE WAS HIT BY GERMAN FIGHTERS WHILE RETURNING OVER THE SOUTHWEST PART OF FRANCE. HE CRASH LANDED HIS PLANE, AND SPENT THE LAST 18 MONTHS OF THE WAR IN A POW CAMP. MOST OF HIS CREW SURVIVED THE PLANE GOING DOWN, BUT MY FATHER WAS BADLY WOUNDED AND SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN A HOSPITAL IN PARIS, WHERE THE GERMANS QUESTIONED HIM ENDLESSLY. THEY THEN SENT HIM TO THE POW CAMP IN GERMANY ON THE BALTIC SEA. WHEN THE END OF THE WAR WAS NEAR, MY FATHER AND SEVERAL OTHER PRISONERS ESCAPED AND STARTED WALKING HOME FROM THE CAMP.