World War II Honoree

Robert Arthur Wainio

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Acon, Panama Canal Zone

Honored By

Gretchen S. Kroll

Relationship

Niece

He had come from the Canal Zone to New Jersey to join, and while there, was drafted into the 20th Air Force, 21st Bomber Command, Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1943. Stationed on Tinian Island. Flew 34 missions (33 over Japan, and one over Truk) in a B-29. Discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1945 at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Received the Distinguished Flying Cross. They had just dropped a bomb over Japan but another one did not fall with the right timing, and the bombay doors had already begun to close. As a result, the second bomb (500 pounds) got caught in the door and was just hanging out of the plane. There was no way they could land that way, so Staff Sergeant Wainio, the bombardier, and the engineer had to release the bomb somehow. He and one of the other men held the third man (because he was the smallest and the lightest) so that he could hang down to the partially-open doors to release the other bomb, then attach cables to the damage doors so that they could pull them closed.