World War II Honoree

Fred Etienne Cormier

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Cecilia, Louisiana

Honored By

Yvonne Cormier Cameron

Relationship

Daughter

JOINED OCTOBER 1942. TRAINED AT KEESLER FIELD; YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN; SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH; LAREDO, TEXAS (AERIAL GUNNERY SCHOOL) AND DAVIS MONTHAN, TUCSON, ARIZONA (WHERE HE WAS A FLIGHT ENGINEER INSTRUCTOR). VOLUNTEERED WITH THE 459TH BOMB GROUP AT TUCSON. THEN WENT TO WESTOVER FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS FOR OVERSEAS TRAINING. THE 459TH WAS STATIONED IN FOGGIA, ITALY. FLEW 50 CREDIT MISSIONS AND WAS SHOT DOWN OVER BUDAPEST ON JULY 2, 1944. CAPTURED AND TAKEN PRISONER AND WAS ASSIGNED TO STALAG LUFT 4. HE WAS PART OF THE BALTIC MARCH WHICH TOOK PLACE FEBRUARY 1945 TO APRIL 1945. LIBERATED BY THE BRITISH ARMY IN MAY 1945. THEN RETURNED TO LOUISIANA.