World War II Honoree

T. Ross Milton

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Washington, District Of Columbia

HE ENLISTED IN 1934 AND IN 1940, HE GRADUATED FROM THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY. HE EARNED PILOT WINGS IN 1941 AND IN 1943, HE FLEW CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR AND SERVED ON HUNTING PATROLS FROM LANGLEY FIELD IN VIRGINIA. IN 1943, HE WAS SENT TO ENGLAND AS AN OPERATIONS OFFICER WITH THE 8TH AIR FORCE, 351ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP, FLYING B-17S. HE RAN THE GAUNTLET OF AXIS FLAK AND FIGHTERS. ON AUGUST 12, 1943 HE LED 22 B-17S AGAINST A GERMAN REFINERY AT GELSENKIRCHEN. ON OCTOBER 14TH, HE LED EPIC RAID ON SCHWEINFURT’S BALL BEARING INDUSTRY. AFTER CONFUSION OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, HE TOOK 291 B-17S DEEP INTO GERMANY WITHOUT FIGHTER ESCORT. IN TWO WAVES, THIS FORCE DROPPED OVER 2800 BOMBS, 60 B-17S WERE LOST AND OVER 600 AIRMEN WERE KILLED, WOUNDED OR MISSING. NEVERTHELESS, THE ALLIES BEGAN TO CLOSE IN. ON MARCH 6, 1944 HE LED 730 B-17S AND B-24S ON THE HISTORIC FIRST SUCCESSFUL U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES DAYLIGHT RAID ON BERLIN. HE LEFT EUROPE IN 1945 AS THE COMMANDER OF THE 384TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP AND LATER SERVED AS CHIEF OF STAFF AND COMMANDER OF THE 41ST AIR DIVISION, 13TH AIR FORCE. RECEIVED THE THOMAS D. WHITE NATIONAL DEFENSE AWARD.