World War II Honoree

Raymond M. Gilstrap

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Missouri

Honored By

Leon D. Sexton

Relationship

Friend

STAFF SERGEANT. ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS ON OCTOBER 20, 1942. AFTER TRAINING AT VARIOUS AIR BASES, HE GRADUATED FROM GUNNERY SCHOOL AT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. HE WAS LATER ASSIGNED TO THE 303RD BOMB GROUP BASED IN ENGLAND. ON JANUARY 11, 1944 FLYING AS TAIL GUNNER ON A FLYING FORTRESS, WHICH WAS ON A BOMBING MISSION OVER GERMANY. HIS PLANE CAME UNDER INTENSE ENEMY ATTACK FROM SEVERAL GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES AND AFTER 3 HOURS OF BATTLE, DURING WHICH TIME IT WAS STRUCK SEVERAL TIMES CAUSING THE FORTRESS TO CATCH FIRE. HE WAS STRUCK BY A 20MM CANNON SHELL, WHICH SEVERED HIS LEFT ARM AT THE SHOULDER. THE CREW ABANDONED THE BURNING AIRCRAFT AND, THINKING THAT HE HAD DIED OF HIS WOUNDS, LEFT HIM IN THE BURNING PLANE. HE SEARCHED FOR A PARACHUTE AND MANAGED TO STRAP IT ON, EVEN THOUGH HE THEN REALIZED THAT HE HAD PUT IT ON BACKWARDS. AFTER LOCATING AN OPENING IN THE AIRCRAFT, HE BAILED OUT AND MANAGED TO MANUALLY OPEN THE RIP CORD WITH HIS UNINJURED RIGHT HAND. A GERMAN FIGHTER PLANE NARROWLY MISSED HIM AS IT PASSED OVER BY A FEW FEET WHILE ATTACKING SEVERAL AMERICAN BOMBER AIRCRAFT. WHEN HE LANDED ON THE GROUND HE REALIZED THAT HIS CREW WAS NOWHERE IN SIGHT. SEVERAL GERMAN CIVILIANS CAPTURED HIM AND APPLIED A TOURNIQUET TO HIS INJURIES. HE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A GERMAN HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS TREATED FOR 6 WEEKS. HE WAS THEN MOVED TO ANOTHER GERMAN HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS ATTENDED TO BY CAPTURED AMERICAN AND BRITISH PHYSICIANS. ON JUNE 11, 1944 HE WAS SENT TO A PRISONER OF WAR CAMP WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1944, WHEN HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO NEW YORK BY A SWEDISH RED CROSS SHIP. THE YOUNG FLYER WAS PROMOTED TO STAFF SERGEANT, AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTER, A GOLD STAR FOR OPERATIONS OVER GERMANY, THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL AND THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN RIBBON. HE WAS REUNITED SHORTLY AFTERWARD WITH HIS FAMILY IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI WHILE AWAITING FURTHER TREATMENT AT A VETERANS HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN.