World War II Honoree

Fred E. Harem

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Eugene, Oregon

Honored By

Vince Rybel

Relationship

Co-Worker

ENLISTED IN U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES WHILE A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN JULY 1943. RECEIVED TRAINING AT AIR BASES IN HONDO, TEXAS; FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS; HOUSTON TEXAS AND LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. TRAINED AS A NAVIGATOR AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT BEFORE DEPLOYING FOR OVERSEAS FROM CAMP KILMER, NEW JERSEY. JOINED THE 490TH BOMB GROUP OF THE 8TH AIR FORCE FLYING B-17 AIRCRAFT FROM EYE, ENGLAND IN APRIL 1945. AT THE WAR'S END, HIS UNIT DROPPED FOOD PARCELS TO STARVING CIVILIANS IN HOLLAND AND TRANSPORTED PRISONERS OF WAR FROM AUSTRIA TO FRANCE. HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. IN JULY 1945 AND BEGAN RETRAINING AS A NAVIGATOR FOR B-29 AIRCRAFT WITH PROBABLE TRANSFER TO THE PACIFIC. THIS POSSIBILITY WAS CANCELLED BY THE ATOMIC BOMB AND SUBSEQUENT SURRENDER OF JAPAN IN SEPTEMBER 1945. HE WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED FROM THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN NOVEMBER 1945.