World War II Honoree

Underwood 'Woody' Coleman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Lakeland, Florida

Honored By

Walter Lawrence

Relationship

Friend

HE WAS STATIONED AT SHIPDHAM AERODROME, NEAR NORWICH, ENGLAND. 8TH AIR FORCE, 2ND AIR DIVISION, 44TH BOMB GROUP, 506TH BOMB SQUADRON. HE FLEW AS LEFT WAIST GUNNER. WHILE ON A MISSION TO THE KRUPP AIRCRAFT FACTORY, MAGDEBURG, GERMANY, THE B-24 BOMBER WAS HIT BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE JUST AFTER 'BOMBS AWAY' AND 'CAPE COD SPECIAL' AND 'MY EVERLOVIN' GAL' BOTH WERE HIT AND BOTH EXPLODED AT 21,000' ALTITUDE. THERE WERE BOMBERS FROM 3 BOMB GROUPS ON THAT MISSION. HE WAS ABLE TO OPEN HIS PARACHUTE AND LAND SAFELY BUT WAS SOON CAPTURED AND A PRISONER OF WAR FOR THE DURATION. HE RECEIVED THE AIR MEDAL WITH 2 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN RIBBON, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL.