World War II Honoree

Charles Bryan Woford

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Okemah, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

AT AGE 20, SIGNED UP WITH AN AIR FORCES RECRUITING OFFICE IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA. IN NOVEMBER 1942, ENLISTED IN THE RESERVES. RECEIVED FLIGHT INSTRUCTION IN TEXAS AT UVALDE FIELD, WACO FIELD, BLACKLAND ARMY AIR FIELD, AND DEL RIO FIELD. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PILOT TRAINING, WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND AWARDED SILVER PILOT WINGS. TOOK B-26 'MARAUDER' BOMBER TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING AT BARKSDALE FIELD, AT SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA. SERVED AS A B-26 PILOT IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1944 WITH THE 598TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 397TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 9TH AIR FORCE. PARTICIPATED IN THE RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. BASED AT PERONNE, FRANCE AND VENLO, HOLLAND. FLEW 28 OFFICIAL MISSIONS AND LOGGED 120 COMBAT FLYING HOURS. FLEW MISSIONS INTO GERMANY TO STRIKE BRIDGES, STORAGE DEPOTS AND ENEMY POSITIONS. STRUCK ENEMY LINES OF COMMUNICATIONS DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE FROM DECEMBER 1944-JANUARY 1945. HIS UNIT WAS AWARDED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION DURING A MISSION ON DECEMBER 23, 1944 WHEN HIS GROUP WITHSTOOD HEAVY FLAK AND FIGHTER ATTACKS TO SEVER A RAILWAY BRIDGE AT ELLER, GERMANY, A VITAL LINK IN THE ENEMY'S SUPPLY LINE ACROSS THE MOSEL RIVER. CONTINUED MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE ALLIED DRIVE INTO GERMANY UNTIL WAR'S END. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. CONTINUED IN RESERVE AND ACTIVE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL.