World War II Honoree

Ronald Ammon Watters

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Denton, Montana

Honored By

A. Hathaway

ENLISTED ON MARCH 13, 1942 AT GOWAN FIELD BOISE, IDAHO. TRAINED IN CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, TEXAS, KANSAS AND NEW JERSEY. ON NOVEMBER 2, 1942, LEFT THE STATES AND ARRIVED IN SCOTLAND. ASSIGNED TO A CREW OF THE 390TH BOMB GROUP (H), 568TH BOMB SQUADRON, 8TH AIR FORCE, 3RD AIR DIVISION, 4TH COMBAT BOMB WING. FIRST RAID WAS ON DECEMBER 11, 1942 ON EMDEN, GERMANY. SECOND WAS DECEMBER 30, 1942 ON LUDWIGSHAVEN. THIRD AND FINAL RAID WAS ON JANUARY 4, 1944 ON KIEL, GERMANY. HAD PLANE TROUBLE AND BAILED OUT OVER THE BALTIC SEA. DANISH FARMERS RESCUED HIM UNHARMED AND GERMAN SOLDIERS TOOK HIM TO ODENSE WHERE HE FOUND FIVE OF THE TEN CREW. TAKEN TO DULAG LUFT NEAR FRANKFORT AND ASSIGNED TO PRISON CAMP STALAG LUFT I IN BARTH, GERMANY. ARRIVED THERE ON JANUARY 16, 1944 AND REMAINED UNTIL APRIL 29, 1945. LEFT SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND ON JULY 10, 1945 ARRIVING AT NORFOLK, VIRGINIA ON JULY 26, 1945. IN DECEMBER, 1945 WAS PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT. ON JANUARY 5, 1946 PLACED ON INACTIVE STATUS AS A RESERVE OFFICER.