World War II Honoree

Robert W. 'Bob' Powell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Nowata, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN NOVEMBER, 1940. SERVED AS A RADIO OPERATOR BEFORE BEING AWARDED GLIDER PILOT WINGS IN 1944. ONE OF ABOUT 6,000 GLIDER PILOTS TO SERVE DURING THE WAR. SERVED AS A GLIDER PILOT IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER FLYING TOWED, UNARMED CARGO GLIDERS INTO BATTLE. ASSIGNED AS A MEMBER OF THE 82ND AIRBORNE 'ALL AMERICAN' DIVISION. ONCE ON THE GROUND, GLIDER PILOTS SERVED AS INFANTRY SOLDIERS. PARTICIPATED IN ONE COMBAT GLIDER ASSAULT LANDING DURING OPERATION 'MARKET-GARDEN,' WHICH WAS THE ALLIED PLAN TO CAPTURE BRIDGES OVER DUTCH WATERWAYS AND OPEN A RAPID ROUTE INTO GERMANY. HIS GLIDER WAS CARRYING NO SOLDIERS BUT RATHER A HOWITZER. THE OPERATION BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1944 WHEN HIS GLIDER WAS CUT LOOSE AT AN ALTITUDE UNDER 1,000 FEET AND HIS GLIDER AND SOME 200 OTHERS WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. IN THE 30 SECONDS IT TOOK BEFORE THE GLIDER WOULD COME TO EARTH, HE ATTEMPTED TO FIND A SUITABLE FIELD BUT MUCH OF THE AREA WAS WOODED. UNABLE TO MANEUVER CLEAR OF THE TREES, HE CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA, THE LEFT WING WAS TORN OFF AND THE GLIDER FELL SOME 30 FEET TO THE GROUND. HE WOKE UP SOME 2 WEEKS LATER IN A FRENCH HOSPITAL. CONTINUED IN MILITARY SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL.