World War II Honoree

Herman Edward Croft Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pensacola, Florida

Honored By

John, Cherry, and Tabitha Croft

Relationship

Son and family

MY FATHER WAS A B-17 FLIGHT ENGINEER BASED AT AMENDOLA AIR FIELD IN FOGGIA, ITALY, FROM OCTOBER 1944 TO JUNE 1945. ENLISTED AT CAMP BLANDING, FLORIDA; BASIC TRAINING, MIAMI BEACH; AIR CRAFT MECHANIC SCHOOL AT LINCOLN, NEBRASKA; CADET TRAINING AT CEDAR FALLS, IOWA; WASHED OUT AT SANTA ANNA, CALIFORNIA; FLEXIBLE GUNNERY AT LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE AT DREW AIR FORCE BASE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. RTU AT GULF PORT, MISSISSIPPI; 32 COMBAT MISSIONS. RECEIVED THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER MEDAL WITH 4 BRONZE STARS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AIR MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, ARMY AIR FORCES TECHNICIAN BADGE AND THE 400TH MISSION GROUP AWARD. SERVED WITH THE 342ND SQUADRON, 97TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 5TH WING, 15TH ARMY AIR FORCE, WITH NICK KANTAR CREW (90).