World War II Honoree

Walter Oberti

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wanaque, New Jersey

Honored By

Christin Manfredo

Relationship

Granddaughter

STAFF SERGEANT. A FLYING CREW CHIEF AND HAD 2 PLANES TO MAINTAIN, A B-25 MEDIUM BOMBER AND A B-24 HEAVY BOMBER. HE WAS IN A WING HEADQUARTERS AND HIS BOMBER WING HAD 4 B-24 BOMB GROUPS THAT WERE STATIONED IN SPINNAZOLA, ITALY, NEAR BARI, ITALY. HIS GROUPS BOMBED TARGETS ALL OVER GERMANY AND ROMANIA. HIS MAIN JOB WAS TO MAINTAIN THE 2 PLANES AND FLY AS FLIGHT ENGINEER WHEN HIS PLANE WAS SCHEDULED FOR SOME ASSIGNMENT IN ITALY AND AFRICA. HE WAS TRAINED ON B-17 HEAVY BOMBERS IN TEXAS, SENT TO MCDILL FIELD TAMPA, FLORIDA AND WAS ASSIGNED AS AN INSTRUCTOR ON HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ON THE B-26 MEDIUM BOMBERS. AFTER 1 YEAR IN FLORIDA, HE WAS SENT OVERSEAS TO ORAN, AFRICA AND THEN TO A BASE IN ITALY WHERE HE GOT HIS 2 PLANES. AFTER 28 MONTHS, TRANSFERRED TO FOGGIA, ITALY, A B-17 BASE WHEN THE EUROPEAN WAR ENDED. HE THEN WENT TO NAPLES, ITALY WHERE THEY NEEDED 24 CREW CHIEFS TO FLY 24 B-17'S BACK TO THE STATES. THEY TOOK OFF FROM NAPLES TO MARRAKETCH, MOROCCO THEN TO DAKKAR AFRICA. FROM THERE THEY FLEW ACROSS THE OCEAN TO NATAL BRAZIL THEN BACK TO BELEM AFRICA. FROM BELEM THEY FLEW TO GEORGETOWN, BRITISH GUIANA AND BORINQUIN FIELD IN PUERTO RICO. THEY FINALLY ENDED UP IN MORRISON FIELD, FLORIDA WALTER WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON NOVEMBER 1, 1945.