World War II Honoree

Lester D. Folwell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Pennsylvania

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE WAS FLYING HIS SECOND MISSION OF THE DAY ON DECEMBER 23, 1944 WHEN ENEMY ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE KNOCKED THEM UPSIDE DOWN AND ROLLED THEM OVER. THEY DROPPED THEIR BOMBS BUT THAT STALLED THE PLANE OUT AND IT WENT INTO A FLAT SPIN. THEY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THAT AND WENT INTO A REGULAR TAILSPIN, BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO GET OUT OF THAT. FORCED TO BAIL OUT, HE LANDED ON THE MAIN STREET OF A TOWN AND WAS QUICKLY TAKEN PRISONER. HE WAS FORCED TO WALK FOR SEVEN DAYS TO AN ENCLOSURE WHERE HE HAD TO SLEEP OUTSIDE IN FREEZING WEATHER. FROM THERE, HE AND 100 OTHER PRISONERS OF WAR WERE CRAMMED INTO A RAILCAR AND TRAVELED FOR 17 DAYS EAST INTO POLAND. AS SOVIET TROOPS FOUGHT THEIR WAY INTO POLAND, HIS GERMAN GUARDS BEGAN TO MARCH THE PRISONERS WEST INTO GERMANY. HE AND A FELLOW PRISONER SAW THEIR CHANCE TO ESCAPE AND SLIPPED PAST THEIR GUARDS AND WERE PROTECTED BY A POLISH FAMILY UNTIL SOVIET TROOPS ARRIVED.