World War II Honoree

Marvin W. Prochnow

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fredericksburg, Texas

Honored By

John C. Burkhardt, SVC MOPH, Chapter 1919, Austin, TX

SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER. JOINED THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON NOVEMBER 28, 1942 AND REMAINED IN STANDBY STATUS UNTIL FEBRUARY 8, 1943, WAS PUT ON ACTIVE STATUS. COMPLETED PILOT TRAINING IN THE WEST COAST TRAINING COMMAND. RECEIVED COMMISSION AND WINGS ON FEBRUARY 8, 1944. SENT TO KINGMAN, ARIZONA, FOR ADVANCED PILOT TRAINING AS A B-17 PILOT. WENT TO ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA, FOR COMBAT CREW TRAINING. AT THE COMPLETION OF TRAINING HE WAS INFORMED TO TAKE HIS CREW AND FLIGHT CHECK A NEW B-17. AT THE CONCLUSION HE PRESENTED HIS REPORT THAT ALL SYSTEMS WERE OPERATIONAL. THE NEXT DAY THEY LEFT FOR ENGLAND ALONE. ONCE IN ENGLAND THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO 8TH AIR FORCE; 3RD AIR DIVISION; 93 BOMBARDMENT WING; 385 BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY); 550 SG, BASED AT GREAT ASHFIELD, SUFFOLK, ENGLAND. SOME OF THEIR FLIGHT MISSIONS INCLUDED THE ARTENELLS AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. ON NOVEMBER 9, 1944. THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO THE LEAD SQUADRON, OF 36 B-17 SQUADRONS ASSIGNED TO BOMB THE GERMANS AT MERSEBURG, FRANCE. WHEN THEY APPROACHED THE TARGET AREA THE CLOUD COVER OPENED, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR THEIR BOMBARDIER TO SIGHT ON THE TARGET. THEY HAD TO MAKE A 360 DEGREE ROTATION AND COME IN AT THE REAR OF THE FORMATION. WHEN THEY WERE DROPPING THEIR LOAD OF BOMBS THEY WERE HIT, WOUNDING THE BOMBARDIER AND NAVIGATOR. AFTER COMPLETING THE 35 REQUIRED MISSIONS THEY WERE RETURNING HOME IN A CONVOY, WHEN ON MAY 13, 1945, THEY WERE INFORMED THE WAR IN EUROPE WAS OVER.