World War II Honoree

Robert Lewis Cox

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Jim & John Hammond

B-17 AND B-24 AIRCRAFT PILOT AND 489TH BOMB GROUP OPERATIONS OFFICER, 8TH AIR FORCE, ENGLAND. OCTOBER 15, 1942 THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 1943 IN THE 52ND SQUADRON 29TH BOMB GROUP GOWEN FIELD, IDAHO, WAS PILOT, B-17 INSTRUCTOR, SQUADRON OPERATIONS OFFICER, AND SQUADRON COMMANDER. DECEMBER 2, 1943 TO APRIL 22, 1944, WAS GROUP OPERATIONS OFFICER OF A B-24 GROUP, THE 489TH BOMB GROUP AT WENDOVER FIELD, UTAH, AND HALESWORTH AIR BASE, ENGLAND. ARRIVED ENGLAND APRIL 3, 1944. WENT TO NEARBY WENDLING AIR BASE TO RIDE AS AN OBSERVER WITH LEAD PILOT OF THE 579TH/392ND BOMB GROUP ON APRIL 22, 1944, AND WAS SHOT DOWN ON THE HAMM, GERMANY, RAID BY ME109S. THEY FLEW BURNING FOR 1 HOUR AND 34 MINUTES AS THE CREW SAFELY BAILED OUT OVER GERMANY AND HOLLAND BEFORE THE B-24 BLEW UP AS IT REACHED THE ENGLISH CHANNEL JUST 5 MINUTES FROM THE WENDLING AIR BASE. AS A RESULT OF THIS FIRST MISSION, WAS IMPRISONED AT STALAG LUFT 3, MARCHED TO SPREMBURG IN THE FREEZING WINTER JANUARY 27, 1945, WHERE THE ALLIED OFFICER PRISONERS OF WAR WERE PLACED IN 40X8 HORSE RAIL CARS, AND SENT TO NUREMBURG STALAG 13D, UNTIL EARLY APRIL WHEN THEY WERE MARCHED TO MOOSBURG, NEAR MUNICH, STALAG 7A, FROM WHERE HE WAS LIBERATED BY GENERAL PATTON’S 14TH ARMORED DIVISION ON APRIL 29, 1945. AWARDED THE PRIONSER OF WAR MEDAL, AIR FORCE RESERVE MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH ONE BRONZE SERVICE STAR, AIR FORCE LONGEVITY SERVICE AWARD WITH 4 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, MARKSMAN BADGE WITH PISTOL BAR, SHARPSHOOTER BADGE WITH MACHINE GUN AND CARBINE BAR, TWO OVERSEAS SERVICE BARS AND NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL.