World War II Honoree

Herbert 'Herb' A. Osburn

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Honored By

Hal D. Terrell

Relationship

WWII Buddy

COMPLETED 16 COMBAT MISSIONS AS A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS BOMBER FLIGHT ENGINEER AND TOP TURRET GUNNER IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE (NICKNAME: MIGHTY EIGHTH), 94TH BOMB GROUP, 410TH BOMB SQUADRON, STATIONED AT ROUGHAM FIELD, BURY ST. EDMONDS, ENGLAND, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION 468. CAMPAIGNS AND AIR BATTLES: AIR OFFENSIVE EUROPE: NORTHERN FRANCE, CENTRAL EUROPE, RHINELAND AND AIR COMBAT EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER. AFTER ALL HOSTILITIES HAD CEASED WITH THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES, HE AND HIS CREW WERE TRANSFERRED TO ORAN, NORTH AFRICA AND LATER TO DAKAR, FRENCH WEST AFRICA WHERE THEY FLEW PHOTO AND MAP MAKING MISSIONS. PRIOR TO HIS EUROPEAN THEATER TOUR, HE COMPLETED BASIC MILITARY TRAINING AT SHEPPARD AIR FIELD, TEXAS; AIRCRAFT MECHANICS SCHOOLING AT AMARILLO ARMY AIR FIELD, TEXAS; GUNNERY TRAINING AT LAS VEGAS ARMY AIR FIELD, NEVADA; AND B-17 AIRCREW ASSEMBLY AT RAPID CITY AIR FIELD, SOUTH DAKOTA. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION, THE ARMY GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND HIS AIRCREW MEMBER SILVER WINGS. HE ENTERED THE SERVICE AUGUST 1943 AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED MARCH 1946 AT FORT BLISS, TEXAS.