World War II Honoree

Perla Roy Fees

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Concordia, Kansas

Honored By

Pauline

Relationship

Wife

INDUCTED OCTOBER 5, 1942 AT CONCORDIA, CLOUD COUNTY, KANSAS. BASIC TRAINING AT EL RENO, OKLAHOMA, AND PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING IN LAS VEGAS THEN GUNNERY AND ARMORER SCHOOL AT LOWRY FIELD, COLORADO. BEGAN CREW TRAINING ON B-17 FOUR ENGINE BOMBER AT TAMPA, FLORIDA, THEN TRANSFERRED TO HELMSLEY, SOUTH HANTS, ENGLAND AND TRAINED ON B-26 TWIN ENGINE BOMBER. FLEW MISSIONS OUT OF ARMY AIR FORCE STATION # 455 WITH THE 585TH BOMB SQUADRON, 394TH BOMB GROUP AND 9TH ARMY AIR FORCE, KNOWN AS THE 'BRIDGE BUSTERS'. ON HIS 3RD AND LAST MISSION HE FLEW THE WAIST GUN POSITION. THE MISSION WAS TO BOMB THE L'ISLE ADAM RAILROAD BRIDGE, NORTH OF PARIS. ON THE INITIAL POINT AND BOMB RUN THE RIGHT ENGINE RECEIVED A DIRECT HIT AND CAUGHT FIRE, THE B-26 VEERED TO THE RIGHT SHARPLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN STABLE FLIGHT AND RETURNED TO FORMATION AND SUCCESSFULLY BOMBED THE BRIDGE. AS THE SHIP THEN EXPLODED, HE WAS SAVED BY PARACHUTE, AND BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR AND WAS INTERRED AT STALAG LUFT IV NEAR THE BALTIC SEA. WAS INVOLVED IN THE FORCED MARCH FROM STALAG LUFT IV; JANUARY 27, 1945 TO LIBERATION APRIL 29, 1945, BY PATTON'S 3RD ARMY. HE RETURNED HOME AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED AT THE ARMY AIR FORCE SEPARATION CENTER, SIOUX CITY, IOWA ON NOVEMBER 19, 1945. HE EARNED THE AMERICAN THEATER SERVICE MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN SERVICE MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE STARS, ONE SERVICE STRIPE, ONE OVERSEAS SERVICE BAR, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND THE PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL.