World War II Honoree

Robert E. Gillen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Portland, Oregon

Honored By

Jerry Penry

RANK: 1ST LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS A COPILOT IN A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER, WHO WAS KILLED DECEMBER 15, 1943 ALONG WITH THE FLIGHT ENGINEER DURING AN ATTEMPTED LANDING AT THE KEARNEY NEBRASKA ARMY AIR FIELD. THE FLIGHT, AN AIRCRAFT FERRYING MISSION HAD ORIGINATED AT CHEYENNE, WYOMING AND ITS DESTINATION WAS THE KEARNEY AIR FIELD. AFTER THE BOMBER HAD ENTERED THE LANDING PATTERN AND HAD LINED UPON THE APPROACH, THE PILOT DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS TO LOW IN ALTITUDE AND WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. THE PLANE CRASHED THROUGH A GROUP OF TREES AND THEN NOSED INTO A STEEP BANK OF A CREEK BED. THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS DUE TO AN INCORRECT SETTING OF THE ALTIMETER GAUGE AT THE CHEYENNE AIR FIELD.