World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Harold E. Woodruff
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Honored By
Jerry Penry
RANK: CORPORAL. SERVED AS A BOEING B-29 ‘SUPERFORTRESS’ BOMBER RADIOMAN, WHO WAS KILLED AUGUST 26, 1944 AFTER BAILING-OUT HIS CRIPPLED AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY OF TOBIAS, NEBRASKA. THE B-29 WITH A CREW OF TWELVE AIRMEN HAD TAKEN-OFF FROM SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD, SALINA, KANSAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO BATISTA, CUBA FOR A PRACTICE BOMBING AND NAVIGATION TRAINING MISSION. ON THE RETURN LEG OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT THE BRUNING, NEBRASKA AFTER ENCOUNTERING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER KANSAS. WHILE DESCENDING, HE WAS FORCED TO ABORT THE LANDING DUE TO AN ENGINE FAILURE AND DIVERTED THE FLIGHT TO OMAHA, NEBRASKA ARMY AIR FIELD. SEVERAL OF THE CREW BAILED-OUT AND PARACHUTED TO SAFETY AFTER RECEIVING THE COMMAND TO ABANDON AIRCRAFT, WITH TWO OF THE CREWMEMBERS SUFFERING FATAL INJURIES. THE REMAINING CREW AND BOMBER LATER LANDED SAFELY AT OMAHA.