World War II Honoree

Gottfried L. 'Larry' Gorr

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Maywood, Illinois

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DEPLOYED WITH HIS UNIT TO ENGLAND IN APRIL, 1943. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AS A FIRST LIEUTENANT WITH THE 511TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (HEAVY), 351ST BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 8TH AIR FORCE. STATIONED AT RAF POLEBROOK (AAF-110), NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ENGLAND. HIS SQUADRON WAS ASSIGNED TO VIII BOMBER COMMAND AND FLEW STRATEGIC BOMBING COMBAT MISSIONS ABOARD B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' BOMBER AIRCRAFT. ALSO FLEW A NUMBER OF MISSIONS AS A RADAR SPECIALIST WHEN THE TECHNOLOGY WAS EXPERIMENTAL. FLEW SOME 24 COMBAT MISSIONS AND OTHER MISSIONS, INCLUDING AFTER THE WAR TO RETURN GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS GROUP ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS INCLUDING ON OCTOBER 9, 1943 AT ANKLAM, GERMANY AND ON JANUARY 11, 1944. CONTINUED IN SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.