World War II Honoree

Bernard Friedman

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

New York County, New York

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS INDUCTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS OCTOBER 4, 1940 AT NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. SERVED AS A ‘DOUGLAS’ C-47 TROOP TRANSPORT NAVIGATOR IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. AIR FORCES, 91ST SQUADRON, 439TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, 9TH AIR FORCE, STATIONED AT ROYAL AIR FORCE UPOTTERY, ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #462, ENGLAND. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE VAST ARMADA THAT WAS FLYING INTO FRANCE IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON D-DAY, JUNE 6, 1944, THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE. KILLED IN ACTION WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT, THAT WAS ALLOCATED FLIGHT #66 NEARED THE DESIGNATED DROP ZONE WAS HIT BY ENEMY ARTILLERY FLAK AND CRASHED NEAR STE. MERE, EGLISE IN THE VICINITY OF BEUZEVILLE AU PLAIN, FRANCE. THE ACCIDENT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF 17 PARATROOPERS OF THE 506TH PARACHUTE INFANTRY REGIMENT, 101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION AND 4 AIRCREW MEMBERS. A MONUMENT HAS BEEN ERECTED AND SHAPED LIKE THE TAIL RUDDER OF A DAKOTA C-47 AND A PLAQUE WITH THE NAMES OF THE PARATROOPERS AND CREWMEMBERS NEAR STE. MERE, EGLISE. HIS REMAINS WERE RETURNED TO MISSOURI FOR MASS BURIAL, WITH INTERMENT AND FULL MILITARY HONORS MARCH 27, 1951 AT THE JEFFERSON BARRACKS NATIONAL CEMETERY, SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI.