World War II Honoree

George N. Crowell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Carbondale, Illinois

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: FLIGHT OFFICER. SERVED AS A DOUGLAS C-47 ‘SKYTRAIN’ TRANSPORT COPILOT ASSIGNED TO THE 96TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 440TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, IX TROOP CARRIER COMMAND, A COMPONENT UNIT OF THE U.S. 9TH AIR FORCE. HE WAS STATIONED AT THE ROYAL AIR FORCE EXETER AIRFIELD, U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #463 ENGLAND. KILLED IN ACTION IN THE EARLY, MORNING HOURS, AT 01:40 ON D-DAY, TUESDAY, JUNE 6, 1944 IN THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THIS WAS THE INVASION OF GERMANY’S FORTRESS EUROPE, CODE NAME: OPERATION OVERLORD. HE DIED ALONG WITH 3 OTHER AIR CREWMEMBERS WHEN HIS C-47 WAS SHOT DOWN AND CRASHED INTO THE BAY OF THE SEINE. THE DOOMED AIRCRAFT HAD ENCOUNTERED A CONCENTRATION OF FLAK, MACHINE GUN AND SMALL ARMS FIRE AS IT APPROACHED DROP ZONE-D LOCATED NEAR ANGOVILLE-AU-PLAIN ON THE FRENCH COTENTIN PENINSULA. ALL 17 PARATROOPERS ON BOARD WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE CRIPPLED AIRCRAFT AND JUMPED INTO THEIR DESIGNATED DROP ZONE. HE IS BURIED IN THE NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE. DECORATIONS AND MEDALS: AIR MEDAL AND THE PURPLE HEART. THE AIR MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO THE FLIGHT OFFICER FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT.