World War II Honoree

Owen J. Baggett

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fort Scott, Kansas

Honored By

A Fellow Veteran

HE JOINED THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND GRADUATED PILOT TRAINING ON JULY 26, 1942 AT THE NEW COLUMBUS ARMY FLYING SCHOOL. ON MARCH 31, 1943 THE SQUADRON WAS INSTRUCTED TO DESTROY A BRIDGE AT PYINMANA, BUT BEFORE REACHING THEIR TARGET THE B-24 BOMBERS WERE ATTACKED BY JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HIS PLANE WAS BADLY HIT, AND THE CREW WERE ORDERED TO BAIL OUT. AS THE B-24 EXPLODED, THE JAPANESE PILOTS ATTEMPTED TO SHOOT THE U.S. AIRMEN AS THEY PARACHUTED TO EARTH, ONE PLANE APPROACHING HIM WITHIN FEET, AND THEN, NOSE-UP AND IN AN ALMOST-STALL, THE PILOT OPENED HIS CANOPY. HE SHOT THE JAPANESE PILOT WITH HIS PISTOL, BECOMING THE ONLY PERSON TO DOWN A JAPANESE AIRPLANE WITH A .45 HANDGUN. HE WAS LATER CAPTURED BY THE JAPANESE, AND HELD FOR OVER TWO YEARS. AFTER 30 MONTHS CAPTIVITY, HE AND 37 OTHER PRISONERS OF WAR WERE LIBERATED BY 8 OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICE AGENTS WHO PARACHUTED INTO SINGAPORE. WHILE ASSIGNED TO MITCHELL AIR FORCE BASE, HE WAS NOTED FOR HIS ASSIGNMENT WORKING WITH CHILDREN, INCLUDING SPONSORING A BOY AND A GIRL TO BE COMMANDER FOR A DAY. HE RETIRED FROM THE AIR FORCE AS A COLONEL.