World War II Honoree

Ernest J. Musser, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: STAFF SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS MARCH 25, 1943 AT ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA. SERVED AS A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER WAIST GUNNER ASSIGNED TO THE 860TH BOMB SQUADRON, 493RD BOMB GROUP, 93RD BOMB WING, U.S. 8TH AIR FORCE ‘MIGHTY EIGHTH’. HIS UNIT WAS BASED AT THE DEBACH ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRFIELD IN ENGLAND, UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #152. KILLED IN ACTION TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1944 DURING A BOMBING RAID ON AN ORDNANCE DEPOT AT MAGDEBURG, GERMANY. HIS FLYING FORTRESS WAS SHOT DOWN BY ARTILLERY FLAK, CRASHING IN THE VICINITY OF THE ASSIGNED TARGET. THERE WERE 9 CREWMEN AND 1 OBSERVER ON BOARD, 5 WERE KILLED AND THE OTHER 5 WERE CAPTURED AFTER BAILING OUT. HE IS BURIED IN THE ARDENNES AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT NEUPRE (NEUVILLE-EN-CONDROZ), BELGIUM. DECORATIONS AND MEDALS: AIR MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS AND A PURPLE HEART. THE AIR MEDAL WAS AWARDED TO THE SERGEANT FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT.