World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Leonard M. Banther, Jr.
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
RANK: STAFF SERGEANT. HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS SEPTEMBER 12, 1942 AT TULSA, OKLAHOMA. SERVED AS A B-17G ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER FLIGHT ENGINEER/TOP TURRET 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. ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1944 DURING A BOMBING RAID ON AN ORDNANCE DEPOT AT MAGDEBURG, GERMANY, HIS FLYING FORTRESS WAS HIT BY ARTILLERY FLAK AND SHOT DOWN. THERE WERE 9 CREWMEN AND 1 OBSERVER ON BOARD; 5 WERE KILLED AND THE OTHER 5 PARACHUTED TO SAFETY. AFTER BAILING OUT OF THE CRIPPLED BOMBER, HE WAS CAPTURED BY THE GERMAN ARMED FORCES AND HELD IN CAPTIVITY AT THE GERMAN PRISONER OF WAR CAMP, STALAG LUFT 4, GROSS-TYCHOW, PRUSSIA. HE WAS REPATRIATED AND RETURNED TO MILITARY CONTROL AFTER THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER.