World War II Honoree

Ramiro G. Cortez

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS 20 YEARS OLD WHEN HE ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS IN NOVEMBER 1942. HE WAS SWORN IN AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND SPENT THE FIRST WEEK, AS REQUESTED, AT BROOKS FIELD AIR FORCE BASE. AFTER THAT HE WAS SENT TO BUCKLEY FIELD IN COLORADO FOR MACHINE-GUN TRAINING. AFTER PASSING HIS BASIC TRAINING HE SIGNED UP FOR TAIL-GUNNER ON B-17 AIRCRAFT AS HE WOULD EARN EXTRA PAY. HE REQUESTED FLIGHT SCHOOL AND WAS SENT BACK TO SAN ANTONIO FOR FLIGHT TRAINING BUT WASHED OUT DUE TO A PHYSICAL PROBLEM. HE WAS REASSIGNED TO THE 1ST AIR DIVISION, 8TH AIR FORCE, 351ST BOMB GROUP. HE WAS PART OF A LARGE FLIGHT OF B-17 AIRCRAFT TO BOMB A BALL BEARING PLANT AT SCHWEINFURT, GERMANY WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SLOWING DOWN THE MANUFACTURING OF WAR MACHINES. HE WAS SENT BACK TO BE RETRAINED IN THE B-29 BUT WHILE THERE THE BOMB WAS DROPPED AND JAPAN SURRENDERED. HE WAS TRANSFERRED BACK TO THE STATES AND WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE AIR CORPS IN NOVEMBER OF 1945.