World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Tony Palumbo
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Corona, New York
Honored By
George Weck
AFTER ENLISTING IN 1943, HE PROUDLY SERVED AS A B-17 WAIST GUNNER BASED IN ITALY. HE SURVIVED 50 MISSIONS INCLUDING, IN 1944, MISSIONS OVER A ROMANIAN OIL REFINERY COMPLEX IN PLOESTI. ON ONE MISSION, HE NOTICED THAT HIS TAIL GUNNER HAD PASSED OUT, HIS OXYGEN LINE BLOCKED WITH ICE. WITH A FIVE-MINUTE AUXILIARY OXYGEN TANK, HE CRAWLED TO HIS CREW MATE, REVIVED HIM, CLEARED THE OXYGEN LINE AND MADE IT BACK TO HIS OWN OXYGEN SOURCE BEFORE HIS AIR RAN OUT.