World War II Honoree

Elbert Lee Bazhaw

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Tuttle, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE ON OCTOBER 31, 1942. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER AS A TAIL GUNNER ABOARD B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER AIRCRAFT WITH THE 384TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY), 8TH AIR FORCE. HE ARRIVED IN ENGLAND IN LATE OCTOBER, 1943 AND WAS STATIONED AT ROYAL AIR FORCE GRAFTON UNDERWOOD IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. HIS GROUP SERVED PRIMARILY AS A STRATEGIC BOMBING ORGANIZATION AND HE FLEW ON 29 MISSIONS OVER THE CONTINENT. PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE CAMPAIGN. TOOK PART IN ATTACKING HARBORS, RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS, AIRFIELDS, AIRCRAFT FACTORIES, OIL REFINERIES AND STORAGE FACILITIES, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL TARGETS. THE GROUP MADE A DAMAGING RAID ON AIRCRAFT FACTORIES IN CENTRAL GERMANY ON JANUARY 11, 1944 AND RECEIVED A DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (DUC) FOR THE ACTION. TOOK PART IN THE CAMPAIGN OF HEAVY BOMBERS AGAINST THE GERMAN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY DURING OPERATION ‘BIG WEEK’ IN FEBRUARY 20-25, 1944. RECEIVED ANOTHER DUC FOR THE MISSION OF APRIL 24, 1944 WHEN THE GROUP, ALTHOUGH CRIPPLED BY HEAVY LOSSES OF MEN AND PLANES, LED THE WING THROUGH ALMOST OVERWHELMING OPPOSITION TO ATTACK AN AIRCRAFT FACTORY AND AIRFIELD AT OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, GERMANY. HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES ON JUNE 4, 1944. AWARDED THE AERIAL GUNNER BADGE, AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION WITH OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS GROUP IN CENTRAL GERMANY AND AGAIN AT OBERPFAFFENHOFEN, GERMANY. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN NOVEMBER, 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.