World War II Honoree

Frederick Joseph 'Fred' Bird

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY IN FEBRUARY, 1941. TRANSFERRED TO THE ARMY AIR FORCES (AAF) IN JULY, 1941. SENT TO RADIO SCHOOL, AAF TECHNICAL TRAINING COMMAND AT SCOTT FIELD AT BELLEVILLE, ILLINOIS. AFTER GRADUATION IN DECEMBER, 1941, HE WAS RETAINED IN THE SCHOOL AS A RADIO MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTOR. APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A NAVIGATOR. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PREFLIGHT SCHOOL, FLEXIBLE GUNNERY SCHOOL, AND BASIC NAVIGATION TRAINING AT THE AAF GULF COAST TRAINING CENTERS AT ELLINGTON FIELD AT HOUSTON, TEXAS AND ADVANCED NAVIGATION TRAINING AT HONDO ARMY AIR FIELD IN TEXAS, WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER NAVIGATOR WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT ON APRIL 1, 1943. NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR BOMBARDMENT UNIT TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT AT BLYTHE ARMY AIR FIELD IN CALIFORNIA AND WALLA WALLA ARMY AIR FIELD IN WASHINGTON. FLEW TO ENGLAND AND JOINED THE 8TH AIR FORCE. SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ NAVIGATOR OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER DURING THE WAR. AS A NAVIGATOR, PLOTTED THE COURSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO AND FROM THE TARGET AREA, FURNISHED THE PILOT WITH FLIGHT DIRECTIONS EN ROUTE, AND KEPT THE FLIGHT LOG BOOK. ALSO SERVED AS AN AERIAL GUNNER WHEN UNDER ATTACK. STATIONED IN ENGLAND, HE PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE CAMPAIGN. HIS GROUP SERVED PRIMARILY AS A STRATEGIC BOMBING ORGANIZATION, ATTACKING SHIPYARDS, HARBORS, RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS, AIRFIELDS, AIRCRAFT FACTORIES, OIL REFINERIES AND STORAGE FACILITIES, AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL TARGETS. HE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED 13 BOMBING MISSIONS; ON HIS 14TH, A MISSION TO SCHWEINFURT, GERMANY, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN AND HE WAS FORCED TO BAIL OUT. HE WAS TAKEN AS A PRISONER OF WAR (POW) BY GERMAN FORCES ON OCTOBER 14, 1943 AND SENT TO STALAG LUFT III, SOME 100 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERLIN. HIS POW CAMP WAS LIBERATED BY AMERICAN FORCES ON APRIL 29, 1945. AFTER HIS RELEASE, HE WAS FLOWN TO LE HAVRE, FRANCE WHERE HE BOARDED A SHIP FOR REPATRIATION TO THE UNITED STATES. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN DECEMBER, 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.