World War II Honoree

Melvin E. Hertel

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fayette, Texas

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: TECHNICAL SERGEANT HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS AUGUST 8, 1942 AT FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS. SERVED AS A B-17F ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ BOMBER RADIO OPERATOR/GUNNER, WHO EXPERIENCED COMBAT IN THE EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN THEATERS OF OPERATION. HIS COMBAT UNIT WAS THE 341ST BOMBER SQUADRON, 97TH BOMBER GROUP, UNITED STATES 15TH ARMY AIR FORCE, STATIONED AT DEPIENNE AIRFIELD, TUNISIA NORTH AFRICA. ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1943 HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION DURING A BOMBING RAID ON THE ISTRES-LE-TUBE GERMAN AIRDROME, LOCATED NEAR MARSEILLES, FRANCE. WHILE THE PILOT WAS MAKING A SECOND PASS OVER THE TARGET, THE ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ WAS HIT BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY FIRE AND CRASHED INTO LAKE LAVALDUC. HIS REMAINS WERE RECOVERED ‘EXACT DATE UNKNOWN’, AND WERE BURIED IN AN UNKNOWN CEMETERY. IN THE LATE POSTWAR ERA, HIS REMAINS WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE RHONE AMERICAN CEMETERY LOCATED AT DRAGUIGAN (VAR), FRANCE. A MEMORIAL, COMMEMORATING THE MEMORY OF THE CREW AND THE B-17 ‘HOMESICK ANGEL’ HAS BEEN ERECTED IN ISTRES-LE-TUBE, FRANCE. DECORATIONS AND CITATIONS: AIR MEDAL WITH AN OAK LEAF CLUSTER AND THE PURPLE HEART. HE WAS AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WHILE PARTICIPATING IN AERIAL FLIGHT. THIS AIRMAN, AN AMERICAN PATRIOT, WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART FOR HIS SUPREME SACRIFICE IN DEFENSE OF HIS COUNTRY.