World War II Honoree

Robert E. 'Bob' Fairbairn, Sr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 17, 1940 AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. APPLIED AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING. AFTER TRAINING, ASSIGNED TO THE 460TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY). STATIONED WITH HIS UNIT IN THE AMERICAN THEATER AT ALAMOGORDO ARMY AIR FIELD, NEW MEXICO; KEARNS ARMY AIR BASE, UTAH; AND CHATHAM ARMY AIR FIELD, GEORGIA. TRAINED FOR COMBAT WITH B-24 'LIBERATOR' BOMBER AIRCRAFT. DEPLOYED TO SOUTHERN ITALY AND WAS STATIONED AT SPINAZZOLA, ITALY, EAST OF NAPLES, IN FEBRUARY, 1944, AS PART OF THE 15TH AIR FORCE. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN (EAME) THEATER DURING THE WAR. PARTICIPATED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, AIR COMBAT-EAME THEATER, AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE, ROME-ARNO, NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, SOUTHERN FRANCE, NORTH APENNINES, AND RHINELAND CAMPAIGNS. ENTERED COMBAT IN MARCH, 1944 AND OPERATED PRIMARILY AS A STRATEGIC BOMBARDMENT ORGANIZATION. ATTACKED OIL REFINERIES, OIL STORAGE FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT FACTORIES, RAILROAD CENTERS, INDUSTRIAL AREAS, AND OTHER OBJECTIVES IN ITALY, FRANCE, GERMANY, POLAND, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, HUNGARY, AUSTRIA, ROMANIA, YUGOSLAVIA, AND GREECE. ALSO FLEW SOME INTERDICTORY AND SUPPORT MISSIONS. HIS UNIT RECEIVED A DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (DUC) FOR LEADING THE WING FORMATION THROUGH ADVERSE WEATHER AND HEAVY ENEMY FIRE TO ATTACK AN AIRDROME AND AIRCRAFT FACILITIES IN ZWOLFAXING, IN LOWER AUSTRIA SOUTHEAST OF VIENNA, ON JULY 16, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE IN AUGUST, 1944 BY STRIKING SUBMARINE PENS, MARSHALLING YARDS, AND GUN POSITIONS IN THE ASSAULT AREA. HIT BRIDGES, VIADUCTS, AMMUNITION DUMPS, RAILROADS, AND OTHER TARGETS TO AID THE ADVANCE OF ALLIED FORCES IN NORTHERN ITALY. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS SHOT DOWN ON TWO OCCASIONS. ON THE FIRST, HE ESCAPED AND EVADED CAPTURE AND MADE IT BACK TO ALLIED LINES. HE WAS TAKEN PRISONER THE SECOND TIME IN NORTHERN ITALY IN THE FALL OF 1944. HE WAS IMPRISONED AT STALAG LUFT III IN LOWER SILESIA, GERMANY, SOME 100 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BERLIN. HE AND FELLOW PRISONERS WERE EVACUATED IN THE WINTER OF 1944-45 DUE TO THE ADVANCE OF THE RUSSIAN RED ARMY AND TAKEN TO STALAG XIII-D NUREMBERG-LANGWASSER IN BAVARIA IN SOUTHERN GERMANY. HIS CAMP WAS LIBERATED ON APRIL 16, 1945 BY ADVANCE ELEMENTS OF THE U.S. ARMY, AND HE WAS REPATRIATED TO THE UNITED STATES. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON OCTOBER 9, 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY AFTER THE WAR AND SERVED BRIEFLY UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.