World War II Honoree

Charles Baumgartner

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Sebring, Ohio

Honored By

An Indebted American

ENLISTED IN THE SERVICE AND BECAME A BALL TURRET GUNNER ON A B-24 BOMBER. ASSIGNED TO THE 866TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 494TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP OF THE SEVENTH AIR FORCE. THE UNIT SERVED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND GUAM. IT FLEW THE FIRST B-24 LIBERATOR MISSIONS FROM OKINAWA AGAINST THE JAPANESE HOMELAND. ON JULY 28, 1945, HIS PLANE JOINED A MISSION TO BOMB THE JAPANESE BATTLE SHIP HARUNA IN KURE HARBOR. HIS B-24 WAS HIT BY ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE AND WENT INTO A STEEP DIVE. HE WAS ABLE TO PARACHUTE FROM THE STRICKEN PLANE. HE WAS CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO HIROSHIMA, AND BECAME A PRISONER OF WAR AT THE CHUGOKU MILITARY POLICE HEADQUARTERS NEAR THE EPICENTER. ON AUGUST 6, 1945, THE ATOMIC BOMB WAS DROPPED IN HIROSHIMA, AND HE BECAME A CASUALTY OF THE WAR.