World War II Honoree

Ned S. Raun

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Nebraska

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1943. 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 AND ADVANCED NAVIGATION TRAINING, WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER NAVIGATOR WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR UNIT TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY ON IN COMBAT. DEPLOYED TO ENGLAND AND JOINED THE 8TH AIR FORCE. SERVED AS A B-17 ‘FLYING FORTRESS’ NAVIGATOR OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 92ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY), 8TH AIR FORCE, STATIONED AT PODINGTON, ENGLAND, DURING THE WAR. HIS UNIT’S AREA OF OPERATIONS INCLUDED GERMANY AND OCCUPIED EUROPE. HIS UNIT PARTICIPATED IN THE NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. HIS UNIT SERVED PRIMARILY AS A DAYLIGHT STRATEGIC BOMBING ORGANIZATION, ATTACKING U-BOAT DOCKING AND REPAIR FACILITIES, SHIPYARDS, HARBORS, V-1 BUZZ BOMB AND V-2 MISSILE SITES, RAILWAY MARSHALLING YARDS, AIRFIELDS, AND THE GERMAN INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING AIRCRAFT FACTORIES, AND STORAGE FACILITIES. AS A NAVIGATOR, HE 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. THE GROUP ALSO SUPPORTED ALLIED GROUND FORCE OPERATIONS WITH INTERDICTORY AND PREPARATORY BOMBING. IT ASSISTED THE NORMANDY D-DAY INVASION IN JUNE, 1944 BY HITTING GUN EMPLACEMENTS, JUNCTIONS, AND MARSHALLING YARDS IN THE BEACHHEAD AREA. IT SUPPORTED GROUND FORCES AT ST. LO IN FRANCE DURING THE BREAKTHROUGH IN JULY, 1944. THEN, BOMBED GUN POSITIONS AND BRIDGES TO AID THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT ON HOLLAND, AS PART OF OPERATION 'MARKET-GARDEN' IN SEPTEMBER, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, IN DECEMBER, 1944 TO JANUARY, 1945, BY ATTACKING BRIDGES AND MARSHALLING YARDS IN AND NEAR THE BATTLE AREA. ALSO, BOMBED AIRFIELDS NEAR THE LANDING ZONE TO COVER THE AIRBORNE ASSAULT ACROSS THE RHINE RIVER IN OPERATION 'VARSITY' IN MARCH, 1945. HIS GROUP LED THE 8TH AIR FORCE ON THE LAST BOMBING MISSION OF THE WAR. THE GROUP DEPLOYED FORWARD TO FRANCE IN JUNE, 1945, AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES, AND WAS STATIONED AT ISTRES. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1945 AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.