World War II Honoree

J. Wiley Hansen

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Burley, Idaho

Honored By

Sara Spigner

Relationship

Sister-in-Law

Rank: Second Lieutenant. He entered the United States Army Air Corps from California in December 1942. Served as a Bombardier in a B-17G ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber, assigned to the 526th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, 41st Combat Bomb Wing, 1st Bomb Division; a subordinate unit of the United States Eighth ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Corps. His squadron was based at the Royal Air Force Station in Kimbolton Huntington, Cambridgeshire in Great Britain, Army Air Force Station #117. The Flying Fortress came under attack, shot down by German anti-aircraft Artillery fire on a bombing raid to Oranienburg, Germany; Sunday, August 13, 1944 and crashed near Falaise, France. Captured by the German Armed forces after bailing out, HE WAS incarcerated at the German Prisoner of War Camp Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia for 9 ½ months, AND repatriated May 26, 1945. This Lieutenant, an American Patriot, so gallantly served in the defense of his country.