World War II Honoree

Henry Hartgers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

LEFT COLLEGE BEFORE GRADUATION TO ENTER MILITARY SERVICE. APPLIED AND WAS ACCEPTED FOR OFFICER TRAINING AT FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA. UPON COMPLETION OF OFFICER TRAINING, HE WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. APPLIED AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PRIMARY, BASIC, AND ADVANCED FLYING SCHOOLS, HE WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT TRAINING, AND AWARDED HIS SILVER LIAISON PILOT WINGS. NEXT, ASSIGNED TO AN ORGANIC AIR OBSERVATION UNIT OF THE FIELD ARTILLERY FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT. SERVED AS A LIAISON (OBSERVATION) PILOT OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO). FLEW LIGHT OBSERVATION AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING THE L-4 (O-59) PIPER 'GRASSHOPPER' ('CUB') DURING THE WAR. HIS PILOTING DUTIES INCLUDED AERIAL OBSERVATION, TARGET LOCATION AND MARKING, REGISTERING AND ADJUSTING ARTILLERY FIRES, FRIENDLY LOCATION AND ORIENTATION GUIDANCE, INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, ROUTE RECONNAISSANCE, CONVOY ESCORT, RESUPPLY AND MESSAGE AND MAIL DROPS, RADIO RELAY, AND LIMITED PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION AND MEDICAL EVACUATION. HIS 'LOW AND SLOW' PLANE, WHILE VULNERABLE TO ENEMY GROUND FIRE, HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ABLE TO OPERATE FROM UNIMPROVED SHORT-FIELD STRIPS AND A LONG LOITER TIME OVER THE OPERATIONAL AREA. LIKEWISE, THE ENEMY UNDERSTOOD THAT ENGAGING HIS AIRCRAFT WOULD LIKELY RESULT IN BETRAYING THEIR LOCATION AND THEIR ENGAGEMENT BY IN-COMING HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE. THAT DETERRANT HELPED HIS SURVIVABILITY WHILE ALLOWING HIM TO INFLUENCE THE COURSE OF BATTLEFIELD COMBAT OPERATIONS. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.