World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Robert Stafford 'Bob' Hahn, Sr.
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Columbia, Mississippi
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942. MOVED WITH HIS UNIT IN 1943 TO NORTH AFRICA. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN (EAME) THEATER, IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTOUSA), AND EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO) AS A PERSONNEL SERGEANT WITH THE 415TH NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON, 12TH AIR FORCE. HIS PRIMARY DUTY WAS TO KEEP TRACK OF THE SQUADRON'S RESOURCES, INCLUDING PERSONNEL, AND THE PREPARATION OF RELATED STATUS REPORTS AND RECORDS. HIS UNIT PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ANZIO, ROME-ARNO, SOUTHERN FRANCE, RHINELAND, CENTRAL EUROPE, AND AIR COMBAT-EAME CAMPAIGNS. HE WAS STATIONED INITIALLY IN NORTH AFRICA AT MONASTIR AND LA SEBALA AIRFIELDS IN TUNISIA FROM JUNE-SEPTEMBER, 1943; THEN AT CASSIBILE AND CATANIA AIRFIELDS IN SICILY FROM SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER, 1943; ON THE MAINLAND OF ITALY AT MONTECORVINO AIRFIELD BEGINNING IN DECEMBER, 1943 AND AT OTHER ITALIAN FIELDS THROUGH JUNE, 1944; ON CORSICA AT SOLONZARA AIRFIELD FROM JULY-SEPTEMBER, 1944 TO SUPPORT THE INVASION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE; AT LE VALLON AND OTHER AIRFIELDS IN FRANCE FROM SEPTEMBER, 1944-APRIL, 1945; AND FINALLY AT BRAUNSTADT AND ARMY AIR FIELD STATION NORDHOLZ IN NORTHWESTERN GERMANY FROM APRIL, 1945-FEBRUARY, 1946. DEVELOPED A CASE OF YELLOW JAUNDICE WHILE IN SICILY, AND WAS OUT OF ACTION FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE RETURNING TO DUTY WITH HIS UNIT IN CATANIA, SICILY. SPENT CHRISTMAS, 1944 IN A FRENCH ABBEY WHERE HIS FELLOW SOLDIERS CELEBRATED ON 'LIBERATED' BEVERAGES PREPARED BY MONKS, WHILE HE MONITORED THE FESTIVITIES AS THE DESIGNATED DRIVER. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘GERMANY’ CLASP. HE WAS IN GERMANY WITH OCCUPATION FORCES UNTIL JAPAN SURRENDERED AND THE WAR ENDED. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.