World War II Honoree

George Frederick 'Fred' Hamburger

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Weatherford, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

Relationship

Relationship Not Determined

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTENDING TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE. TRAINED INITIALLY IN THE AMERICAN THEATER FOR ENTRY-LEVEL ‘BASIC TRAINING’ AND THEN FOR ADVANCED MILITARY OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTY (MOS) QUALIFICATION. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE NORTH AFRICAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (NATOUSA) IN TUNESIA, AND THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTOUSA) BASED AT SAN GIOVANNI, ITALY, WITH THE 455TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP 'VULGAR VULTURES', A B-24 'LIBERATOR' HEAVY BOMBER UNIT, 15TH AIR FORCE. THE 15TH AIR FORCE WAS THE DAYLIGHT STRATEGIC BOMBING ELEMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN ALLIED AIR FORCES, WITH AN AREA OF OPERATIONS INCLUDING AUSTRIA, THE BALKINS, ITALY, GERMANY, THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF FRANCE, POLAND AND HUNGARY. DURING THE WINTER OF 1943-44, MOST MISSIONS WERE DEVOTED TO THE GROUND CAMPAIGN IN ITALY. HE WAS AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER (2 AWARDS) FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT IN COMBAT AT STEYER, AUSTRIA ON APRIL 2, 1944, AND AGAIN AT MOESBIERBAUM, AUSTRIA ON JUNE 26, 1944. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF TECHNICAL SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. RECALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY AFTER THE WAR AND SERVED UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED.