World War II Honoree

Nathan U. Firestone

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Highland Park, Illinois

Honored By

Ben Rothschild

Relationship

Grandson

One civilian turning soldier during WWII. Transferring from the Signal Corps to the Air Corps to become a pilot. After washing out and becoming a navigator and being sent to Italy to take his part in the war effort. Then becoming a lead navigator and trading a pencil for a couple of Caliber 50 machine guns, thereby flying in the nose turret of the lead ship, meaning that he was the first person over the target, it could not be surprising to get shot down and become a P.O.W. It took six months to leave enemy territory and rejoin the U.S. Forces with the advancing 69th Division and then get home on VE Day.