World War II Honoree

Robert E. Femoyer

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Huntington, West Virginia

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

WAS POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. SECOND LIEUTENANT, 711TH BOMB SQUADRON, 447TH BOMB GROUP, U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS. PLACE AND DATE: OVER MERSEBURG, GERMANY, NOVEMBER 2, 1944. ENTERED SERVICE AT JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. CITATION FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY NEAR MERSEBURG, GERMANY, ON NOVEMBER 2, 1944. WHILE ON A MISSION, THE BOMBER, OF WHICH 2ND LIEUTENANT FEMOYER WAS THE NAVIGATOR, WAS STRUCK BY 3 ENEMY ANTI-AIRCRAFT SHELLS. THE PLANE SUFFERED SERIOUS DAMAGE AND 2ND LIEUTENANT FEMOYER WAS SEVERELY WOUNDED IN THE SIDE AND BACK BY SHELL FRAGMENTS WHICH PENETRATED HIS BODY. IN SPITE OF EXTREME PAIN AND GREAT LOSS OF BLOOD HE REFUSED AN OFFERED INJECTION OF MORPHINE. HE WAS DETERMINED TO KEEP HIS MENTAL FACULTIES CLEAR IN ORDER THAT HE MIGHT DIRECT HIS PLANE OUT OF DANGER AND SO SAVE HIS COMRADES. NOT BEING ABLE TO ARISE FROM THE FLOOR, HE ASKED TO BE PROPPED UP IN ORDER TO ENABLE HIM TO SEE HIS CHARTS AND INSTRUMENTS. HE SUCCESSFULLY DIRECTED THE NAVIGATION OF HIS LONE BOMBER FOR 2-1/2 HOURS SO WELL IT AVOIDED ENEMY FLAK AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD WITHOUT FURTHER DAMAGE. ONLY WHEN THE PLANE HAD ARRIVED IN THE SAFE AREA OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL DID HE FEEL THAT HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED HIS OBJECTIVE; THEN, AND ONLY THEN, HE PERMITTED AN INJECTION OF A SEDATIVE. HE DIED SHORTLY AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE PLANE. THE HEROISM AND SELF-SACRIFICE OF 2ND LIEUTENANT FEMOYER ARE IN KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE U.S. ARMY.