World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Lester D. Folwell
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Des Moines, Iowa
Honored By
Disabled American Veterans
CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY IN JANUARY 1943. TOOK BASIC TRAINING IN ST. LOUIS AND FROM THERE SENT TO CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA, THEN AIR CADET SCHOOL IN SAN ANTOINE, TEXAS AND BALLINGER, TEXAS FOR PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL. BASIC FLYING TAKEN IN SHERMAN, TEXAS AND ADVANCE FLYING IN HOUSTON, TEXAS WHERE UPON GRADUATION RECEIVE WINGS AS A 2ND LIEUTENANT. ASSIGNED TO B-26 CREW AS A CO-PILOT. SHIPPED TO ENGLAND AND THEN TO CAMBRIA, FRANCE TO THE 384TH BOMB GROUP, 584TH SQUADRON IN OCTOBER 1944. TAKEN POW WHEN PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN BY FLAK. ESCAPED AND SENT TO NAPLES, ITALY WHERE PUT ON AN AMERICAN SHIP, THE SS POSTON AND RETURNED TO NEW YORK IN APRIL 1945.