Oscar was riding in a McCamy Texas school bus traveling from Austin Texas back to McCamy when he heard about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sunday December7, 1941.
Oscar was inducted into the US Army Air Corp on November 28, 1942 at the age of 18. He began pilot training after boot camp, and soon found himself on the way to Italy.
This author had an uncle that was in the “Checkertails” of the 15th Air Force. He was based at Foggia, Italy where I believe Oscar was based as well. Oscar was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 52nd Fighter Group, of the 2nd Fighter Squadron.
Oscar flew P-51 Mustangs which is considered to be the finest fighter of WWII. He flew 50 combat missions and attained 250 combat hours as a fighter pilot.
His duties while in Italy were as a fighter pilot, but he also was the Operations Officer, and Director of Personnel.
During his time with the 15th Air Force, Oscar flew many missions that involved strafing and bombing German troop transports, aircraft on the ground, and trains. Trains were particularly dangerous to attack because many were heavily fortified with flak guns on flatbed railcars.
However Oscar’s most memorable experience was when he shot down a German Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf FW-190 fighter. This was considered by many to be the hottest German fighter (before the ME-262 jet) in the Luftwaffe inventory.
Oscar received the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) with four oak leaf clusters, and the European Theater Ribbon with seven battle stars.
He had a long career in the Air Corps, later the US Air Force. Oscar retired in 1976 with the rank of Major.
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