Cleatis was at home in Bonham Texas when he heard the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was Sunday, December 7, 1941.
He joined the Army Air Force on April 7, 1943 at the age of 18.
Cleatis has an interesting story to tell, as he was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress. Of all the gunner positions on bombers during WWII, the ball turret gunner was considered by many to be the most dangerous position on the aircraft. The gunner was positioned in a very small compartment with his knees basically drawn up on either side of his head. And a small door was the only way to get out. Plus being hung out in the bombers freezing slipstream made for a cold, cold ride, especially if the heating element failed in the gunners flying suit.
Cleatis’ B-17 was hit by flak in May 1945. Flames were spreading along the wing near engine #3. The pilot told him to climb out of his turret and prepare to bail out. Cleatis reported that German fighters were still around and the bomber would possibly get hit while the crew prepared to bail out.
The pilot then decided it was better to try and land the plane. An abandoned German airfield came into view and the crew safely and thankfully kissed the ground when the B-17 pulled to a stop. The crew made their way out Germany back to England. They flew three more missions before the war ended.
Cleatis suffered from high altitude frostbite during his missions and continues with treatment even after all these years. He was awarded the Overseas Air Medal, 3 bronze stars, WWII Victory Medal, Good conduct, and his unit, the 452nd Bomb Group of the mighty 8th Air Force, received a Presidential Unit Citation.
He was discharged on November 8, 1945 with the rank of staff sergeant.
No comments:
Post a Comment