Honor Flight DFW profiles Spring-Summer 2013

 

Abner enlisted into the Army Air Corps on February 14, 1941 at the age of 23. Later the name was changed to Army Air Forces.  Abner was trained as a bombardier on B-17 Flying Fortresses. He eventually was sent overseas to Italy. He was assigned to the 15^th Army Air Forces and specifically the 463^rd Bomb group. The 463^rd was based at Foggia, Italy.

The 463rd Bomb Group flew 156 missions in 1944 with Abner’s job being that of the bombardier on a B-17. The 463^rd flew missions over Italy, Germany, Austria, Romania, Yugoslavia and Greece. The 463^rd also flew on the infamous Ploesti, Romania raid on those regions oil fields. Because of weather and miss-communication where some planes turned back, the ones that bombed the target were decimated by German Anti-aircraft fire that was especially heavy since the Nazi’s fanatically wanted to protect their oil reserves.  

 Abner’s most memorable experience was when his B-17 was hit by flak and started burning. The order to bail out was given and Abner and his crew jumped out into the frigid air at 20,000 feet.  

The 463^rd flew into the last days of the war with its last mission on April 26, 1945.

Abner was discharged from the Army Air Force in September 1945 with the rank of 1^st. Lieutenant. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with two clusters.