Willard A Branch
Military"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 22 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor.
He joined the Army Air Corps in January 1943, trained in Aerial Gunnery and shipped to England on the 'Isle de France' where he joined the 401st at Deenethorpe. He flew 28 combat missions February - April 1945 on 'Shark's Tooth'; his most memorable when they were attacked by the new German jet fighter the ME 262. After VE Day back in the USA he began training on the B-29 but the war ended and he was discharged in October 1945. He afterwards attended college under the GI Bill and was an Industrial Education teacher for 38 years until his retirement in 1989.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
- Role/Job: Radio Operator/Gunner
Revisions
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=2474