Louis Joseph Sebille
MilitaryThree airmen of the 322nd Bomb Group at Andrews Field. Image via Roland Scott. Written on slide casing : Sebille, Scott, & Posson, Andrews Field. 9/43, 322nd BG. Roger Freeman Collection
Punctuation. - Kickapoo
Sebille joined the US military on the 21st December 1941 after Pearl Harbor in the patriotic rush. He joined the USAAF and began flight training in January 1942. He was commissioned in July of the same year and was assigned to the 450th Bomb Squadron.
The 450th Bomb Squadron was assigned to Britain in 1943 where Sebille flew B-26 Marauder Bombers from 1943-1945. He was promoted to First Lieutenant when the Squadron was assigned to Britain. He is also listed as one of the pilots who flew the first low level attack attempted by B-26s over Europe. In 1943 he was promoted to Captain and he flew many more sorties as Squadron, Group and Wing leader. During the war he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and twelve Air Medals.
After the war he resigned his commission and became a commercial jet pilot. He flew jets for about a year until he was given an offer to rejoin the USAAF as a Lieutenant.
He was shot while flying a Mustang against an armored convoy attacking UN troops in Korea in August 1950. Though not fatally wounded his aircraft was damaged. He purposefully crashed his plane into the convoy stopping them from advancing, however this cost him his life. For this action he was awarded the Medal of Honor making him the first person in the new American Air Force to receive it.
During World War Two he flew 68 combat missions and is credited with 3000 flying hours, 245 of which were combat hours. He is also credited as being one of the few pilots who survived the war who took part in the first of the B-26 missions from Britain.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Battalion?
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 450th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Battalion?
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
- Nicknames: Mild and Bitter
- Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 450th Bomb Squadron 452nd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 14 May 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Great Saling
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Harbor Beach, MI 48441, USA | 21 November 1915 | |
Enlisted |
21 December 1941 | ||
Died |
Gwangsam-Ri | 5 August 1950 | Crashed while attacking a ground convoy in Korea. Died aged 34. |
Other Resigned Commision |
Temporarily resigned his commission to fly commercial jets. | ||
Enlisted |
Rejoined USAAF as a Lieutenant | ||
Buried |
Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130, USA | Buried the same month he died. Exact date not available. |
Revisions
Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “Sebille” was misspelled.
Sources:
https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cm…
AAM website
Sources:
USAAF records
Findagrave.com
Page 62, The Mighty Eighth in Color, Roger Freeman