Forrest L. Vosler
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| T/Sgt Forrest L. Vosler
United States Army Air Corps |
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| July 29, 1923 – February 17, 1992 (aged 68) | |
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| Place of birth | Lyndonville, New York |
| Place of death | Titusville, Florida |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Corps |
| Years of service | ?1942?-October 1944 |
| Rank | Technical Sergeant |
| Unit | 358th Bomb Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Silver Star Purple Heart Air Medal |
Forrest L. Vosler, a B-17 Flying Fortress radio operator, was the second enlisted airman to ever receive a Medal of Honor.
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[edit] Biography
On a mission to Bremen, Germany, radio operator Tech. Sgt. Forrest Vosler was hit twice by 20mm shrapnel after taking the place of one of the gunners. Despite his injuries, he managed to tend to the wounded tail gunner, repair the damaged radio equipment and send off distress signals before the aircraft ditched into the sea. Sergeant Vosler was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the mission.
Sergeant Vosler was assigned to the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, based at Molesworth RAF, England. At about 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 20, 1943, Sergeant Vosler left on his fourth combat mission. His plane, on its 28th combat flight, was a B-17F named the "Jersey Bounce Jr.," S/N 42-29664. The plane and crew reached the target area of Bremen, Germany, just before noon. The bombers encountered concentrated, accurate and intense flak over Axis territory. In addition to the antiaircraft fire, about 125 German fighters repeatedly attacked the formation. This was a costly mission for the 8th Air Force, a total of 27 bombers, including the "Jersey Bounce Jr." were lost on the Dec. 20 mission.
[edit] Medal of Honor citation
VOSLER, FORREST L. (Air Mission) Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 358th Bomber Squadron, 303d Bomber Group. Place and date. Over Bremen, Germany, 20 December 1943. Entered service at: Rochester, New York. Born: 29 July 1923, Lyndonville, New York. G.O. No.: 73, 6 September 1944.
Citation:
- For conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio operator-air gunner on a heavy bombardment aircraft in a mission over Bremen, Germany, on 20 December 1943. After bombing the target, the aircraft in which T/Sgt. Vosler was serving was severely damaged by antiaircraft fire, forced out of formation, and immediately subjected to repeated vicious attacks by enemy fighters. Early in the engagement a 20-mm. cannon shell exploded in the radio compartment, painfully wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the legs and thighs. At about the same time a direct hit on the tail of the ship seriously wounded the tail gunner and rendered the tail guns inoperative. Realizing the great need for firepower in protecting the vulnerable tail of the ship, T/Sgt. Vosler, with grim determination, kept up a steady stream of deadly fire. Shortly thereafter another 20-mm. enemy shell exploded, wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the chest and about the face. Pieces of metal lodged in both eyes, impairing his vision to such an extent that he could only distinguish blurred shapes. Displaying remarkable tenacity and courage, he kept firing his guns and declined to take first-aid treatment. The radio equipment had been rendered inoperative during the battle, and when the pilot announced that he would have to ditch, although unable to see and working entirely by touch, T/Sgt. Vosler finally got the set operating and sent out distress signals despite several lapses into unconsciousness. When the ship ditched, T/Sgt. Vosler managed to get out on the wing by himself and hold the wounded tail gunner from slipping off until the other crewmembers could help them into the dinghy. T/Sgt. Vosler's actions on this occasion were an inspiration to all serving with him. The extraordinary courage, coolness, and skill he displayed in the face of great odds, when handicapped by injuries that would have incapacitated the average crewmember, were outstanding.
Taken from U.S. Air Force Biography[1]
