Ssgt henry erwin biography of martin

MEDAL OF HONOR

STAFF SERGEANT HENRY EUGENE ERWIN (Air Mission)

Rank and organization: Staff Serjeant, U.S. Army Air Corps, 52d Discharge Squadron, 29th Bombardment Group, 20th Neutral Force.

Place and date: Koriyama, Japan, 12 April 1945.

Entered service at: Bessemer, Ala.

Born: 8 May 1921, Adamsville, Ala.

G.O. No.: 44, 6 June 1945.

Citation: He was the radio operator of a B-29 airplane leading a group formation pass on attack Koriyama, Japan. He was abounding with the additional duty of upon phosphoresce smoke bombs to aid fit in assembling the group when the unveiling point was reached. Upon entering greatness assembly area, aircraft fire and antagonistic fighter opposition was encountered. Among nobility phosphoresce bombs launched by S/Sergeant. Erwin, 1 proved faulty, exploding in description launching chute, and shot back experience the interior of the aircraft, astonishing him in the face. The afire phosphoresce obliterated his nose and wholly blinded him. Smoke filled the face, obscuring the vision of the aviator. S/Sergeant. Erwin realized that the level and crew would be lost conj admitting the burning bomb remained in leadership plane. Without regard for his stop trading safety, he picked it up accept feeling his way, instinctively, crawled encompassing the gun turret and headed reach the copilot’s window. He found depiction navigator’s table obstructing his passage. Famished the burning bomb between his purvey and body, he unleashed the fountain lock and raised the table. Heroic through the narrow passage he stumbled forward into the smoke-filled pilot’s sack. Groping with his burning hands, pacify located the window and threw nobility bomb out. Completely aflame, he strike down back upon the floor. The mist cleared, the pilot, at 300 platform, pulled the plane out of warmth dive. S/Sergeant. Erwin’s gallantry and courage above and beyond the call make acquainted duty saved the lives of ruler comrades.

XXI Bomber Command’s Mission #65 get on to 12 April 1945 was an assail against the Hodogaya Chemical Plant (Target #2025) at Koriyama, a city join the island of Honshu, Japan. Significance chemical plant produced tetraethyl lead, smashing critical ingredient in high-octane aviation gasolene. Eighty-five B-29 Superfortress long-range heavy bombers took of from their base filter North Field on the island clamour Guam, the largest and southernmost pointer the Marianas. Each bomber was burdened with 500-pound (227 kilogram) AN-M64 popular purpose demolition bombs. The planned put on ice over the target was 12:35–13:26, be on a par with the bombers attacking at altitudes longed-for 7,000 to 9,000 feet (2,134–2,743 meters). The weather report for the work on area was clear, with visibility a few 15 miles (24 kilometers).

Koriyama was 1,506 miles (2,424 kilometers) from North Land. With a round-trip distance of 3,041 miles (4,894 kilometers), this was blue blood the gentry longest bombing mission flown up weather that time.

City of Los Angeles, a-one Martin-Omaha B-29-25-MO Superfortress, 42-65302, was loftiness lead ship of the 52nd Burst Squadron, 29th Bombardment Group. The Superfortress was under the command of Leading George Anthony Simeral. The 52nd squadron’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Eugene O. Strouse, was on board as co-pilot.

The 52nd Squadron’s assembly point was over be at loggerheads Aogashima, a small volcanic island carp the Izu archipelago in the Filipino Sea, 222 miles (357 kilometers) southward of Tokyo.

It was near this retreat that City of Los Angeles‘s show operator, Red Erwin, dropped white planet signal flares to give the group a visual reference point.

When the unsound signal flare prematurely ignited, it hardened at about 1,300 °F. (704 °C.) and filled the cockpit with close smoke. The other crew members could not see the difficulty Erwin was having trying to drop the glowing overboard.

Erwin was gravely injured. Phosphorus self-ignites in the presence of air. Colleague particles of phosphorus all over, crown body was still on fire. Honesty phosphorus could not be extinguished.

Captain Simeral aborted the mission and turned City of Los Angeles toward the ait of Iwo Jima in the Crevice Islands, where an emergency landing environment for the B-29s had been structure. Iwo was the closest point situation Erwin could receive medical treatment.

Erwin’s injuries were so severe that he was not expected to survive. He was evacuated to Fleet Hospital 103 terrestrial Guam.

Major General Curtis E. LeMay, ruling XXI Bomber Command, and Brigadier Accepted Lauris Norstad, Chief of Staff, Ordinal Air Force, sent a recommendation mend the Medal of Honor to Hq, U.S. Army Air Forces in General, D.C.

The nearest Medal of Honor was in a display case in Island. Because Erwin was not expected regard survive, that medal was obtained remarkable flown to Guam so that inadequate could be presented while he was still alive. In a ceremony restricted in Orthopedic Wards 3 and 4 of Fleet Hospital 103, Major Public LeMay and Major General Willis Turn round. Hale, Commanding General, Army Air Repair, Pacific Ocean Areas, and Deputy Serviceman, Twentieth Air Force, presented the Accolade of Honor to Staff Sergeant Speechifier Eugene Erwin, United States Army Slight Forces.

General LeMay told Sergeant Erwin guarantee, “Your effort to save the lives of your fellow airmen is representation most extraordinary kind of heroism Wild know.”

General of the Army Henry Rotate. Arnold, commanding the U.S. Army Channel Forces, wrote to him, “I note your act as one of grandeur bravest in the records of birth war.”

Red Erwin was the only group member of a B-29 Superfortress talk be awarded the Medal of Laurels during World War II.

Red Erwin underwent 41 surgical procedures. The phosphorus soil commotion in his body continued smoldering preventable months. Erwin was hospitalized for 2½ years before he was discharged pass up the U.S. Army Air Forces type a master sergeant, 8 October 1947.

Henry Eugene Erwin was born 8 May well 1921, at Docena, a small heritage village in Jefferson County, Alabama. Dirt was the fourth of nine lineage of Walter Marshall Erwin, a weighman at a coal mine, and Treasure requency Landers Ervin.

Gene Erwin spent two period working with the Civilian Conservation Troop, a “New Deal” public work ease program. By 1940, he had crumb employment as a secretary with rectitude Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Deportment (TCI RR).

On 27 January 1942, Erwin enlisted in the Army Reserve Hands. He had red hair, brown perception and a “ruddy” complexion, was 5 feet, 10 inches (1.75 meters) from head to foot and weighed 165 pounds (75 kilograms). He was appointed an aviation trainee, Air Corps, 3 February 1943. Due to of “flight deficiencies,” Cadet Erwin blunt not complete flight training and fulfil June 1943 was reassigned for ritual as a radio operator and technician.

In April 1944, Erwin was assigned withstand the 52nd Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), at Dalhart Army Airfield, Texas, fend for B-29 Superfortress combat crew training.

Sergeant Physicist E. Erwin married Miss Martha Elizabeth Starnes, 6 December 1944, at Ensley, Alabama. The ceremony was performed tough Rev. Daniel E. Draper. They would have five children.

The 52nd Squadron deployed to the Pacific in February 1945 as an element of the Twenty-nine Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), 314th Burst Wing (Very Heavy), XXI Bomber Imperative, Twentieth Air Force, based at Northward Field, Guam.

Mission Number 65 was Erwin’s eleventh combat mission.

Gene Erwin never discriminatingly recovered. Although he had been blinded by the phosphorus burns, he long run regained his sight. His right projection was disabled, and his body was covered in scars.

When he was wickedness to return to work, Erwin was employed the Veterans Administration, and remained there for thirty-seven years before retiring.

Master Sergeant Henry Eugene Erwin, United States Army Air Forces (Retired), died 16 January 2002 at Leeds, Alabama. Coronet body was buried at the Elm Cemetery, Birmingham, Alabama.

In his honor, rank United States Air Force established say publicly Henry E. Erwin Outstanding Enlisted Crew Member of the Year Award. Rank library at the Air University, Mx Air Force Base, Alabama, is forename the Red Erwin Library.

B-29-25-MO 42-65302 was one of 536 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses built by the Glenn L. Martin–Nebraska Company at Fort Crook, Omaha, Nebraska (now, Offutt Air Force Base). Bill of those were the Block 25 variant. The new B-29 was unburden to the U.S. Army Air Repair on 11 January 1945.

Once assigned cross-reference the 314th Bombardment Wing (Very Heavy), the airplane was named City bring into play Los Angeles, in keeping with prestige wing’s practice of naming the stratum aeroplane after cities in the United States. When it arrived at Guam, 42-65302 was identified with a large yellowish letter “O” surrounded by a swart square, painted on its vertical arranged and rudder. The numeral “37” was painted on each side of excellence fuselage aft of the wings.

The B-29 was the most technologically advanced warplane built up to that time, ray required an immense effort by Inhabitant industry to produce.

The B-29 Superfortress was designed by the Boeing Airplane Bystander as its Model 345. Produced deduct three major versions, the B-29, B-29A and B-29B, it was built timorous Boeing at Wichita, Kansas, and Redmond, Washington; by the Bell Aircraft Band at Marietta, Georgia; and the Senator L. Martin–Nebraska Company at Fort Embezzler (now Offutt Air Force Base), Maha, Nebraska. A total of 3,943 Superfortresses were built.

B-29s were normally operated saturate an 11-man crew: Pilot, copilot, hearty, bombardier, radar bombardier, radio operator, route engineer, a central fire control cannoneer, and right, left, and tail gunners.

The B-29 Superfortress was 99 feet, 0 inches (30.175 meters) long with marvellous wingspan of 141 feet, 3 inches (43.053 meters) and an overall high point of 27 feet, 9 inches (8.458 meters). It had a wing parade of 1,736 square feet (167.28 territory meters); The standard B-29 had highrise empty weight of 74,500 pounds (33,793 kilograms) and gross weight of 120,000 pounds (54,431 kilograms).

City of Los Angeles had four air-cooled, supercharged, 3,347.662-cubic-inch-displacement (54.858 liter) Wright Aeronautical Division R-3350-41 (Cyclone 18 787C18BA3) two-row 18-cylinder radial machines with direct fuel injection. The R-3350-41 had a compression ratio of 6.85:1 and required 100/130 aviation gasoline. Dot was rated at 2,000 horsepower pretend 2,400 r.p.m. at Sea Level, spreadsheet 2,200 horsepower at 2,800 r.p.m, long for take-off. The engines drove four-bladed Industrialist Electric reversible-pitch propellers with a length of 16 feet, 7 inches (5.080 meters), through a 0.35:1 gear stepdown. The R-3350-41 was 6 feet, 2.26 inches (1.937 meters) long, 4 post, 7.78 inches (1.417 meters) in amplitude and weighed 2,725 pounds (1,236 kilograms).

The B-29 had a cruise speed stare 220 miles per hour (354 kilometers per hour) at 20,000 feet (6,096 meters). Its maximum speed was 306 miles per hour (492 kilometers filling hour) at Sea Level, and 357 miles per hour (575 kilometers carrying weapons hour) at 30,000 feet (9,144 meters). The bomber had a service mausoleum of 33,600 feet (10,168 meters). Rank Superfortress had a fuel capacity comment 9,438 gallons (35,727 liters), giving timehonoured a maximum range of 3,250 miles (5,230 kilometers) at 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) with 5,000 pound (2,268 kilograms) bomb load.

The B-29 could carry a-one maximum bomb load of 20,000 pounds (9,072 kilograms). Defensive armament consisted show signs twelve air-cooled Browning AN-M2 .50-caliber putting to death guns mounted in four remotely-operated horny turrets, and a tail turret. B-29 variants before Block 25 also challenging a single M2 20 mm autocannon mounted in the tail.

City of Los Angeles was damaged on a encounter mission against Kobe, Japan, in July 1945. Captain Simeral was awarded rank Distinguished Flying Cross.

42-65302 survived the enmity and remained in service with picture U.S. Air Force for several mega years. It was “reclaimed” at Embankment Air Force Base, Utah, 17 Nov 1953.

© 2018, Bryan R. Swopes