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World War II Veteran Receives Distinguished Flying Cross
(July 23, 2010) |
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Retired Col. Claude M.
Schonberger poses with Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula
July 19, 2010, in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes
after being presented with the Distinguished
Flying Cross. General Deptula is the deputy
chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance at Headquarters Air Force.
U.S. Air Force photo by Michael Pausic |
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WASHINGTON (7/20/2010 - AFNS) A World War II veteran
received recognition for the heroism he displayed 65 years
ago in the sky above Nazi Germany, during a ceremony July 19
in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.
Retired Col. Claude M. Schonberger received the
Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions Feb. 16, 1945,
from Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, the deputy chief of staff
for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at
Headquarters Air Force here.
"I am in awe and ecstatic to be in the Hall of Heroes for
this presentation," Colonel Schonberger said. "It is
indeed a great privilege and honor to receive the
Distinguished Flying Cross for my actions in World War II. |
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"I share the Distinguished Flying Cross award with my former
B-24 (Liberator) crew members who flew with me on most of my
missions, many who were fatally injured," the retired
colonel said.
General Deptula praised Colonel Schonberger's heroic actions
on his 20th mission.
"Courage. There are those who attempt to define this small
corner of the human soul with eloquent words," General
Deptula said. "And then there are those who define it with
their actions; who under great personal risk and danger, and
not without fear, but rather in the resolute and firm sense
of duty to service before self, act in spite of that fear in
the almost certain consequences of the most selfless of ways
that show us what courage really is.
"We call those who show us this courage 'heroes,'" General
Deptula said, "and I'm both honored and humbled to be in the
presence of just such a hero today: Colonel Claude
Schonberger. For aviators, we recognize those heroes and
their tenacity with the Distinguished Flying Cross," General
Deptula said.
Colonel Schonberger's DFC citation details events of the
Feb. 16 mission: " ... Lieutenant Schonberger demonstrated
extraordinary flying skills and courage against the
Obertraubling Airdrome in Regensburg, Germany. During the
final bomb run of this mission, his bomb-loaded B-24
aircraft was struck by enemy fire, resulting in an
uncontrollable propeller of the number four engine and a
fire near the number three engine. Despite this hazardous
situation, Lieutenant Schonberger continued on the bomb run
and released his bombs with considerable accuracy."
General Deptula acknowledged that the delay in presenting
Colonel Schonberger's DFC was not a reflection on the
actions justifying it."Despite the fact that it's taken over 60 years for this day
to arrive, time in no way diminishes the courageous actions
of my fellow Airman, Claude Schonberger," General Deptula
said.
Colonel Schonberger thanked General Deptula "for bringing my
DFC papers to the attention of the Air Force Board for
Correction of Military Records," and Lt. Col. Laura Ryan for
"bringing all the required documentation together for
review."
Colonel Ryan is the Joint Concept Development and
Experimentation Branch chief, Joint Force Development and
Integration Division, J-7, Joint Staff. |
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Lt. Claude M Schonberger (courtesy photo) |
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Colonel Schonberger heard in 1942 that his draft number was
about to be called up for military service. "I always wanted to get in the Air Corps," Colonel
Schonberger said. He decided to head to Minneapolis to see
if he could pass the requirements to become a pilot. He did,
and began training at Lincoln Army Air Field, Neb. He and
his crew sailed from Norfolk, Va., Sept. 4, 1944, for Bari,
Italy. He was assigned to the 759th Squadron, 459th Group,
13th Wing, 15th Air Force.
Colonel Schonberger flew 21 missions before being shot down
Feb. 28 on a bombing mission to a bridge in the northern
Italian town of Bolzano. This happened 12 days after the
mission where he earned the DFC. The only other crew member
to survive the bomber's explosion along with Colonel
Schonberger was his navigator, 2nd Lt. Bob Johnson of
Bigfork, Mont. Colonel Schonberger spent the rest of the war
at Stalag Luft XIII in Nuremberg, Germany. |
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Colonel Schonberger continued to serve on active duty until
1951. He later joined the D.C. Air National Guard and
retired in 1974 as a colonel. He worked as an air safety
investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. | |
By USAF MSgt. Russell P. Petcoff
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Copyright 2010
Reprinted from
Air Force News Service
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