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Cranston Fine Arts  Aviation Art World War Two Veteran Signatures United States B  Bower, William |
Colonel William M Bower
William M. Bower was born on the 13th February 1917 in Ravenna, Ohio. Bower attended Hiram College and Kent State University, Ohio. Commissioned and rated pilot October 4th, 1940. Bower was Pilot of Plane 12 during the Doolittle Raid and after bombing its assigned targets in Yokohama, Japan, the crew bailed out over China when their aircraft ran out of fuel. He returned to the U.S. in June 1942, and participated in war bond tours for a month before deploying to England in July 1942. He was assigned to 12th Air Force in England from July 1942 to January 1943, and then deployed to North Africa as a B-25 pilot and Assistant Operations Officer for the 47th Bomb Wing from January to May 1943. His next assignment was as Operations Officer for the 310th Bomb Group in North Africa and on Corsica from May 1943 to September 1944, followed by service as Operations Officer for the 57th Bomb Wing in Italy from September 1944 to June 1945. Col Bower next served as Commander of the 310th Bomb Group in Italy from July to August 1945, Bower joined regular Air Force afer WWII. Retired 1966. Decorations included Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal and Clusters, Army and Air Force Commendation Ribbon, Chinese Army, Navy and Air Corps Medal, Class A, and French Croix de Guerre. Sadly Bower died on January 10th 2011.
| Colonel William M Bower - Signed Aviation Art |
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| Text for the above items : |
Into the Teeth of the Wind by Robert Taylor. Bound for Tokyo, Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle launches his B-25 Mitchell from the heaving deck of the carrier USS Hornet on the morning of 18 April, 1942. Leading a sixteen-bomber force on their long distance one - way mission, the Doolittle Raiders completed the first strike at the heart of Imperial Japan since the infamous attack on Pearl Harbour four months earlier. Together, they completed one of the most audacious air raids in aviation history. |
Citation for the Distinguished Flying Cross :
For extraordinary achievement while participating in a highly destructive raid on the Japanese Mainland on April 18, 1942. Lieutenant Bower volunteered for this mission knowing full well that the chances of survival were extremely remote and executed his part in it with great skill and daring. This achievement reflects high credit on Lieutenant Bower and the military services.
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