Henry E. Erwin
US Army Air Forces NCO and Medal of Honor recipient / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Henry Eugene Erwin Sr. (May 8, 1921 – January 16, 2002) was a United States Army Air Forces airman and a recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II. He earned the award as a staff sergeant and radio operator aboard a B-29 Superfortress in the Asia-Pacific theater. During a 1945 bombing mission over Koriyama, Japan, a white phosphorus bomb prematurely ignited in his aircraft and seriously wounded him. As smoke filled the plane, he picked up the burning device and carried it through the aircraft to the cockpit where he tossed it out a window. Although he suffered severe burns, he successfully saved his plane and all crew members aboard by disposing of the incendiary/smoke-generating bomb.
Henry E. Erwin | |
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Birth name | Henry Eugene Erwin Sr. |
Nickname(s) | Red |
Born | (1921-05-08)May 8, 1921 Adamsville, Alabama, US |
Died | January 16, 2002(2002-01-16) (aged 80) Birmingham, Alabama, US |
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army Air Forces |
Years of service | 1942–1947 |
Rank | Master Sergeant |
Unit | 52nd Bombardment Squadron, 29th Bombardment Group, 20th Air Force |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Purple Heart Air Medal (2) |