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S/Sgt Walter H. Osika- 8th Air Force, 457th Bomber Group, 749th Squadron
B-17 Tail Gunner

Patches (L-R): Army Air Force Insignia, Flight Cadet, Thunderbird Field #2, Second Army Air Force, Eigth Army Air Force.

Note From Mr Oskia on the Thunderbird Field Patch: This patch is from Thunderbird Field in Scottsdale Arizona. This was refered to as Thunderbird Field 2, as there were two Thunderbird Fields. Number 1 was the Main field and that's where they trained British and Chinese Cadets. This patch was worn by air cadets.

S/Sgt Walt Osika

Goldfish Club Membership card and patch (lower left)

S/Sgt Osika and friend in training

S/Sgt Osika as a cadet

Kneeling (L-R): Piloy Harry Stafford, Co-Pilot Bernard Yarorsky, Navigator Arthur Flach, Bombardier Anthony Wodek,

Standing (L-R): Engineer Douglas Naylor, Waist Gunner Frank Craven, Waist Gunner Jean Dubios, Radio Operator Virgil Hook, Ball Turrent Gunner Robert Ridge, Tail Gunner Walt Osika

S/Sgt Osika in uniform

Missions in 1944
April 27    Nancy, France
April 29    Berlin
May 4    Bergen, Holland
May 7    Berlin
May 9    Luxemberg
May 20    Airfield in Paris
May 24    Berlin this is the mission we had to ditch
June 12    Vitori, France
June 22    Roen, France
July 12    Munich
July 20    Leipzig
Aug 6    Berlin
Aug 18    Stuttgard
Aug 18    Peenamunde
Sept 17    Albert canal Holland

I also know we went to Cologne, Germany and Brunswick, Germany but I don't know the dates.

Left, S/Sgt Osika and the former Peg Harlock on their wedding day Feb 10, 1945.

Above, Peg and Walt on their 50th wedding anniversary

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