HomeMy WebLinkAboutCharles Haltom, Brazos Valley Heroes •
� .
' 1
One in (t series of tributes to eft erq o ` e 6te . St
i ; Generation" who served our country during World War 11
4
F
g
' ' f
, ,
a
2
,..,:„.,. a
, Cha
• _':: Haltom
February 20, 1942 was and will remain a spe- When we bailed, I almost passed out from
cial day in the life of Charles "Charlie" Haltom. It the shock of the chute opening against my groin
was the day that the Bryan native, A &M class of area. While drifting down, I could see men running
4 42 graduated from flight school, had his wings toward us in the distance. I didn't think they would
pinned on by the Hollywood actress, Rosalind be friendlies. When we got on the ground, I round- >
Russell, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and ed up the crew that 1 could find and tried to hide
married to his childhood sweetheart, Dorcas. All everyone in a wheat field but they stumbled onto
j. on the same day. us. We were now prisoners of war in Croatia,
1.
"I wasn't too sure I would make it to that day Yugoslavia." ?'
because we lost a lot of people during flight train - "We were treated well by our German captors '
ing. I was happy it all came about but I was espe- but I was real concerned about one of my crew
cially happy Dorcas and I were able to get married members who was a German Jew who had
.; before I was shipped out. Our wedding was so escaped from Germany before the war. However,
rushed up that we don't have any photos of our the Germans treated him as an American flyer and
•` wedding ceremony, much to her dismay." not a Jew and allowed to remain with us. We were
Soon thereafter, Haltom was assigned to fly sent to Budapest, Hungary for interrogation and :7'
bombers. He qualified in both the B - 17 and the B- then I was sent to Stalag Luft III, near Berlin. We
24. "If you had 3 day and 3 night take -offs and were moved to different prison camps by being
landings. you qualified and they were ready to force marched through the snow. I ended up in ..-
make you an instructor." Stalag 7A near Munich, Germany.
By October, 1943, he was assigned to the With the war nearing an end the captured
15th Air Force in Italy and was flying combat mis- Americans knew the allies were getting nearer
sions by January, 1944. After his 37th mission, because they could hear the bomber flights over-
' which included 3 missions over Ploesti, he was head and the other sounds of war, like artillery get
. allowed to go on a rotation and off flight duty for ting closer and closer.
almost a month. Upon his return, he was assigned On April 29, 1945, I saw something that was �
to fly a mission to bomb a small oil refinery near a whole lot more beautiful than the Hollywood star
Budapest, Hungary. that pinned my wings on me. It was American GI's.
"We were assured it would be a 'milk run.' They were the leading elements of Patton's 3rd
After 37 missions I knew there were no 'milk runs.' Army. We were free."
It wasn't and it became my last mission in the war. Haltom remained in the Air Force after the
Just after we turned on our bomb run, we saw the war, retiring in 1968. For his service in WWII
first burst of flak at our altitude. The second burst Haltom was awarded the Silver Star, Distinguished
was closer and the third hit us. Oil started pouring Flying Cross and the Air Medal.
out of engine 4 and then engine 1. We dropped out "I have been blessed with a great family,
of the formation hoping we could make it home on great life and a great career and I thank the Good
two engines. We started dropping altitude and Lord for that, each and every day.
were losing speed as well. That was when the Charles Haltom's name can be found on the
;; German fighters arrived. When they arrived, I Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial. For more infor-
dropped the landing gear to show them we were mation, to make a contribution, or to nominate a
landing or bailing out. Thankfully, they left us alone veteran, contact the BVVM at www. veterans
and let us bail out." memorial.org, or Bill Youngkin at 979 - 260 -7030
The E kle
Here when
you need us_
theeagle.com