Name: Henry Dwight Gardner

Place of Birth: Wolfe City, TX

Personal History: I graduated from Wolfe City High School,. While in school I played football tor two years (blocking back); I also participated in the School Drama Guild (East Texas State University; Attended Draughn's Business College (Dallas)Correspondent Business Course (Chicago); two brothers, wife(deceased) 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren & 10 great grandchildren. Wolfe City was famous for Texas Tag Specialty(printing company), Henning Publishing Company (made annual school picture) and Ne-Tex Company (process cotton) from 1940 to 2000.

Place of Recruitment:  Dallas, TX--July 30, 1943; Age 23. Entry into Active Service: Aug. 13, 1943. AAF Separation: Base Randolph Field, TX: Oct. 14, 1945

Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force

Class: Staff Sergeant

Military Occupation: Ball Turret Gunner (WWII), AAF Air Crew Member Wings Gunner

Service History, Stateside or Abroad: From July, 1943 To October, 1945
1943– Pilot training at Texas Tech; Gunnery School in Yuma, Arizona; training for combat missions overseas in Ardmore, Oklahoma. In December 15, 1944 we departed from Lincoln, Nebraska for overseas combat. We were assigned to the 532 Hd Squadron 8th, Air Force, England. I was a Ball Turret Gunner on the B17 Bomber.

We flew 35 missions over Germany. We got shot up several times. Bullets penetrated our B17 on one occasion. We lost so much gas we couldn't get back to England. We had to land in Brussels, Belgium and got on another B17 to return to England. On another mission, we flew over Munich, Germany in search of Hitler. We had no Rest & Recuperation period, our mission were strictly bombing Germany.

After completing our missions, I returned to AAF Separation Base, Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas and received an Honorable Discharged on October 14, 1945. I returned to Wolfe City, Texas and got a job working in the Cotton Seed Oil Mills.

Commendations & Honors: Received Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal
1 Silver Cluster, European, African, Middle Eastern, 3 Bronze Stars, 1 Overseas Bar.

Present Location: Carrollton, TX. I am now a resident of Corinthians Retirement Community.