Medal of Honor - Forrest T. Vosler

VOSLER, FORREST T.
(Air Mission)
Rank and Organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Corps. 358th Bomber Squadron, 303d Bomber Group. Place and date. Over Bremen, Germany, 20 December 1943. Entered Service at: Rochester, N.Y. Born: 29 July 1923, Lyndonville, N.Y. G.O. No.: 73, 6 September 1944.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a radio operator-air gunner on a heavy bombardment aircraft in a mission over Bremen, Germany, on 20 December 1943. After bombing the target, the aircraft in which T/Sgt. Vosler was serving was severely damaged by antiaircraft fire, forced out of formation, and immediately subjected to repeated vicious attacks by enemy fighters. Early in the engagement a 20-mm. cannon shell exploded in the radio compartment, painfully wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the legs and thighs. At about the same time a direct hit on the tail of the ship seriously wounded the tail gunner and rendered the tail guns inoperative. Realizing the great need for firepower in protecting the vulnerable tail of the ship, T/Sgt. Vosler, with grim determination, kept up a steady stream of deadly fire. Shortly thereafter another 20-mm. enemy shell exploded, wounding T/Sgt. Vosler in the chest and about the face. Pieces of metal lodged in both eyes, impairing his vision to such an extent that he could only distinguish blurred shapes. Displaying remarkable tenacity and courage, he kept firing his guns and declined to take first-aid treatment. The radio equipment had been rendered inoperative during the battle, and when the pilot announced that he would have to ditch, although unable to see and working entirely by touch, T/Sgt. Vosler finally got the set operating and sent out distress signals despite several lapses into unconsciousness. When the ship ditched, T/Sgt. Vosler managed to get out on the wing by himself and hold the wounded tail gunner from slipping off until the other crewmembers could help them into the dinghy. T/Sgt. Vosler's actions on this occasion were an inspiration to all serving with him. The extraordinary courage, coolness, and skill he displayed in the face of great odds, when handicapped by injuries that would have incapacitated the average crewmember, were outstanding.

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[steindaddie]

Great story of a brave man and an inspiration to all.

[SCOTTYSWAD]

Thank you,and god bless as our family members are passing quickley,my father flew with this fine man in ww2 F/O Rubins 427th

[deltaforce1919]

rescued..by a Norwegian fishing boat. Then a fast rescue boat responded to Voslers' SOS. A crazy time.

[ascendantmkc]

I really feel the TAR-21 is the best gun in mw2. i beyond doubt take pleasure in search and destroy using this weapon. i absolutely clean up your opposing base and after that blow them away when i use this gun! you guys got the most up-to-date map pack yet? its really good i have only just downloaded it at mw2forfreeYinfo (replace Y with . ) the other week personally

[eduardobibm]

Thank you for this video. I was fortunant to be selected as a respresentative from my squadron to have breakfast with Sgt. Vosler back in 1990. He was humble about his achievements and was a genuinely nice person. I'm honored to have met him. At the time, I was an 18 year old kid so I didn't truely appreciate that I was having breakfast with a living legend. But I found out soon after.

Wish I could have done it again.

[ronaldavid]

Painstakingly extracted from the bowels of the National Archives by a dedicated aviator/historian. - Thank you, Jim.