Donald Bjornson
| Died : 7 / 5 / 2012 |
| Staff Sergeant Donald Bjornson (deceased)
Born on February 8th 1923 in Bentley - Alberta, Canada, and raised raised in Spokane, Washington. He worked briefly in the Civilian Conservation Corps at age 16. Moved to Portland, Oregon and after some temporary jobs, received training and went to work for Boeing Aircraft in Seattle. Don went on to serve in the Army-Air Force during World War Two. He received 21 weeks of training in airplane mechanics, sheet metal fabrication, arc welding, and 50 caliber gunnery operation. He became a Aerial Gunner with the 645th Sqn and was assigned to an A-20 Havoc Light Bomber. He flew 65 combat missions with his crew in the battles of Normandy, Rhineland, the Ardennes, including the Blankenheim Strike and Northern France, Europe and Western Europe, engaging some of America's adversaries of that time, firing his two 50 caliber machine guns in direct airborne combat. He earned the silver star and five oak leaf clusters, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service, American Victory, and Good Conduct Medals. Separated from the 645th Bomb Squadron, then honorably discharged from the Army-Air Force on June 16th, 1945. Donald died on the 7th of May 2012 in West Sacramento. |