Lt Jack W. Mathis MOH

 Ok, folks this handsome young lad, if you hadn't noticed is Texas born and raised.  San Angelo to be precise, about 80 miles south of Big Spring, my domicile for about 10 years of my youth.  Big Spring is a next door neighbor to San Angelo and except for one reason which I'll tell you about, he and I could've been friends.

Source

 

He was a bombardier in the B-17 in England. He and his brother had both volunteered to be bombardiers and had gone to that school together.  He had completed 14 missions (of 25 needed to return to the US). On his 15th mission. he was tasked to be the lead bombardier on a mission.

The bombing procedure at the time was the lead bombardier would find the target aim point and when the time came to drop, he would trigger off his bombs.  EVERY other bombardier in the formation would do the same thing, at the same time, when they saw him drop.  

I'm not sure exactly why this was the methodology other than possibly with a hundred or so aircraft in tight formation and a hundred or so bombardiers trying (and literally flying) to get the aircraft in the right position to hit the target.  Mid-airs might be a reason.  

Besides a large flight of B-17's, sometimes several hundred on a mission and up to 8000lbs of bombs each, the tactic of dropping all at once could be very effective, especially if the target was large.

To say the least.

In any case, he was the bombardier in the lead airplane, as the formation approached the target, AAA became very dense and the lead plane was hit. Lt Mathis was severely injured.  His right arm was shattered and badly wounded in his right side and abdomen.  Realizing that the attack would fail if he didn't release the bombs properly, he dragged himself back to his position, found the target and released the bombs.  The rest of the formation followed suit.

Unfortunately, the wounds to Lt Mathis were fatal and he passed away shortly thereafter.

Lt Jack Mathis's brother Mark was also in his squadron albeit assigned to a different crew.  He requested to be transferred to his brother's crew which was granted.

He was killed in action a couple of months later.

Rest in Peace, Warriors! 

 

 

Source

 

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy over Vegesack, Germany, on March 18, 1943. 1st Lt. Mathis, as leading bombardier of his squadron, flying through intense and accurate antiaircraft fire, was just starting his bomb run, upon which the entire squadron depended for accurate bombing, when he was hit by the enemy antiaircraft fire. His right arm was shattered above the elbow, a large wound was torn in his side and abdomen, and he was knocked from his bomb sight to the rear of the bombardier's compartment. Realizing that the success of the mission depended upon him, 1st Lt. Mathis, by sheer determination and willpower, though mortally wounded, dragged himself back to his sights, released his bombs, then died at his post of duty. As the result of this action the airplanes of his bombardment squadron placed their bombs directly upon the assigned target for a perfect attack against the enemy. 1st Lt. Mathis' undaunted bravery has been a great inspiration to the officers and men of his unit.^[1]'