RINGLER, RYAN

 

 

VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS OF THE UNITED STATES

 

RYAN RINGLER

 

Army Air Force  -  S/Sgt

 

1942 – 1945       Combat

 

North Africa, Italy, India

 

Military Honors and Awards:

Distinguished Flying Cross Air

Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters

Victory Medal

Good Conduct Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Theater Medals

European Theater Medals

 

Served in 3 Air Force Divisions

Flew 50 missions in B-25 bombers

      

 

 

 

 

                                                 

I enlisted into the Army Air Corp, June 30, 1942.  Went to Basic Training, Gunnery School and Flight Training.  After about 9 months was shipped to North Africa by aircraft with the 320th Bomb Group which were B-26 Marauders. While at Barksdale Field in Texas, we made an emergency parachute landing without brakes wrecking the aircraft in an irrigation ditch. After about 6 weeks with too many crewmen, I was transferred to the 310th Bomb Group (B25’s) where I flew my first missions over Italy.  Flew 22 to be exact.

 

In November was transferred to the 12th Bomb Group, also B25’s.  I flew 3 missions with them in Italy and was transferred again with 12 groups to India.  From there we bombed Burma and flew some ammunition to the British in the Imphal Valley. After flying 28 missions with the 310 Bomb Group, I reached 50 and after 50 you could fly more, but I chose to be sent home. I arrived back in the States in October of 1944, where I finished my service time when the war ended in 1945.  Combat was hairy and anyone who tells you he wasn’t scared when he stepped into that airplane is a liar.

 

I flew 50 missions and never got a scratch.

 

Medals I received were the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Cluster, Victory medal, Good Conduct Medal, European, Asiatic, and Pacific Campaign Medals.