Wilbur Eugene Lawson was born May 19, 1922 in Anderson, and grew up in Elkhart,  Between 1939 and 1941 he was in the 3C's (Civilian Conservation Corps) in Boise, fighting forest fires, planting trees and delivering men and supplies where needed. He was drafted into the Army in December 1942 (stationed at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi) where, after 11 months he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Force. He completed aircraft mechanics, gunnery school, and then was assigned to a crew and went through overseas training. He was transferred to Lincoln, Nebraska to pick up a new B-17G bomber and headed for Europe by way of Maine/Iceland/Scotland/Wales where they left the plane and went to Stoke on Trent, England for his assignment.

Wilbur served as a mechanic/top turret gunner while flying B-17G bombers during World War II. They were sent to Chelvesten 105, 305th Bomb Group-364 Squadron near the town of Hanley (about 60 miles north of London). As Wilbur wrote in his memories, “We had eight of the best people you would want to trust your life with.” After six missions over Germany and France, the war in Europe was over. Their group was then assigned to photograph Western Europe, North Africa, and Iceland. The day after they announced the Japanese surrendered, Wilbur and his crew headed for Iceland, where after a couple months, they came back to England then to Belgium and then to Germany.

While there, one of the crew came down with yellow jaundice (hepatitis), some crew members were sent home by way of Belgium (Camp Lucky Strike). After Wilbur came down with hepatitis, he was sent by ambulance to Leharve, France (Camp Phillip Morris). After three weeks, they were loaded on a 5,000-man troop ship named The General Anderson and 13 days later arrived in the New York City harbor where Wilbur saw the Statue of Liberty. He was transferred to Camp Kilmer, N.J. and then to Camp Atterbury, for discharge. Wilbur reached the rank of technical sergeant (E-6) after serving his country for thirty nine months and three weeks.

Wilbur had married Norma Neal six months before he left Mishawaka for the service. After he returned, they made their home in New Carlisle and raised five children. Wilbur worked at Bendix (Honeywell/Allied Signal) in South Bend for nearly 36 years and retired in 1983. When his second wife passed away, Wilbur made his home with one of his sons in the New Carlisle area where he mows the expansive lawn on his “vintage” John Deere riding lawn mower. He can complete word search books (ordered by bulk through the mail) at an amazing speed.

Not wanting to spend all day on the “boob tube”, he'll watch a few episodes of Andy Griffith (with Barney Fife being his favorite character) along with other various older Western television series. Wilbur is in good health and only uses his walker when he's out and about. As he says, he's had a good life: two wonderful wives and five children, who were his best investment.

Source: Rebecca VanGoeye, Hoosier Veteran Newsletter