Robert Norman Braun

Robert Norman Braun enlisted into the US Army Air Forces on Jan. 6, 1942, in Wausau, Wisconsin. He received his basic training at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma. In October 1942, he was chosen to become an Aviation Cadet and reported to San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from pre-flight training there in January 1943. He was transferred to San Marcos Army Airfield in Texas for aerial navigation training. In December 1943, he completed navigation training and became a 2nd Lieutenant. The same month, he married Miss Travis Powell of Columbia, South Carolina. The couple lived in Columbia while Braun was taking B-25 crew training there. In March 1945, 2nd Lieutenant Braun went overseas and was assigned to the 501st Bombardment Squadron in the Philippine Islands. He was transferred to the Western Pacific area shortly before his death. On July 31, 1945, Braun and his crew took off for a bombing mission against a fertilizer plant in Marushima, Japan. On their bombing run, 2nd Lt. Braun's B-25 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and a fire erupted in the right wing. Nevertheless, the pilot stayed on target and dropped their payload, scoring a direct hit. Immediately after this, the B-25 was struck by enemy fire again, this time sending the left engine into flames. The pilot was forced to ditch into the water, but the plane broke apart upon impact and burst into flames, killing all onboard. Robert N. Braun's body was recovered shortly after and he was interred with his crew at an Army Air Forces cemetery in Yokohama, Japan. In 1950, he was brought home and reinterred at Highland Memorial Park in Appleton, Wisconsin.