Named Groupings

SSgt Russell Pershing Colegrove

02/27/1919 - 12/15/1990

B-17 Waist Gunner

773rd Bombardment Squadron, 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force

Background: SSgt Russell Pershing Colegrove served in the USAAF from October 27th, 1943 until his honorable discharge on October 25th, 1945. SSgt Colegrove served as a waist gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress based out of Foggia, Italy. He participated in the bombings of the Ploesti Oil Fields as well as other bombing missions in Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Hungary and Italy. In total, SSgt Colegrove flew on 29 missions, receiving double-credit for many of them. He sustained a flak wound to his back on August 19th, 1944, during a mission over Ploesti, Romania. This earned him a Purple Heart medal. He also was decorated with a European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 6 Bronze Battle Stars; a Good Conduct Medal; and an Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters.

SSgt Colegrove's document grouping is an exceptionally special part of the collection. In addition to all of his accomplishments in the war, he was also the great-great granduncle of our curator, Col. Logan Elam-Crosley.

Pvt. Milton C. Jones

06/17/1925 - 12/28/2001

USAAF