WOODLAND HILLS : World War II Veteran to Attend Reunion
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A local World War II veteran will attend a Colorado reunion of members of a bomb squadron that played a historic role in the war today through Sunday.
Retired Lt. Marshall Draper, 76, of Woodland Hills will attend the gathering of the 15th Bomb Squadron of the Eighth Air Force, the first American squadron to bomb Nazi forces in Europe.
On the squadron’s first flight, German troops shot down the plane carrying Draper, a bombardier who became the first American POW in German hands.
The unit was decorated for its bravery after the raid, which occurred July 4, 1942.
The veterans will be honored at a banquet Saturday at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. They will receive further decorations from the British Royal Air Force for their joint combat operations with British fliers.
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