William Fieldbinder

See Document 1 for William Fieldbinder's Mission List

Medal Reaches Aviator After Half-century Wait

Seminole Kudos

The Veteran, Who Died Earlier This Month, Had Never Claimed His Award.

October 31, 1997|By Amy Pena of The Sentinel Staff

Two black-and-white pictures stand on the coffee table in the center of the room. The one on the left shows a young woman, hair swept back in barrettes, curls tumbling to her shoulders.

The picture on the left shows a young man grinning proudly and wearing an aviator's uniform.

The pictures of William C. Fieldbinder and his wife, Margaret, of Oviedo were taken just before he flew off to join the fighting in Europe during World War II.

Fieldbinder was 78 when he died Oct. 8. Shortly before he died, the aviator who earned a Distinguished Flying Cross in World War II shared his story of how it took 52 years for the war honor to reach him.

''Those are two of my favorite pictures,'' Fieldbinder said. ''I had just graduated college. We were barely married. I was so proud to be going to serve my country.''

Fieldbinder said he never expected he would return almost five years later having won one of the most prestigious flying awards in the Army - the Distinguished Flying Cross.

''It is so rare for a navigator to win the DSC,'' Fieldbinder said. ''I was so lucky to receive it. I was very honored.''

Nor did he ever think it would take nearly 52 years before he actually saw the award.

The mission for which he received the award was in late April 1945.

Fieldbinder said he didn't remember the name of the mission, but he remembered the day and the details clearly.

Fieldbinder, who normally flew with the 459th Bomb Group, was flying as the navigator for the 756th Squadron that day. It already had been a long mission. His group had been flying in very heavy clouds and finding their way was difficult.

''We were flying north over Czechoslovakia and far north over southern Europe,'' Fieldbinder said.

Just after his plane crossed the Iberian Peninsula and turned toward the target, he said, ''a small hole appeared and we could see the target. Our box dropped our bombs, and we flew home.''

He did not know that his crew was the only one that day to complete their mission successfully.

A few days after the mission, Fieldbinder's captain told him he was nominated for the Distinguished Flying Cross ''given for his heroism and extraordinary achievement in flight.''

''Captain Schmidt said I was the only navigator in the entire 15th Air Force to get our box to the target,'' Fieldbinder said.

But the war in Europe was ending and all business actions were frozen. Fieldbinder was told he would not receive his award until things were running smoothly again. That was just after VE Day 1945.

''At that time, I didn't think about it much,'' Fieldbinder said. ''We were so busy. Then, around the first of June, I was flying home. I just didn't think about it. I was glad to get back to my family.''

For nearly 52 years, Fieldbinder didn't think much about the award. In 1995, he started talking to his children, now adults, about the war. They encouraged him to go to reunions and talk with other people who had fought with him.

Later, Fieldbinder read an article about how to claim World War II medals. And all it took was one letter.

''I wrote my first letter to Randolph Air Force Base in Texas in September,'' Fieldbinder said. ''A few weeks later, I got my medal.''

1997 756th navigator article-

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1997-10-31/news/9710310365_1_distinguished-flying-cross-war-ii-award

William Fieldbinder's crew. William is second from right, front row.

459th BG; 12/25/1944; Mission # 169; Target - Wels, AU M/Y; 23,500 ft.; 757th Sqn. A/C 44-49608

1st Lt. William C Fieldbinder was assigned to the 459th BG 756th Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Navigator.

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