Stories of America's Greatest Heroes
Ken Harbaugh tells the stories of service members who have distinguished themselves through an act of valor. These stories feature recipients from the Civil War to present day, including a few who were originally overlooked for the medal.
Anything for His Crew: 2d Lt. Robert Edward Femoyer
Second Lieutenant Robert Edward Femoyer served in World War II as a navigator on a B-17 bomber. On November 2nd, 1944, Femoyer embarked on only his fifth mission in Europe. He and hundreds of other B-17s were tasked with attacking an extremely well-defended oil refinery in Germany. As they approached the target, their aircraft was hit with three anti-aircraft shells. The impact sent shrapnel into Femoyer’s side and back, knocking him to the ground and severely wounding him. He was offered painkillers, but he refused, knowing that it would hamper his ability to navigate the aircraft. In order to ensure the safety of his crew, he suffered through 2.5 of serious pain in order to traverse the aircraft through flak and guide it back to base. Only upon touching down did he accept the injection of a sedative, but by then it was too late. Femoyer succumbed to his wounds as he was being moved off the plane.
On May 9th, 1945, Femoyer was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Thanks to his self-sacrifice, the rest of the 10 man crew returned to their base in England safely.
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Welcome to the Medal of Honor podcast, brought to you in partnership with the National Medal of Honor Museum. I’m Ken Harbaugh. In each episode, we’ll learn about a different service member who has distinguished him or herself through an act of valor.
Robert Edward Femoyer was born on October 31st, 1921 in Huntington, West Virginia. As a child he was a dedicated boy scout, and reached the coveted rank of Eagle scout. Later in life, he became one of only a handful of Eagle scouts to receive the Medal of Honor.
After graduating high school, Femoyer briefly attended Marshall College before transferring to Virginia tech, where he studied civil engineering. In November 1942, almost a year after the U.S. entered World War II, Femoyer enlisted in the reserve corps. He continued attending school before he was pulled up to active duty reserve with the Army Air Corps in February of 1943.
Femoyer attended basic training, and then became an aviation cadet with the intent of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately, he didn’t meet the requirements, so like many others in his position, he opted to become a navigator instead. He underwent training and was granted his navigator’s wings in June, 1944. Femoyer deployed to England three months later at the age of 22.
On November 2nd, 1944, then 2nd Lieutenant Femoyer flew his fifth mission with the 447th Bomb Group’s 711th Squadron. Their B-17 bomber was one of hundreds tasked with attacking a German oil refinery near Merseberg, Germany. This was a significant operation as the refinery was one of the most heavily defended areas in the country.
As they neared their target, Femoyer’s B-17 was hit by three anti-aircraft shells. The plane remained airborne but was seriously rattled, knocking Femoyer to the ground and inflicting serious shrapnel wounds to his side and back. His comrades rushed to his aid, offering morphine and painkillers. Femoyer, however, refused this medication. He knew that if he were to take it, his mind wouldn’t stay sharp enough to navigate the plane to safety, meaning the whole crew would be in danger. Instead, he requested his allies help him back up into his chair, where he was able to see all his charts and instruments. Bleeding profusely and in extreme pain, Femoyer went on to help navigate the aircraft for two and a half hours, guiding them back to base in England. Only upon touching down did he accept the injection of a sedative, but by then it was too late. Femoyer succumbed to his wounds as he was being moved off the plane.
On May 9th, 1945, Femoyer was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Thanks to his dedication and self-sacrifice, the rest of the 10 man crew returned to England safely. Virginia Tech later named a building in his honor, and streets bearing his name can be found on numerous Air Force Bases Across the country.
The Medal of Honor podcast is a production of Evergreen Podcasts.
Nathan Corson is our executive producer and mixing engineer, Declan Rohrs is our associate producer, scriptwriter, and recording engineer, and I’m Ken Harbaugh.
We are proud to support the National Medal of Honor Museum. To learn more, and to support their mission, go to mohmuseum.org. Thanks for listening.