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First Name: Thomas

Last Name: Carruth

Birthplace: USA

Gender: Male

Branch: U.S. Army Air Forces (1941 - 1947)



Middle Name: Adam



Date of Birth: 20 April 1916

Date of Death: 12 February 1984

Rank: First Lieutenant

Years Served:
Thomas Adam Carruth

   
Engagements:
•  World War II (1941 - 1945)

Biography:

Thomas Adam Carruth
First Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces

On 13 September 1944, First Lieutenant Thomas Adam Carruth was serving as Lead Bombardier of a B-17 Bomber in the 379th Bombardment Group (Heavy), Eighth Air Force.

On that day, 1LT Carruth's B-17 Flying Fortress bomber was participating in a bombing mission against enemy ground targets at Merseburg, Germany. 1LT Carruth's plane was struck by flak and although unhurt, he was thrown from his seat just as he was synchronizing his bombsight on the target. Then, about 20 seconds before "Bombs Away," another burst of flak hit his shoulder and again threw him from his seat to the rear end of the nose compartment. Ignoring the profuse bleeding from his wound, he crawled back to his bombsight and released his bombs directly on the target. 1LT Carruth's courageous actions and extraordinary heroism that day earned him the U.S. Army's second highest award for valor, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Distinguished Service Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal
Army Good Conduct Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Bombardier Badge

Distinguished Service Cross Citation (Synopsis)

First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Thomas A. Carruth (ASN: 0-386936), United States Army Air Forces, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Lead Bombardier of a B-17 Heavy Bomber in the 379th Bombardment Group (H), EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 13 September 1944, against enemy ground targets at Merseburg, Germany. On this date, Lieutenant Carruth's plane was struck by flak and although unhurt, he was thrown from his seat as he was synchronizing his bombsight on the target. Then, approximately twenty seconds before "Bombs Away," another burst of flak inflicted a serious wound in his shoulder and again threw him from his seat to the rear end of the nose compartment. Completely disregarding the profuse bleeding from his painful wound, he crawled back to his bombsight and released his bombs directly on the target. After receiving first aid, despite the intense cold and pain, he (remainder of citation missing).

General Orders: Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Forces in Europe, General Orders No. 97 (December 11, 1944)

Death and Burial

First Lieutenant Thomas Adam Carruth died on 12 February 1984. He is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Riverside County, CA, in Plot: 11, 0, 1003.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=82460602



Honoree ID: 312325   Created by: MHOH

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