Anything for His Crew: 2d Lt. Robert Edward Femoyer

Medal of Honor Podcast

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.