484:
target and the crippled aircraft proceeded alone to Allied-controlled territory. When that had been reached, 1st. Lt. Gott had the copilot personally inform all crewmembers to bail out. The copilot chose to remain with 1st. Lt. Gott in order to assist in landing the bomber. With only one normally functioning engine, and with the danger of explosion much greater, the aircraft banked into an open field, and when it was at an altitude of 100 feet it exploded, crashed, exploded again and then disintegrated. All 3 crewmembers were instantly killed. 1st. Lt. Gott's loyalty to his crew, his determination to accomplish the task set forth to him, and his deed of knowingly performing what may have been his last service to his country was an example of valor at its highest.
385:
392:
120:
378:
101:
361:
354:
347:
330:
337:
182:
191:
367:
290:, Meuse, France. Unbeknownst to the pilots, tail gunner Staff Sgt. Herman B. Krimminger had failed to jump clear of the plane and his parachute had become entangled in the tail section. Gott, Dunlap, Krimminger and Metzger were killed as a result of the crash, explosions and fire. For their actions, both Gott and Metzger were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on May 16, 1945.
200:
321:
143:
529:
497:
479:, the radio operator fell unconscious. Faced with the imminent explosion of his aircraft, and death to his entire crew, mere seconds before bombs away on the target, 1st. Lt. Gott and his copilot conferred. Something had to be done immediately to save the life of the wounded radio operator. The lack of a
483:
and the thought that his unconscious body striking the ground in unknown territory would not bring immediate medical attention forced a quick decision. 1st. Lt. Gott and his copilot decided to fly the flaming aircraft to friendly territory and then attempt to crash land. Bombs were released on the
270:, Germany, his plane was severely damaged and several of the crew wounded by enemy fire. Knowing that the most seriously injured crewman radio operator Tech. Sgt. Robert A. Dunlap needed immediate medical aid, and fearing that he would not receive such aid if he was dropped by
285:
Upon reaching friendly airspace and lacking a working intercom system, Metzger left the cockpit to tell the other crewmen to parachute to safety. Gott and
Metzger then attempted a crash landing, but the aircraft overshot an open plain and struck a forested area near
474:
lines. The interphone system was rendered useless. In addition to these serious mechanical difficulties the engineer was wounded in the leg and the radio operator's arm was severed below the elbow. Suffering from intense pain, despite the application of a
834:
844:
824:
436:
849:
515:
603:
819:
775:
537:
839:
814:
563:
251:, but volunteered for the Army aviation cadet program on September 21, 1942. He left his job in Bridgeport to report for flight training in March 1943.
293:
Remains of the four crash victims were recovered and buried along with their identification tags in four graves at a temporary U.S. Army cemetery in
462:. Three of the aircraft's engines were damaged beyond control and on fire; dangerous flames from the No. 4 engine were leaping back as far as the
688:
587:
829:
618:
31:
510:
287:
74:
767:
304:
The description of the crash in the citation below is wrong. It describes the crash of B-24J 42-51226 further to the west in
458:
On a bombing run upon the marshaling yards at SaarbrĂĽcken a B-17 aircraft piloted by 1st. Lt. Gott was seriously damaged by
216:
123:
384:
403:
648:
719:
441:
360:
353:
346:
552:
297:, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France on November 11, 1944. Gott, aged 21 at his death, was reburied at Harmon Cemetery,
431:
263:
248:
160:
466:. Flares in the cockpit were ignited and a fire raged therein, which was further increased by free-flowing
279:
275:
156:
459:
119:
391:
809:
804:
259:
239:
on June 3, 1923, Gott had two older sisters and one older brother. He graduated from high school in
377:
597:
294:
254:
Gott was commissioned as a second lieutenant on
January 6, 1944, and by November 9, 1944 was a
583:
502:
424:
298:
255:
236:
146:
87:
58:
741:
467:
305:
240:
410:
267:
244:
220:
185:
329:
181:
798:
779:
463:
106:
415:
336:
224:
194:
190:
170:
480:
366:
308:, Somme, France which killed three different U.S. airmen on November 10, 1944.
219:
officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the
199:
492:
476:
471:
420:
271:
203:
247:. Gott was hired to fill a war production position at an aluminum plant in
30:
533:
320:
142:
454:
First
Lieutenant Gott's official Medal of Honor citation reads:
266:. On that day, during a bombing mission in B-17G 42-97904 over
835:
United States Army Air Forces personnel killed in World War II
744:. U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. 1944
278:, decided to try to fly the crippled aircraft back into
845:
United States Army Air Forces Medal of Honor recipients
582:. Snohomish Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 224–227.
691:. Riverside County, California: March Air Reserve Base
825:
United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
176:
166:
152:
137:
129:
112:
94:
81:
64:
45:
37:
21:
516:List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II
768:"Medal of Honor recipients - World War II (G–L)"
437:European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
215:(June 3, 1923 – November 9, 1944) was a
850:World War II recipients of the Medal of Honor
776:United States Army Center of Military History
538:United States Army Center of Military History
274:into enemy territory, Gott and the co-pilot,
8:
602:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
742:"Air Force Award Cards [Air Medal]"
720:"Tincourt-Boucly American Aviator Memorial"
689:"Pilots earned top honor for WW II actions"
649:"B-17 'Lady Jeannette' (42-97904) Memorial"
243:and then enrolled at a technical school in
643:
641:
639:
29:
18:
682:
680:
619:"War Hero's Remains Discovered in France"
399:
670:
668:
666:
580:The Last Flight of 'The Lady Jeannette'
545:
820:United States Army Air Forces officers
722:. American War Memorials Overseas, Inc
651:. American War Memorials Overseas, Inc
595:
573:
571:
7:
687:Proietti, Matt (November 9, 2007).
617:McNutt, Michael (August 16, 1994).
840:Aviators killed by being shot down
815:People from Ellis County, Oklahoma
536:from websites or documents of the
262:pilot in the 729th Bomb Squadron,
14:
511:List of Medal of Honor recipients
532: This article incorporates
527:
495:
390:
383:
376:
365:
359:
352:
345:
335:
328:
319:
198:
189:
180:
141:
118:
99:
778:. June 8, 2009. Archived from
1:
578:Cole, Willis S., Jr. (1998).
217:United States Army Air Forces
124:United States Army Air Forces
16:U.S. Army Air Forces officer
830:Recipients of the Air Medal
404:Army Air Forces Pilot Badge
866:
442:World War II Victory Medal
402:
318:
28:
772:Medal of Honor citations
161:452nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
107:United States of America
450:Medal of Honor citation
432:American Campaign Medal
264:452nd Bombardment Group
249:Bridgeport, Connecticut
534:public domain material
486:
312:Awards and decorations
276:William E. Metzger Jr.
456:
130:Years of service
260:B-17 Flying Fortress
223:—for his actions in
157:729th Bomb Squadron
709:Cole, pp. 154–155.
213:Donald Joseph Gott
782:on August 5, 2009
589:978-0-9662728-0-2
460:antiaircraft fire
447:
446:
425:oak leaf clusters
398:
397:
210:
209:
86:Harmon Cemetery,
857:
791:
789:
787:
754:
753:
751:
749:
738:
732:
731:
729:
727:
716:
710:
707:
701:
700:
698:
696:
684:
675:
672:
661:
660:
658:
656:
645:
634:
633:
631:
629:
614:
608:
607:
601:
593:
575:
566:
561:
555:
550:
531:
530:
505:
503:Biography portal
500:
499:
498:
400:
394:
387:
380:
369:
363:
356:
349:
339:
332:
323:
316:
315:
301:in August 1948.
299:Harmon, Oklahoma
256:first lieutenant
237:Arnett, Oklahoma
202:
193:
184:
147:First Lieutenant
145:
122:
114:
105:
103:
102:
88:Harmon, Oklahoma
71:
68:November 9, 1944
59:Arnett, Oklahoma
55:
53:
33:
19:
865:
864:
860:
859:
858:
856:
855:
854:
795:
794:
785:
783:
766:
763:
758:
757:
747:
745:
740:
739:
735:
725:
723:
718:
717:
713:
708:
704:
694:
692:
686:
685:
678:
673:
664:
654:
652:
647:
646:
637:
627:
625:
616:
615:
611:
594:
590:
577:
576:
569:
564:Service Profile
562:
558:
551:
547:
528:
524:
501:
496:
494:
491:
452:
371:
370:
364:
357:
350:
314:
306:Tincourt-Boucly
241:Fargo, Oklahoma
233:
197:
188:
100:
98:
90:
82:Place of burial
77:, Meuse, France
73:
69:
57:
51:
49:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
863:
861:
853:
852:
847:
842:
837:
832:
827:
822:
817:
812:
807:
797:
796:
793:
792:
762:
761:External links
759:
756:
755:
733:
711:
702:
676:
662:
635:
609:
588:
567:
556:
544:
543:
542:
541:
523:
520:
519:
518:
513:
507:
506:
490:
487:
451:
448:
445:
444:
439:
434:
428:
427:
418:
413:
411:Medal of Honor
407:
406:
396:
395:
388:
381:
373:
372:
358:
351:
344:
343:
342:
340:
333:
325:
324:
313:
310:
245:Enid, Oklahoma
232:
229:
221:Medal of Honor
208:
207:
186:Medal of Honor
178:
174:
173:
168:
164:
163:
154:
150:
149:
139:
135:
134:
131:
127:
126:
116:
110:
109:
96:
92:
91:
85:
83:
79:
78:
72:(aged 21)
66:
62:
61:
47:
43:
42:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
23:Donald J. Gott
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
862:
851:
848:
846:
843:
841:
838:
836:
833:
831:
828:
826:
823:
821:
818:
816:
813:
811:
808:
806:
803:
802:
800:
781:
777:
773:
769:
765:
764:
760:
743:
737:
734:
721:
715:
712:
706:
703:
690:
683:
681:
677:
671:
669:
667:
663:
650:
644:
642:
640:
636:
624:
623:The Oklahoman
620:
613:
610:
605:
599:
591:
585:
581:
574:
572:
568:
565:
560:
557:
554:
553:Hall of Valor
549:
546:
539:
535:
526:
525:
521:
517:
514:
512:
509:
508:
504:
493:
488:
485:
482:
478:
473:
470:from damaged
469:
465:
464:tail assembly
461:
455:
449:
443:
440:
438:
435:
433:
430:
429:
426:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
408:
405:
401:
393:
389:
386:
382:
379:
375:
374:
368:
362:
355:
348:
341:
338:
334:
331:
327:
326:
322:
317:
311:
309:
307:
302:
300:
296:
291:
289:
283:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
258:serving as a
257:
252:
250:
246:
242:
238:
230:
228:
226:
222:
218:
214:
205:
201:
196:
192:
187:
183:
179:
175:
172:
169:
165:
162:
158:
155:
151:
148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
125:
121:
117:
111:
108:
97:
93:
89:
84:
80:
76:
67:
63:
60:
48:
44:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
784:. Retrieved
780:the original
771:
746:. Retrieved
736:
724:. Retrieved
714:
705:
693:. Retrieved
674:Cole, p. 92.
653:. Retrieved
626:. Retrieved
622:
612:
579:
559:
548:
457:
453:
416:Purple Heart
303:
292:
284:
253:
234:
225:World War II
212:
211:
195:Purple Heart
171:World War II
167:Battles/wars
70:(1944-11-09)
56:June 3, 1923
810:1944 deaths
805:1923 births
481:static line
423:with three
288:Hattonville
282:territory.
268:SaarbrĂĽcken
75:Hattonville
38:Nickname(s)
799:Categories
522:References
477:tourniquet
95:Allegiance
52:1923-06-03
598:cite book
472:hydraulic
421:Air Medal
272:parachute
231:Biography
204:Air Medal
133:1943–1944
748:July 16,
726:July 15,
695:July 17,
655:July 15,
489:See also
235:Born in
113:Service/
786:June 8,
628:June 6,
586:
280:Allied
177:Awards
115:branch
104:
468:fluid
295:Limey
788:2009
750:2024
728:2024
697:2024
657:2024
630:2024
604:link
584:ISBN
153:Unit
138:Rank
65:Died
46:Born
206:(4)
41:Don
801::
774:.
770:.
679:^
665:^
638:^
621:.
600:}}
596:{{
570:^
227:.
159:,
790:.
752:.
730:.
699:.
659:.
632:.
606:)
592:.
540:.
54:)
50:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
