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Subject: Article: Meriden Boy Cited: November 23, 1944
Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:23:24 -0500

The Oskaloosa Independent
Thursday
November 23, 1944

Meriden Boy Cited.
Fifteenth Army Air Force---
S/Sgt. Donald C. ATKINS, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. McKinley ATKINS, Rt. No. 2, Meriden, Kansas, now serving as an electrical specialist with a 15th Army Air Force bomber group in Italy was recently authorized to wear the Distinguished Unit Badge when his veteran B 24 Liberator bomber group was cited "for outstanding performance of duty in armed conflict with the enemy."
Commanded by Lt. Col. William L. SNOWDEN, 43, of 20 South Elm St., Denver, Colo., the cited unit was presented the official commendation by Maj. Gen. Nathan F. TWINING, Commanding General of the 15th Air Force, in a ceremony at the group's base.
Led by its former commander, Col. Kenneth A. COOL, 39, of 2924 Fairmount Blvd., Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the Liberator group, although handicapped by personnel shortages and operating only 40% of its maintenance equipment, took off on a vital mission to attack the Deimler-Push Aircraft Factory at Steyr, Austria. Intense cloud cover obscured the target. Using rockets, aerial flak, cannon and machine guns in a effort to scattere the American planes, approximately 75 German fighters attacked the formation.
Depsite severe opposition, the group maintained its formation, shifted its bombing objective to the Stayr Walzlagerwerke, important German ball bearing plant, and inflicted "tremendous material damage." During the air battle, the unit destroyed 27 enemy fighters, probably destroyed 17 more and damaged three, balanced by a minimum loss of four of its own aircraft.
"By their grim determination, their outstanding skill and unhestiating courage, the officers and enlisted men of this unit have upheld the highest traditions of the Military Service, thereby reflecting great credit upon themselves and the Armed Forces of the United States of America," concluded the citation.

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