Clarence "Press" Pressgrove - U.S. Army Air Corps 1943-46
Clarence "Press" Pressgrove
U.S. Army Air Corps 1943-46
Stf. Sgt. Clarence L. Pressgrove was born 8-8-1923 in St Charles,ILL. He joined U.S. Army Air Corps Feb. 15, 1943 at the beginning of WWII. Trained in ordinance school and switched to flight gunnery training. Assigned to B-29’s and joined the crew of B-29 "THE PEACEMAKER” as Rt. Gunner, which flew missions with the 6th Bomb Group attached to the 40th Bomb Squadron based in the Pacific on the Island of Tinian. During a low altitude night bombing mission he and his crew were shot down and became P.O.W.’s in Japan’s Omori prison camp. He was liberated from Omori camp by the U.S. Marines on Aug 29, 1945 after the dropping of the atomic weapons and defeating Japan. He was awarded numerous medals including the Purple Heart for his wounds received and The Distinguished Flying Cross for saving his B-29 and crew during a bombing mission. He left the service with an honorable discharge and lived, worked and retired in South Florida. Clarence L. Pressgrove passed away on Sept 27, 2014 and is buried in South Florida National Cemetery.
This video was produced by The Rowlinson Media Group, VERO BEACH, FL.
