Tech. SGT.

Forrest "Woody"

Vosler

(USAF)

 

On his fourth mission,

20-year-old

Technical Sergeant

Forrest "Woody" Vosler,

a radio operator with

the 358th Bombardment

Squadron, faced a trial

by fire. 

 

Aboard a B-17 soaring

over Bremen, Germany,

the heavens erupted

with deadly flak and

swarms of enemy

fighters.

 A 20mm cannon shell

tore through the radio

compartment,

shredding Vosler’s legs

in a spray of

jagged metal. 

 

In unbearable pain,

Vosler emained steadfast.

When another shell

gravely injured the tail

gunner, Vosler, despite

his own agony,

crawled to the guns,

gripped the handles

and returned fire.

 

A third devastating hit

brought darkness

—shrapnel struck

his eyes, robbing him

of sight.

Teetering on the edge

of consciousness, Vosler

refused medical aid,

pouring what strength

he had left into

manning the guns

until his commander

ordered the crew

to bail out.

 

Blinded and battered,

Woody dragged himself

back to the radio,

his hands fumbling over

the damaged equipment.

With sheer determination, he restored it just

enough to transmit

a desperate distress

signal before the B-17

plunged into the icy

waters below.

 

“If this is how it ends,”

he later said, “at least

I’ll go down doing

my duty.”

 

Against all odds, Vosler

survived the ditching

and was pulled from

the sea, enduring

a grueling recovery

from his life-altering

injuries.

For his extraordinary

bravery and selflessness,

Forrest Vosler became

only the second enlisted

airman to be awarded

the *Medal of Honor*,

a testament to his

indomitable spirit.

 

God Bless Woody Vosler,

a true American legend

and hero.

 

기술 상사
포레스트 "우디"

 보슬러
(미 공군)

제358 폭격 비행대대의 

무전수였던 20세 기술 상사 

포레스트 "우디" 보슬러는

 네 번째 임무에서 참혹한 

시련을 겪었습니다.

독일 브레멘 상공을 

비행하던 B-17 폭격기 안은

 치명적인 대공포와 

적 전투기 떼로 하늘이

 휩쓸렸습니다. 

20mm 기관포탄이 

무전실을 뚫고 들어와 

보슬러의 다리를 날카로운

 금속 파편으로 갈기갈기 

찢어 놓았습니다.

참을 수 없는 고통 속에서도

 보슬러는 꿋꿋이 

버텼습니다. 

또 다른 포탄이 후미 

사수에게 중상을 입히자, 

보슬러는 고통 속에서도

 총으로 기어가 손잡이를

 잡고 반격했습니다.

세 번째 치명적인 타격은

 어둠을 가져왔습니다. 

파편이 그의 눈을 강타하여

 시야를 가렸습니다. 

의식 불명 상태에 빠진 

보슬러는 의료 지원을 

거부하고, 지휘관이 

승무원들에게 낙하산

 탈출을 명령할 때까지

 남은 모든 힘을 총기 

조작에 쏟아부었습니다.

눈이 멀고 몸이 망가진 

우디는 무전기로 돌아와

 손상된 장비를

 더듬거렸습니다.

 그는 완강한 결의로 

무전기를 복구하여 B-17이

 얼음처럼 차가운 

바닷속으로 추락하기 전에

 절박한 조난 신호를

 보낼 수 있을 만큼만

 복구했습니다.

"이렇게 끝난다면," 그는

 나중에 말했습니다.

 "적어도 저는 제 의무를

 다하고 내려가겠습니다."

모든 역경을 딛고 보슬러는

 불시착에서 살아남아 

바다에서 구조되었고,

 삶을 송두리째 바꿔놓은 

부상에서 힘겨운 회복 

과정을 견뎌냈습니다. 

그의 놀라운 용기와

 헌신으로 

포레스트 보슬러는 불굴의 

정신을 증명하는

 *명예 훈장*을 받은

 두 번째 공군 사병이 

되었습니다.

진정한 미국의 전설이자

 영웅, 우디 보슬러에게 

신의 가호가 있기를.