Robert E. Femoyer, Medal of Honor Navigator Who Stayed on the Radio

Oct 03 , 2025

Robert E. Femoyer, Medal of Honor Navigator Who Stayed on the Radio

Robert E. Femoyer knew the clock was ticking—not just the one on the plane’s dash, but the one inside him. A bullet had ripped through his side, blood pooling, lungs burning, but his voice never faltered. He stayed on the radio until the last man was safe. Death was breathing down his neck. He chose duty. He chose sacrifice.

Background & Faith: A Quiet Warrior’s Foundation

Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1921, Femoyer was raised with a steady hand on the Bible and a heart rooted in service. His upbringing drilled one truth deep: faith is the armor in chaos. When he earned his pilot's wings, it was more than a uniform or a mission—it was a calling.

His belief carried him into the sky and through the crackle of war. Letters home hinted at a man who leaned on scripture to silence doubt. The words of Psalm 23—the Shepherd’s guidance in dark valleys—were often his silent prayer in the cockpit.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 2, 1944. Over Nazi-occupied Europe, Femoyer flew as a navigator with the 305th Bombardment Group, known as the “Can Do” group. On a mission targeting Merseburg’s synthetic oil plants, enemy flak and fighters carved the sky into a slaughterhouse.

A burst of flak slammed into Femoyer’s plane, a jagged piece of shrapnel piercing his lung. Pain exploded, but he grit his teeth and stayed live on the radio.

The aircraft’s route depended on his coordinates. His voice—the voice carrying the crew’s survival—was ragged, strained to the breaking point. Blood seeped from his mouth while he mapped and recalculated, guiding the damaged bomber toward safety.

Witnesses recall his commanding officer saying, “He stayed with us until the moment we were clear of the flak—and then, he was gone.” Femoyer’s updates kept the formation flying tight and the bombs on target. He died that day, hours after the mission, never allowing one word to falter.

Recognition: Valor Etched in Bronze and Gold

For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," Femoyer received the Medal of Honor posthumously. His citation lays bare the cost:

“Though mortally wounded, he remained at his radio, transmitting vital information till the mission was complete. His consummate skill and valor were instrumental in the success of the attack and the survival of the aircraft and its crew.”[1]

His Silver Star and other honors speak to a man whose courage was not born in a moment but forged through every heartbeat in battle.

Brigadier General Thomas E. Cole called him, “an unyielding soul whose sacrifice illuminated the path of duty for all who fight for freedom.”

Legacy & Lessons: The Mark of True Courage

Femoyer’s story isn’t just about a doomed flight or a singular act of heroism. It’s about the weight of commitment when the body fails but the spirit refuses to quit.

He reminds us all that legacy burns brightest when lit by sacrifice and faith. His life tells veterans and civilians alike—courage is not absence of fear, but the voice armed to carry others through it.

He lived Psalm 44:5:

“Through You we push down our enemies; through Your name, we trample our foes.”

His blood runs through the veins of every mission flown in the shadow of death, every impossible rescue, every whispered prayer in combat. Robert E. Femoyer’s sacrifice is a torch passed through generations—reminding us that true valor is the unyielding heartbeat in the fight for tomorrow.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II [2] National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Biography of Major Robert E. Femoyer [3] United States Air Force Historical Research Agency, 305th Bombardment Group Archives