Robert Femoyer's Radio Calls Guided His B-17 Crew Home

Oct 06 , 2025

Robert Femoyer's Radio Calls Guided His B-17 Crew Home

Robert E. Femoyer’s voice cracked through a storm of gunfire and flak. His breath ragged, blood seeping from a fatal wound, he keyed the radio again. Every transmission a lifeline to his bomber group. No surrender. No silence. They had to make it back. His last words carried them home.

The Battle That Defined Him

November 2, 1943. Femoyer’s B-17 soared over Merseburg, Germany, deep into the jaws of the Luftwaffe and flak batteries. Anti-aircraft shells shredded the sky, ripping metal and tearing flesh. Femoyer took a bullet through the lung, staggering but alive.

With a broken body burning with pain, he refused evacuation. The mission depended on his radio voice—clear, steady, precise amid chaos. Each transmission saved lives. His radio calls guided the formation past enemy fighters and alerted the squadron to regroup and avoid traps.

He stayed aloft, wounded beyond hope, clutching faith and duty like a shield against death’s door. His last broadcast was a prayer, a command, a prophecy: "We’re coming home."

Background & Faith

Born in East Earl Township, Pennsylvania, 1919, Robert Femoyer grew up rooted in simple godliness and hard work. His Appalachian childhood shaped him—a farming family, church pews, hymns carried in the dust and sweat.

His faith was steel forged in the fire of trials. Femoyer leaned into Scripture for strength: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.” (Psalm 28:7)

When the war called, he answered with steady resolve—a boy shaped by country roads and Sunday sermons, serving in the 96th Bombardment Group (H). He chased excellence in the air, embodying a warrior’s honor and a soldier’s humility.

The Action

Flying as a navigator on B-17F #42-30132 “Her Lady,” Femoyer faced relentless anti-aircraft fire over the industrial heart of Nazi Germany. His position was vulnerable, exposed atop enemy territory.

A flak shell ripped through, lodging a bullet in his lung. The pain was excruciating, each breath a struggle. Medical evacuation was his right—but Femoyer refused. Abandoning his post risked the mission and his comrades.

For over two hours, he remained at his headset, transmitting coordinates, reporting positions, guiding the bomber group back through enemy skies. His signals steered squadrons clear of danger, maintaining formation integrity and saving countless lives.

When the plane finally landed safely at RAF Snetterton Heath, Femoyer collapsed. Despite grave wounds, his voice held steady until the last—a testament to sheer grit and sacrifice.

Recognition

For his valor, Robert Femoyer received the Medal of Honor posthumously—the highest acknowledgment of gallantry in the U.S. military. His citation praises:

“Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity… despite a mortal wound, he continued to transmit vital information that enabled his organization to complete its mission and return safely to base.”

Brigadier General Curtis LeMay, Air Force icon, called Femoyer’s conduct “the epitome of dedication—never quitting, even when death was a whisper away.”

His sacrifice became emblematic of the quiet courage where the fiercest battles occur not only with bullets, but in the heart’s steadfast refusal to yield.

Legacy & Lessons

Femoyer’s story transcends the airstrips and bomb runs of WWII.

He teaches that true heroism is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of duty under fire. His mortal wound was no excuse; it was a crucible of courage.

In a fractured world, his legacy calls vets and civilians alike to a higher purpose—stoic sacrifice, unwavering faith, and relentless brotherhood even when the body breaks.

“Greater love hath no man than this...” (John 15:13) — Femoyer lived this scripture with every breath he bled into the wartime sky.

His radio transmissions still echo—proof that even in the darkest noise of war, a warrior’s voice can guide others home.

Sources:

1. Office of the Air Force History, Medal of Honor recipients, World War II 2. United States Army Center of Military History, Army Medal of Honor citations 3. LeMay, Curtis, Mission with LeMay: My Story, 1965 4. “Robert E. Femoyer,” Congressional Medal of Honor Society 5. Clancy, Tom, Into the Storm: A Study of Air Combat and Heroism