WWII Air Gunner’s Archive - Includes His Suicide letter

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/6/2021

The gunner was Volmer L. Ross who enlisted June 10, 1941 in Los Angeles and was discharged June 23, 1945. He was promoted to Corporal February 1, 1942; Sergeant April 1, 1942; then Staff Sergeant August 1, 1942; diplomas present. He was decorated with EAME Campaign Medal with two bronze Stars; Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Cluster, American Defense, and the Good Conduct Medal. ...all supported with records. Included with this grouping are war dated items; Volmer Ross's dog tags and flight bar medal. Most important is the Mission Log which is loose from the tablet but records Ross' 35 Missions. Each mission is on a separate page with standard format of Mission Number, Date of mission , Target of mission and Air Hours of the mission. this followed by a report of the mission. As example; Mission #2, Dec. 5, 1944, Target Berlin, Hours in Air 08:45. In part Ross reports, "I was looking for most anything to happen on this raid, and it did. We were prepared for 'Fighters & heavy Flak'. ... The p51 Fighter escort got the fighters before they got us ... They put up heavy & accurate flak. On this one we received 27 holes in our plane & and I had my turret knocked out. Scared the hell out of me. ... We lost two planes on this raid. One of them blew up in a million pieces ..." There are plenty of post war items to include; 3 life insurance policies with designee information. Clearly the most poignant involves Ross's suicide. A handwritten letter to his mother date lined July 12, 1955, Gold Bank OR, written the day he died. In full, "Mother, I'm sorry but its no use in my going on - I've loved and lost and am sorry for what this will do to you but try to forgive me if possible - I do love you but am not worthy of you - you're too good for me - Bye now - God bless you. Love Son. PS Don't blame anyone for this but me - I'm just a sick boy-awfully sick and weak." ...plus, The death certificate defines the cause as Carbon Monoxide poisoning ... hose from exhaust pipe into car ..." ... plus, there are several other official notifications.

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