Lieutenant Earl H. Wonning

The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
Monday, August 9, 1943
Page 6

Lt. Earl H. Wonning, age twenty-six, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Wonning, Seymour R4, was a member of the graduating class at San Marcos, Texas, who received prized Army Air Forces navigator wings at graduation exercises last week. He also received his commission as second lieutenant.

Completing eighteen weeks of the sternest kind of training, which involved 15,000 mile of practice combat flying, the graduates are qualified to navigate giant Allied bombers to Axis targets any place on the globe. They now await assignments. Many will join tactical units, where they will become members of one of Uncle Sam's great combat teams of navigators, pilots and bomardier. Other graduated will become instructors charged with the training of more navigators qualified to take their place with the team that plays for keeps.

The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
Monday, March 20, 1944
Page 1

LOCAL MAN IS MISSING AFTER GERMAN RAID

Lt. Earl H. Wonning, Navigator-Bombardier, Had Won Air Medal, Cluster for Missions

Earl H. Wonning, age twenty-seven, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps, is missing in action as the result of a raid in which he participated as a navigator and bombardier over Germany on February 25, according to a message which has been received from the war department by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Howard Wonning, Seymour R4.

Only a short time before, Mr. and Mrs. Wonning had proudly received word that Lt. Wonning had been awarded the Air Medal for his coolness and his achievement in bombing raids during whichhe had participated over Germany. He also had been presented with an oak leaf cluster for having completed ten bombing missions over the European continent.

Overseas Since October

Lt. Wonning had been overseas since the latter part of October with the crew of his bomber which had been based in England.

Last Saturday, March 18, marked the third anniversary of his induction into the U.S. Army. Prior to entering the army, Lt. Wonning, who was educated at Cortland High School, was a farmer and also a rural electrician for the Jackson County Rural Electrification Membership Corporation. He received his training in the air corps at San Antonio, Texas, being presented with his wings and his second lieutenant's commission on his graduation at San Marcos, Texas.

His parents, a brother, Norman Wonning, at home and two sisters, Mrs. Delbert Hercamp and Mrs. Corwin Stuckwish, both of Seymour, are hopeful that he may have parachuted to safety while on the raid and will be heard from again, perhaps as a prisoner of the Axis troops.

The Tribune
Seymour, Indiana
Tuesday, March 21, 1944
Page 1

LT. EARL H WONNING

The parents and other relatives of Lt. Earl H. Wonning, age twenty-seven, Seymour R4, are hoping for further word which will tell them of the safety of the young navigator-bombardier of a Flying Fortress, who has been missing in action since a raid over Germany in which he participated on February 25.