20th Air Force servicemen receiving awards, 1945

Gift of Donald Schlenger
Description: 

Photograph. Several members of the 20th Air Force lined up as an officer pins medals on their chests. A large numbers of servicemen are gathered in the background. Personal caption on reverse: "Crew of the Enola Gay getting air medal?" Presumably Tinian. 1945

Image Information

Accession Number: 
Date: 
1945-04-
1945-09-
Location: 
Hometown: 
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Theater of Service: 
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Collection Level: 
Items from the service of Donald S. Schlenger, who was an officer in the 570th Air Engineering Squadron, 359th Air Service Group, 20th Air Force in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Schlenger was born on 9 May 1921 in New Jersey and is the son of R&S Auto cofounder, Herman Schlenger and his wife, Ruth. He grew up in South Orange and left to attend the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Months before his graduation in 1943, Schlenger enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. In 1944, he was sent to Harvard Army Airfield in Nebraska before being shipped off to Tinian. While on Tinian, Schlenger led a crew of enlisted personnel who repaired and maintained the central fire control systems on B-29 Bombers. He remained on Tinian until the end of 1945. Upon returning to the United States, Schlenger moved back to New Jersey and ran R&S Auto during the 1960s. Schlenger moved out of New Jersey and is currently enjoying retirement. The collection consists of over 70 photographs of Schlenger's time in the service as well as newspaper and periodical clippings.
Geography: 
Tinian
Thesaurus for Graphic Materials: 
Military decorations--Tinian
Officers--American--Tinian
Soldiers--American--Tinian