Harold W Ruppert
Sgt Army Air Corps
WWII B-17 1942-45
Sgt. Harold W. Ruppert was born August 4, 1909 in Iowa City.
On the 23rd day of November, 1925, Harold enlisted in the National Guard of the United States and of the State of Iowa, as a private in Troop A of the 113th Cavalry Iowa. Harold completed three years of service on the 22nd day of November 1928. Harold (Rup) Ruppert married Edith Evelyn Haynes in Cambridge, Illinois, on Valentine’s Day, 1935. In the wake of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, Harold closed the Ruppert Flower Shop in Iowa City and again enlisted in the service. This time he was inducted into the Army Air Corps on October 28, 1942. Harold received airplane mechanic training for 16 weeks in Gulfport, Mississippi, Airplane engine mechanic training for 5 weeks at the Douglas Aircraft Facility in Long Beach, California, and Aerial Gunnery Training for 7 weeks at Kingman, Arizona.
Finally, on January 24, 1944, Harold entered the European Theater of War Operation, becoming part of the 351st Bomb Squadron of the 8th Army Air Force. As the 2nd Engineer on a B-17 long range bomber, they flew bombing missions from England over Germany to targets of Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, and Cologne (Koln). As a flight engineer, Harold was charged with keeping the systems and engines running along with manning the top turret gunnery position.
Part way through his service, Harold became an airplane inspector where he made technical inspections of the B-17 bombers after missions and gave damage reports to the crew chief, checked the work of the mechanical crews, and kept all inspection records. Harold was honorably discharged September 7, 1945. Harold was awarded the Aid Medal (European Middle Eastern Campaigns), the Good Conduct Medal and the Presidential Unit citation with 6 bronze battle stars, 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and three overseas bars.
On December 31, 1946, his son Richard (Rick), was born. Harold continued to be associated with local flower shops in Iowa City as well as working as a self-employed finish carpenter. Harold passed away April 27, 1957, at the age of 47. Harold is in the back row, second from the left.
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