Sadly, 423rd pilot Fred Engstrom died yesterday on December 29 at 3:36pm.

Fred reported to the 306th Bomb Group on February 10, 1945 and flew 25 missions. As Fred said, he was “just a Colorado farm boy” when he was called to service at age 19. He wanted to be a pilot. but his hopes were dashed when he failed the eye exam.  Not deterred, Fred said, “I heard that eating lots of carrots would improve eyesight, and that’s what I did. Guess what? It worked!”  

Before moving to North Carolina early this year, Fred would put on his white docent shirt every Saturday, health permitting, and make his way to his “chair of honor” at the Arizona Commemorative Air Museum in Mesa, Arizona. He’d spend the afternoons talking with guests of all ages about the air war over Europe as a member of The Greatest Generation. 

Fred always brought the pocket diary that he kept during the war.  It contained details of each mission he flew which helped to jog his memory after so many years. Everyone wanted to know the scariest part of being in combat and Fred always said it was the bomb run to the target where he had to surrender control of the airplane to the Bombardier. “We then just sat there helpless, watching that big black box of flak that we were flying into.”  Fred explained that in the later months of the war, as the Germans were driven out of the countries they had occupied, they brought most of the anti aircraft guns with them.  So by 1945, the concentration of flak over important targets in Germany was very intense.

Fred really enjoyed attending 306th Bomb Group Historical Association Reunions with his son Craig. His last was in Tucson in 2022 where he was one of two 306th veterans attending; the other being Walt Olmsted Jr. who are seen below.

Fred was a wonderful man and will be dearly missed.

December 30, 2023