An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

VIB Banner

John Lindquist

Major (Ret.) John Lindquist is a 20 year World War II veteran who served in the Army Air Corps and Air Force from May 1942 to May 1962 as a Bomber Navigator on the B-24 Liberator and later the B-17 Flying Fortress. “The most unforgettable Air Force moment I had was the time we lost our top turret gunner on a bombing mission. The turret gunner was in the process of tapping me on the shoulder with his foot for an oxygen tank refill when a piece of flak hit our plane. It took out an engine, the radio operator’s controls and later I realized it took out the turret gunner’s foot and started an engine fire. We returned to the base in one piece, but our turret gunner didn’t make it,” explained Lindquist. Major Lindquist completed 35 missions and in 1944 volunteered for three more missions in aid of ground troops at the Battle of the Bulge.

Mr. Lindquist’s hometown is in Ogden, Utah. He is currently running the family mortuary business there.