Fred Ohr, World War II flying ace, died at 96

  Dead Famous

Fred F. Ohr, born on July 15, 1919 and died September 6, 2015, he was an American World War II ace with 6 aerial victories and 17 ground victories.

Fred was born in 1919 in Idaho to Korean immigrants Wanda and Wan Ju, and grew up on a farm in the Boise, Idaho basin. Out of high school he joined the military in 1938 but was not on the path to becoming a pilot until inadvertently participating in a pilot examination in 1940.

In the fall 1942 he deployed with the 68th Material Service Squadron to Britain.

Fred served as a ground crew member in Tunisia, seeing action as his airbase was overrun.

Afterwards, Ohr would get a chance to fly and flew until November 1944 in the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group, ending his tour as the squadron’s commanding officer.

He received numerous decorations including the Silver Star with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze Star and the Air Medal with 18 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Fred received a citation for his escort action during Operation Tidal Wave in 1943 when he and his unit intercepted three enemy fighters prepared to attack bombers over the target area. He would shoot down one plane during the mission.

After the war, Fred became a dental surgeon in Chicago. He died on September 6, 2015 at age 96.