"The Mighty Eighth"-- Rosie's Crew-- Part 4: At the Nurenburg Trials

After returning to England, Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal attempted to return to flight operations but was turned down.  Rosie had to quit flying after 52 missions.

After  the war, Rosenthal served as as assistant U.S. prosecutor at the Nurenburg Trials where he interrogated Hermann Goring, a high-ranking Nazi official responsible for many wartime atrocities.

In total, Rosenthal received 16 American awards, including the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.  he also received the the Distinguished Flying Cross from Great Britain and the Croix de Guerre from France.

--GreGen

Esther Mae Nesbitt-- Part 4: Received the French Croix de Guerre Medal

Master sergeant and local artist.  Enlisted in the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1943.  Was an intelligence analyst and became custodian of all maps of the European Theater with the responsibility of keeping the war room maps up to date.

For this, she became DeKalb County's only recipient of the French government's Croix de Guerre medal.

After the war, she returned to Sycamore, except for a return to military service during the Korean War.  She lived in Sycamore until her death.  There is some confusion here between this and the previous post.

--GreGen

Esther Mae Nesbitt-- Part 2: Member of the WACs

She was the third woman to step ashore on Omaha Beach which she did on July 14, 1944.  She was a master sergeant assigned the Allied forward communications.  Her WAC unit consisted of 49 enlisted women and six officers.

She was the only NCO in the European Theater of Operations to receive the French Croix de Guerre medal.

Born 21 July 1913.

--GreGen