Meet Derek Boren USAF Veteran

As a young man, Derek Boran wanted to serve and protect his county and joined the United States Airforce in 1947. Mr. Boran’s service to our country is sincerely appreciated, thank you. You will enjoy learning more about his service and adventures below.   

VFW Post 4562 Texarkana, Arkansas
This week’s veteran spotlight gives us a glimpse into the service of Derek Boren, who at a young age decided to walk away from the only life he had ever known, all for a chance to serve his country as a member of the newly created Air Force. Mr. Boren’s story starts out like so many others…talk to someone else…I really didn’t do anything important. However, to so many, Mr. Boren’s service was important.

During his time in the service, Mr. Boren was an airframe and propulsion mechanic on many aircraft, including the Boeing B-50 bomber. He was a mechanic that spent time in England, Morocco, and Guam, making sure that the planes under his control were ready at a moment’s notice to take on whatever mission they were called on to complete. While he was quick to minimize the workload, his story is of the tedious work required to keep such a large plane in flight shape. If you don’t think his story matters, why don’t you ask all of the pilots and crew members that returned safely what their opinion would be.

Mr. Boren loved his time in England, saying that was his best memory of his time in the military. For him, one of the worst times involved an evacuation from Guam as a typhoon was pressed to destroy the island. During his evacuation flight on the B-50, the plane lost an engine and was lacking enough power to successfully navigate the storm. As the plane started its descent into the divert airfield, he noticed that the runway lights were at the wrong angle, a sign that the plane was about to crash. Miraculously, at the last second, the pilot was able to abort the landing and save the plane.

Thank you sir for your attention to detail, your ability to fix issues on the fly, your dedication to returning the crew home safely, and your dedication to your country. See Less

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