By the late Summer of 1944 Lt. Erickson had flown over 25 missions and received the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). It was awarded (photograph below) to him by Colonel Karl Truesdell Jr. at Horham Airfield in England. Lt. Erickson was only 21 years old at the time and Colonel Truesdell was the commander of the 95th Bombardment Group.

In October of 1944 Lt. Erickson sent the document below to his parents. Entitled 'Performance of Combat Crew Personal' wriiten by Colonel Truesdell tells the story of my father's combat days in England. It reflects his record and activities during his 35 missions and what medals/citations he received in 1944.

Lt. Ernest Anders Erickson flew thirty five missions over German occupied Europe with the 334th Squadron and came home without a scratch, yet had life changing experiences and memories that he dealt with over the rest of his life.

Growing up with him as his son I was fortunate to hear many of his Air Corps tales and the rest were left for me to find in his archives. Ernest's letters and mission notes told another level of his story that is both compelling and awe inspiring. Many of these can be found on various pages of this website.