Editing Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (section)

== Noted B-17 pilots and crew members ==
[[File:Maynard-H-Smith.png|thumb|upright|[[Maynard Harrison Smith|Maynard H. Smith]] receiving Medal of Honor from [[Secretary of War]] [[Henry L. Stimson]]]]
[[File:Forrest-L-Vosler.png|thumb|[[Forrest L. Vosler]] receiving Medal of Honor from President Roosevelt]]
[[File:Nancy Love and Betty Gillies.jpg|thumb|upright|L–R, [[Nancy Harkness Love|Nancy Love]], pilot and [[Betty Gillies|Betty (Huyler) Gillies]], co-pilot, the first women to fly the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber for the [[Women Airforce Service Pilots|WASP]]<ref name="museum2" />]]

=== Medal of Honor recipients ===
Many B-17 crew members received military honors and 17 received the [[Medal of Honor]], the highest military decoration awarded by the United States:<ref name="AFM" />
* Brigadier General [[Frederick Walker Castle|Frederick Castle]] (flying as co-pilot) – awarded posthumously for remaining at controls so others could escape damaged aircraft.<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: The Quiet Hero." ''Air Force Magazine'', Volume 68, Issue 5, May 1998.</ref>
* 2nd Lt [[Robert Edward Femoyer|Robert Femoyer]] (navigator) – awarded posthumously<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: 'I Am the Captain of My Soul{{' "}}. ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 68, Issue 5, May 1985.</ref>
* 1st Lt [[Donald J. Gott]] (pilot) – awarded posthumously<ref name="Valor at its Highest">Frisbee, John L. "Valor: 'Valor at its Highest{{' "}}. ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 72, Issue 6, June 1989.</ref>
* 2nd Lt [[David R. Kingsley]] (bombardier) – awarded posthumously for tending to injured crew and giving up his parachute to another<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: A Rather Special Award". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 73, Issue 8, August 1990.</ref>
* 1st Lt [[William R. Lawley Jr.]] – "heroism and exceptional flying skill"<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: One Turning and One Burning". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 82, Issue 6, June 1999.</ref>
* Sgt [[Archibald Mathies]] (engineer-gunner) – awarded posthumously<ref name="Point of Honor">Frisbee, John L. "Valor: A Point of Honor". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 68, Issue 8, August 1985.</ref>
* 1st Lt [[Jack W. Mathis]] (bombardier) – posthumously, the first airman in the European theater to be awarded the Medal of Honor<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: A Tale of Two Texans". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 69, Issue 3, March 1986.</ref>
* 2nd Lt [[William E. Metzger Jr.]] (co-pilot) – awarded posthumously<ref name="Valor at its Highest" />
* 1st Lt [[Edward S. Michael|Edward Michael]]<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Gauntlet of Fire". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 68, Issue 8, August 1985.</ref>
* 1st Lt [[John C. Morgan]]<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Crisis in the Cockpit". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 67, Issue 1, January 1984.</ref>
* Capt [[Harl Pease]] (awarded posthumously)<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Rabaul on a Wing and a Prayer". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 73, Issue 7, July 1990.</ref>
* 2nd Lt [[Joseph Sarnoski]] (awarded posthumously)<ref>[http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_1940_wwii/sarnoski.html "MOH citation of Sarnoski, Joseph R"]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623091114/http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_1940_wwii/sarnoski.html |date=23 June 2006 }} ''Home of Heroes''. Retrieved: 12 January 2007.</ref>
* S/Sgt [[Maynard Harrison Smith|Maynard H. Smith]] (gunner)<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: First of the Few". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 67, Issue 4, April 1984.</ref>
* 1st Lt [[Walter E. Truemper]] (awarded posthumously)<ref name="Point of Honor" />
* T/Sgt [[Forrest L. Vosler]] (radio operator)<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: The Right Touch". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 81, Issue 9, September 1998.</ref><ref>[[Half a Wing, Three Engines and a Prayer]]. Chapter 25, "Jeffrey Bounce Jr."</ref>
* Brigadier General [[Kenneth Walker (general)|Kenneth Walker]] Commanding officer of V Bomber Command, killed while leading small force in raid on Rabaul – awarded posthumously<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Courage and Conviction". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 73, Issue 10, October 1990.</ref>
* Maj [[Jay Zeamer Jr.]] (pilot) – earned on unescorted reconnaissance mission in Pacific, same mission as Sarnoski<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Battle Over Bougainville". ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 68, Issue 12, December 1985.</ref>

=== Other military achievements or events ===
* [[Lincoln Broyhill]] (1925–2008), tail-gunner on a B-17 in the 483rd Bombardment Group. He received a Distinguished Unit Citation and set two individual records in a single day: (1) most German jets destroyed by a single gunner in one mission (two), and (2) most German jets destroyed by a single gunner during the entirety of World War II.<ref>{{cite news |first = Joe |last = Holley |title=WWII gunner 'Babe' Broyhill dies: Set record for downing Nazi jets |newspaper =The Washington Post |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/27/AR2008112702380.html |date=28 November 2008 |access-date=7 May 2010 }}</ref>
* [[Allison Brooks|Allison C. Brooks]] (1917–2006), a B-17 pilot who was awarded numerous military decorations and was ultimately promoted to the rank of major general and served in active duty until 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=4800 |title = Major General Allison C. Brooks |publisher = United States Air Force |access-date=13 February 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040210205832/http://www.af.mil/bios/bio.asp?bioID=4800 |archive-date=10 February 2004 }}</ref>
* 1st Lt [[Eugene Emond]] (1921–1998): Lead pilot for ''Man O War&nbsp;II Horsepower Limited''. Received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, American Theater Ribbon and Victory Ribbon. Was part of D-Day and witnessed one of the first German jets when a Me 262A-1a flew through his formation over Germany. One of the youngest bomber pilots in the U.S. Army Air Forces.
* [[Immanuel J. Klette]] (1918–1988): Second-generation German-American whose 91 combat missions were the most flown by any Eighth Air Force pilot in World War&nbsp;II.<ref>Freeman 1993, pp. 497–500.</ref>
* Capt [[Colin Kelly]] (1915–1941): Pilot of the first U.S. B-17 lost in action.<ref>Frisbee, John L. "Valor: Colin Kelly (He was a Hero in Legend and in Fact)." ''Air Force Magazine'' Volume 77, Issue 6, June 1994.</ref>
* Col [[Frank Kurtz]] (1911–1996): The USAAF's most decorated pilot of World War II. Commander of the 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 15th Air Force, Celone Field, Foggia, Italy. Clark Field Philippines attack survivor. [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] bronze medalist in diving (1932), 1944–1945. Father of actress [[Swoosie Kurtz]], herself named for the still-surviving B-17D mentioned above.
* Gen [[Curtis LeMay]] (1906–1990): Became head of the [[Strategic Air Command]] and Chief of Staff of the USAF.
* Lt Col [[Nancy Harkness Love|Nancy Love]] (1914–1976) and [[Betty Gillies|Betty (Huyler) Gillies]] (1908–1998): The first women pilots to be certified to fly the B-17, in 1943 and to qualify for the [[Women Airforce Service Pilots|Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron]].<ref name="museum2" />
* SSgt [[Alan Magee]] (1919–2003): B-17 gunner who on 3 January 1943 survived a {{convert|22,000|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us|adj=on}} freefall after his aircraft was shot down by the Luftwaffe over [[St. Nazaire]].
* Col [[Robert K. Morgan]] (1918–2004): Pilot of ''Memphis Belle''.
* Lt Col [[Robert Rosenthal (USAF)|Robert Rosenthal]] (1917–2007): Commanded the only surviving B-17, ''Royal Flush'', of a US 8th Air Force raid by the 100th Bomb Group on [[Münster]] on 10 October 1943. Completed 53 missions. Earned sixteen medals for gallantry (including one each from Britain and France), and [[Bombing of Berlin in World War II#The largest American raid on Berlin|led the raid on Berlin]]<ref>{{cite web |url = https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=4475&Itemid=334 |title = 100th Bomb Group Foundation – Personnel – LT COL Robert ROSENTHAL |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=100thbg.com |publisher=100th Bomb Group Foundation |access-date=5 December 2016 |quote=Dec 1, 1944 – Feb 3, 1945 – 418th BS, 100th BG (H) ETOUSAAF (8AF) Squadron Commander, 55 hours, B-17 Air Leader 5 c/m (combat missions) 45 c/hrs (combat hours) '''1 Division Lead (Berlin Feb 3, 1945''', shot down, picked up by Russians and returned to England) Acting Command 4 Wing Leads, Pilot Feb 3, 1945 – BERLIN – MACR #12046, – A/C#44 8379 }}</ref> on 3 February 1945, that is likely to have ended the life of [[Roland Freisler]], the infamous "[[hanging judge]]" of the [[People's Court (Germany)|People's Court]].