Sponsored by:

Navy Federal Credit Union
Paul
Edward
Olson
POW (WWII)
October 13, 1920

–

May 15, 2007

Born:

Oil City

, 

Pennsylvania

Home:

Oil City

, 

Pennsylvania

Buried: 

Lexington

, 

Kentucky

Cemetery:

Calvary Cemetery

During World War II, David Archibald and Paul Olson were on patrol together in separate fighter airplanes when they were attacked by a vastly superior force of enemy FW-190’s. Each of them became a U.S. Army Air Forces ACE-IN-A-DAY, credited with shooting down 5 enemy aircraft in aerial combat on December 18, 1944. Olson was forced to bail out of his damaged airplane near Kolnand, where he was captured and held as a prisoner of war.

Awards Received

  • Prisoner of War Medal

    Service:

    United States Army Air Forces

    Rank:

    First Lieutenant (Air Corps)

    Batallion:

    368th Fighter Squadron

    Regiment:

    359th Fighter Group

    Division:

    Prisoner of War (Germany)

    Action Date:

    December 18, 1944 – May 1945
    NARA Database: Records of World War II Prisoners of War, created, 1942 – 17141

    First Lieutenant (Air Corps) Paul Edward Olson (ASN: 0-816926), United States Army Air Forces, was captured by German forces after his airplane crashed on 18 December 1944, and was held as a Prisoner of War until his return to U.S. Military Control at the end of hostilities in May 1945.