Collection	Winnebago County Historical Commission
Copyright	Oshkosh Public Museum
Description	Gelatin print of Lieutenant Merton J. Welton.
Year Range from	1941
Event	World War II
Year range to	1943
Medium	Photographic Paper
Notes	Bust view of Lieutenant Merton J. Welton. He is wearing an officer's service uniform and hat. He wears officer's "US" collar insignia and Air Force lapel insignia. He also wears a pilot's qualification wings on his left breast. Merton J. Welton was born in Oshkosh, WI on January 6, 1922, the son of Merton E. and Theresa A. Welton. He graduated from the Rose Swart Training School in 1936 and Oshkosh High School in 1939. He attended the Oshkosh Teachers College for two years and obtained a pilot's license after training with Steve Wittman. He enlisted in the US Army Air Force in the spring of 1941. He trained at Kelly Field, TX, Chicasau, OK, Randolph Field and Foster Field, TX and became a pilot on B-25 "Mitchel" Medium Bombers. He was flying bombing missions out of North Africa when he was listed as missing in action on March 23, 1943 He was officially declared dead in May 1944. A letter from an eye witness said that Welton's plane had just bombed and destroyed an Italian freighter in the Mediterranean Ocean when they were attacked by two German fighters. Their plane turned over on its back and crashed into the ocean.
Object ID	P2005.20.35
Object Name	Print, Photographic
People	Welton, Merton J.
Print size	5" x 7"
Subjects	Portrait photographs Male World War II Casualties United States Army Air Force Pilots European Theater of Operations Bombers
Title	Lieutenant Merton J. Welton

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Last modified on: December 12, 2009