Robert Rosenthal, 89, World War II pilot
Robert Rosenthal, 89, a World War II bomber pilot who twice survived being shot down in raids over Europe and later served on the U.S. legal team that prosecuted Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, has died.
Robert Rosenthal, 89, a World War II bomber pilot who twice survived being shot down in raids over Europe and later served on the U.S. legal team that prosecuted Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, has died.
Mr. Rosenthal, who lived in Harrison, N.Y., died April 20 of multiple myeloma, according to a son, Steven Rosenthal.
With 16 decorations, including the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation's second-highest award for heroism, Mr. Rosenthal was a quintessential example of the young Army pilots who defied seemingly hopeless odds to carry out daylight strategic bombing raids against Germany's industrial war machine.
His 52 missions included one, Oct. 10, 1943, in which his aircraft was the only one of 13 to return from a raid on Munster, the rest downed by antiaircraft fire and waves of Luftwaffe fighters.
In September 1944, his plane was disabled by flak over France, and he suffered injuries in a forced landing but was helped to safety by French resistance fighters. Five months later, he was shot down again, during a raid over Berlin, and got home with the aid of Russian troops.