Bob Pedigo, a southside Indianapolis resident and World War II veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corp who took part in the D-Day invasion, sits inside his apartment on July 9. RYAN TRARES | DAILY JOURNAL
The Eiffel Tower rose in grandeur over the Paris cityscape.
Bob Pedigo looked up in appreciation in early June. This wasn’t the first time the 100-year-old southside Indianapolis resident had seen the architectural wonder, but back then, it had been under wildly different circumstances.
In August 1944, he had passed by the Paris landmark during a series of bombing runs, serving in the U.S. Army Air Corp helping the Allied forces destroy the Nazis.
“The Eiffel Tower, I saw it eight times — four times going there and four times going back,” he said. “The Germans had a jet engine factory right across the border from France in Germany, due east of Paris. Two days after Paris was free, we flew down and made a 90-degree turn to bomb that factory. And we came back the exact same way.”
Pedigo had returned to France in June as part of a special convoy of veterans, celebrating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. He and 65 other D-Day veterans were part of a special slate of recognitions, ceremonies and honors commemorating the milestone, in a trip organized through American Airlines.
The group took part in events at the Suresnes American Cemetery, the Arc de Triomphe and Omaha Beach. Along the way, they were honored by President Joseph Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
For Pedigo, the experience of being back in France after so many years was the memory of a lifetime.
“It was the most fantastic 11 days of my life,” he said. “Having it presented to me by two presidents, in unison, that was the most special. I never expected any of that.”
Pedigo grew up in Indianapolis during the Great Depression, helping support his family from the age of 7 with a magazine sales route in addition to selling scrap metal.
When World War II broke out, he left Arsenal Tech High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was assigned to manufacture the then-classified Norden bombsights, which allowed bombers to more safely evade German anti-aircraft weapons while still accurately hitting their targets. He was the youngest of 500 assigned to the task.
“The Norden bombsight was the No. 1 secret of World War II, until the atomic bomb,” he said. “Japan and Germany went crazy trying to get ahold of that.”
Pedigo would go on to become chief armorer, overseeing production and transportation of .50 caliber machine guns, gun turrets and other weaponry.
On D-Day, Pedigo was part of the 453rd Bombardment Group. His group was one of the first to be called into the air on a B-24J Liberator over Omaha Beach to drop bombs on the German encampment in St. Laurent, France. His successful mission helped the Allied forces successfully storm the beaches of Normandy.
His bomber crew completed 30 missions during the war — a rarity, as only about 5% of crews met that mark.
“Any time a crew finished a 30th mission, it was a really big time. That was rare. When we got back from the last mission, there was a big crowd there celebrating,” he said.
For his service, Pedigo earned numerous awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three oak clusters and more.
After his unit’s 30th mission, he had earned enough points to be discharged. He returned to the United States and after a seven-day furlough, he was supposed to report for reassignment to fight in the Pacific Theater. But during processing, an interview with a psychiatrist revealed he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Pedigo was instead transferred to Texas where he received treatment for six months.
Talking about his service during that time helped him tremendously.
“It was cathartic to talk about it,” he said.
After being discharged, Pedigo hitchhiked back to Indiana and his wife, Helen, who he had married at age 17 in Greenwood. They raised two sons while Pedigo worked for Naval Avionics Center until retiring as part of a design review team.
Over the course of his life, Pedigo has been active throughout the community in a variety of endeavors. In 1995, he helped lead an effort to put a limestone marker at the southside Indianapolis gravesite of Sgt. John George, a Revolutionary War veteran who was the drummer for George Washington.
“I campaigned for a monument for him,” he said.
He’s been awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash, inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame and been named a Kentucky Colonel.
The opportunity to return to Normandy was facilitated by Jill Fewell, executive director of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans who is active with veterans causes throughout the nation. Pedigo had met during a World War II roundtable held in Indianapolis, and she nominated and invited him on the trip. The reunion was a partnership between American Airlines and organizations such as TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Gary Sinise Foundation, Robert Irvine Foundation and Old Glory Honor Flight.
Fewell served as Pedigo’s guide throughout the event.
“She’s the most fantastic woman I’ve ever met,” he said.
Pedigo and the other D-Day veterans met in Texas for a kickoff dinner at the American Airlines headquarters in Fort Worth on May 30 that included a 1940s-era big band and the Victory Belles from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. The next morning, they enjoyed a send-off parade at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The veterans spent two days in Paris before traveling to the Normandy region for commemorative events. They took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Suresnes American Cemetery and honored fallen troops during le Ravivage de la Flamme ceremony underneath the Arc de Triomphe.
At Normandy, they visited historic Omaha Beach, laying a wreath to honor those who died in the D-Day invasion. They toured the bunkers and bomb craters of Pointe du Hoc and honored the U.S. Army Rangers who scaled the steep cliffs June 6, 1944.
On Utah Beach, the veterans paid tribute by each laying a single rose in honor of the fallen. Later, the veterans were the primary focus in Sainte-Mère-Église as thousands gathered to cheer their arrival into the town made famous by the Airborne soldiers who parachuted into the area.
The events in Normandy concluded with a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings at the Normandy American Cemetery, where more than 9,000 U.S. service members from World War II are laid to rest.
Since getting back from France, Pedigo has given interviews and spoken to numerous people about his time in France. Even at 100, he remains active, driving himself to appointments and meetings as well as maintaining his own calendar.
He’s relished recounting what turned out to be a trip of a lifetime, as well as his military service and countless other stories — even if it’s been a whirlwind.
“I’ve never so busy in my life,” he said.
