Uncle Bob
The true story of Bob Ogren
by
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I started formation flying yesterday and it sure is a lot of fun. We have 3 planes in a V shape and fly about 10 feet apart so we have to watch pretty close so we don’t run into each other. I had night flying for the first time last night and I’m crazy about that too. The first night was dual but the rest will be solo. We had bright moonlight so it was easy to see everything. I guess I’ll get a night cross country trip Thursday night. That will be solo too so I hope I don’t get lost. The rest of the boys make it alright so I guess I can. I went on my first mission yesterday and it was undoubtedly one of the most exciting days of my life. I can't tell where or how rough it was but I was, no doubt, the most scared I have been in my life. I also prayed more and harder than at any other time. I kept saying 'God push that flak away, not so close, just a little farther.
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About the Book
When Karen Nelson Cox found the letters her Uncle Bob wrote to his parents, she knew she had to compile them in a single resource. Although her uncle died shortly before she was born, Karen grew up hearing stories of his bravery as a pilot during World War II. The entire family knew how as a twenty-year-old lieutenant, Bob Ogren completed twenty-three bombing missions over Germany. Hit by enemy flack on his next mission, he kept his B-17 bomber in the air until his crew all parachuted to safety. By then his plane was too low and he went down with it near the front lines during the Battle of the Bulge. In this tribute, the author shares the letters Bob wrote to his parents, which were filled with his musings on the joys of flying, his concern for his parents, and his unshakeable belief that God was in control. Through the letters she hopes to help her extended family learn more about Uncle Bob –and to inspire others through his deep faith. Bob willingly paid the supreme sacrifice, as did many others in World War II, for the sake of his country, America. He lived his short life well with the desire to honor his earthly father and his Heavenly Father. All of us are blessed by Bob’s spiritual legacy.
About the Author
Karen Nelson Cox lived her early years in Burma as the daughter of missionary parents, Franklin and Phileda Nelson. Her mother's twenty-year-old brother, Bob Ogren, went down with his B-17 Bomber during World War II, one month before the author was born. Cox learned much about Bob through letters he wrote to his parents. A graduate of Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, she went on to become a teacher. She is married to a farmer/rancher, has four children, fourteen grandchildren, and is the great grandmother to a growing number.