Oscar F. Eshleman was born in 1917 to Harry H. and Jenny E Eshleman who lived at 144 Pennsylvania Avenue, Caln Township, Pennsylvania.  Oscar was the youngest of four children, including John H., Margaret E. William H. and Oscar.

 Oscar completed 4 years of High School, although he cannot be found in records of local public High schools.

 Oscar married Alice Lorena Skillman from Wilmington Delaware, on Friday, April 3, 1942.  The ceremony was held at the Hockessin Methodist Church in Delaware by the Reverend Richard M. Green.  After the honeymoon, the couple settled into a home in Coatesville.

 

 

Oscar enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 3, 1943.  He received flight training as a bomber pilot, flying B-24 Liberator Heavy Bombers.  He was assigned to the 836^th Bomber Squadron, 487^th Bomber Group Heavy.  Oscar’s bomb group trained at Bruning, Nebraska in September, Alamogordo, New Mexico in December, and Camp Kilmer, New Jersey in March 1944.

 The 487th shipped out to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in April 1944.  They were stationed in England at Levenham, Suffolk, England as part of the Eighth Air Force.

 Oscar’s Bomb Group flew their first combat mission on May 7, 1944 against the railroad marshalling yards in Liege, Belgium, preparing for the upcoming D-Day landings in Normandy, France.  Lee C. Hauenstein, the historian for the 487^th bomb group website informs us:

The unit's first commander was Lieutenant Colonel Beirne Lay, Jr., a prominent Hollywood screen writer until he was shot down on 11 May 1944 in one of the group's earliest actions. He was shot down over enemy territory but evaded capture and was returned to duty. After the war, he wrote the screenplay for the 1949 film, Twelve O'Clock High. 

 In July 1944, the 487^th transitioned to B-17G Flying Fortresses (pictured at left, CLICK TO ENLARGE).  In December during the Battle of the Bulge, most aircraft were grounded do to severe weather and cloud cover.   When the weather cleared the Eighth Air Force staged massive bombing missions in support of our beleaguered troops.  On December 24^th over 2,034 heavy bombers struck missions in support of our troops.  This was the largest strike of the war.

 

Crew of the Weary Willy.  Oscar Eshlemen, co-pilot (front row left).  William Waldron, pilot (back row, 2nd from left).  CLICK TO ENLARGE

 Oscar was the copilot and William Waldron was pilot of B-17G serial number 43-38926 named Weary Willy.  The 487^th led the Eighth Air Force that day.  Oscar’s target was the Airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, and it suffered its heaviest casualties that day.

 Second Lieutenant Oscar F. Eshleman was Killed In Action on December 24, 1944.

 Oscar received the Purple Heart and Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.