To many Monmouth College students, World War II is a long-ago historical event. And thanks to Father Time, many of the men and women who served the world’s last great conflict are slowly disappearing.

Professor of history, Stacy Cordery’s class, Reflections: The Just War, was privileged enough to meet, listen to and ask questions of one of those figures. Delbert Augusburger visited the class on Nov.0 27 to discuss his experiences.

Augusburger, who was raised as a Mennonite, was originally expected to avoid entering the conflict. However, after his older brother had served and Augusburger lost his exemption because of the coming of age of his younger brother, he was forced to enlist.

Andrew McLaren, a junior in the class, said, “It was interesting that even though he was a Mennonite he was still willing to serve in the war.”

He served in the Air Corps and was a ball gunner, much in part to his small stature. Never a very big man, Augusburger fit the profile for one of the most risky jobs on an airplane; he was part of a flight crew for a B-17.

Augusburger stated,  “Everyone wanted to be a pilot, but not everyone could.” Though Augusburger filled all the requirements and passed all the tests to be a pilot, he was made ball gunner. After he concluded his service, he received his pilot’s license.

“It was interesting that the military would be looking for more gunners than pilots. I would have thought it would be the other way around,” stated McLaren.

McLaren also commented, “The pictures of the ball turret that he showed us were amazing to see. It is astounding how long he had to be in such small quarters and what he had to go through.”

Augusburger, a family friend of junior Tim Iverson, was pleased to have the opportunity to speak in front of a college class. It was the first-ever time Augusburger has been in a college class. Augusburger, despite his humbleness, was a captivating speaker. Like most World War II veterans, he had stories that could perk the ears.

He discussed with the class his experiences through training and how he and his flight crew became very close through their experiences. At the end of his service, he was rendered nearly deaf. At this time planes were not pressurized, and this caused his near deafness. Because of this, his crew flew a mission without him. He referred to this as one of the hardest experiences of his life. He recalled being relieved when he saw his plane land safely.

In his last mission, on April 28, 1945, Augusburger and the rest of his crew flew over Pilson. He recalled this mission as being the worst of his entire service career. He retold the story, remarking that BBC radio had released the target of the attack in an effort to protect the civilian workers of the factory. But what this really did was give the Germans time to fortify the area with anti-aircraft guns.

Augusburger returned state-side after his service in Europe because he had enough points to avoid going to the Pacific. His ear problem also presented an obstacle for any further service.

At the end of his time with the class, a smile broke across Augusburger’s face when he was happy to report that he could still fit into his uniform. He also recalled that he was able to climb back into a B-17, a memory that also brought a glint of joy to his aging eyes.

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