Still Answering the Call
At 101 years old, Cedarhurst of Arnold resident Oscar Masters still remembers exactly why he joined the Army Air Corps.
"I didn't want to walk," he said with a laugh. "I wanted to fly."
Oscar eventually flew both B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and B-29 Superfortresses. The differences between the aircraft were striking. "The B-17 was cold and noisy," he said. "The B-29 was like sitting in a living room." As the war in Europe began winding down, Oscar was transferred to the B-29 program as military leaders shifted their focus toward the Pacific. There, he became part of a select group of pilots and crews training for a mission they did not fully understand.
That simple desire launched a journey that would carry him from Depression-era Missouri to the skies above the Pacific during World War II, placing him among a generation whose service helped shape history. Born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1924, Oscar grew up during the Great Depression. He remembers a time when jobs were hard to find, food was scarce, and families did whatever they could to get by. "Living in the Depression and having very little to eat," he recalled. "No jobs available." After graduating from Herculaneum High School in 1942, Oscar wasted little time pursuing his dream. Just days after graduation, he passed a 250-question exam and his physical at Jefferson Barracks before joining the Army Air Corps at age 17. While many young men entered the service out of obligation, Oscar's motivation was straightforward.
"We kept wondering why we were turning up wind," Oscar said.
On a typical bombing run, crews turned downwind after releasing their payload to escape as quickly as possible. Yet Oscar and others were repeatedly instructed to do the opposite. The reason remained a mystery until Aug. 6, 1945.
"I just always wanted to fly," he said.
That dream led him through training in Texas, Oregon, and California before he earned his wings. He had already flown a small Taylorcraft aircraft as a teenager, but military aviation was an entirely unique experience.
12 CEDARHURST SENIOR LIVING | SUMMER FLOURISH 2026
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