I am sad to share the news that the 384th Bomb Group ball turret gunner who became a social media sensation a couple of years ago has passed away just a few months after his ninety-fifth birthday. Delbert Storm’s daughter posted a photo of him on Facebook and asked folks to please share his plea to find other survivors of his group. Delbert was able to connect with his group, but I imagine his photo is still circulating on Facebook.

Delbert was born January 15, 1922 in Blackwell, Oklahoma to George Franklin Storm and Mary Amanda (Armstrong) Storm. In WWII, he served as ball turret gunner on a B-17 on the Edward Sienkiewicz crew.

BACK L-R: LT Edwin Frederick, LT Edward Sienkiewicz, LT William Stockman
FRONT L-R: SSGT Gene Foster, TSGT Alvin Orth, TSGT John Ballenger, SSGT Delbert Storm, TSGT Hollis Crowell.

The website of the American Air Museum in Britain includes a quote from Delbert describing his position in the plane. “Ball Turret Gunners did the job that no one else wanted. A special breed. Flew my last mission in the waist and really felt exposed.”

SSGT Delbert Storm, ball turret gunner of the Edward A. Sienkiewicz crew of the 547th Bomb Squad, on completion of his last mission.

Soon after he completed his service in WWII, Delbert married Betty Dean on January 23, 1945. As a civilian, he worked for the National Cooperative Refinery Association, and held offices in the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union. Delbert retired after thirty-two years of service with the Association. He was a member of the V.F.W., Moose Lodge and Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia.

Betty and Delbert Storm

Delbert’s granddaughter, Sara, shared a memory about her grandfather’s love of the time he was a ball turret gunner in WWII with me. “The Army Air Corp was the time in his life he talked about most. There was ALWAYS a story about it. He loved airplanes and loved to show people his pictures from the war. He was also super smart, super talented (he could literally build or fix ANYTHING) and funny.”

Delbert Storm, trying on his Air Force uniform 71 years later.

Delbert Storm died April 2, 2017. Thank you, Delbert, for sharing your stories and pictures from your time in WWII with your grandchildren. You have enriched their lives and have helped, as the 384th motto goes, to “Keep the Show on the Road.”

Delbert Storm

My previous post about Delbert Storm is here.

© Cindy Farrar Bryan and The Arrowhead Club, 2017