PRYOR, Okla. — Quentin Ogden joined the Air Force at the age of 19, fulfilling a life-long dream. From there he was quickly sent overseas in World War II.
"Everything was rather a new experience in your life so you just took it as it came," Ogden said.
The veteran was only 21 on D-Day. Although he survived two missions, Ogden tells 2 Works for You his plane was shot down just one day later.
The B-24 pilot held onto a rock off the coast of France until he was saved by fishermen hours later, and taken back to the island of Chausay.
"It was only a small rock and it got covered up when the tide came in. So I was kind of concerned about that. It was still a long ways to shore," Ogden said.
After a few months of hiding Ogden was captured, and taken to a prisoner of war camp in Northern Germany. He wasn't freed until almost a year later as the war came to an end.
"I've got no fuss with them. I went through it all, I'm alive, they didn't physically hurt me anywhere," Ogden said.
On days like the anniversary, Ogden's family said they feel gratitude.
"There was such a feeling of patriotism when the war started with people wanting to get into it and help fight and so forth," Dorothy Ogden said.
The pilot flew 21 missions leading up to D-Day, and later returned to Oklahoma to serve in the reserves.
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