Robert Edward Femoyer Robert Edward Femoyer ( October 31 , 1921 – November 2 , 1944 ) is one of only nine known Eagle Scouts to receive the Medal of Honor ; the others are Aquilla J . Dyess , Eugene B . Fluckey , Thomas R . Norris , Arlo L . Olson , Mitchell Paige , Ben L . Salomon , Leo K . Thorsness , and Jay Zeamer , Jr . . He served in the U . S . Army Air Forces and is the only navigator awarded the Medal of Honor . Biography . Femoyer was from Huntington , West Virginia , an Eagle Scout , he attended Virginia Tech , from 1940 to 1943 . A building at Virginia Tech is named in his honor . Femoyer joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps on November 11 , 1942 and was called to active duty in February 1943 . He took basic training at Miami Beach , Florida , aircrew training at the University of Pittsburgh , and became an aviation cadet at the Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics in Jackson but failed his pilot training . In 1944 , he graduated from the Army Air Force ( AAF ) Flexible Gunnery School at Fort Myers , Florida , and the AAF Navigation School at Selman Field , Louisiana . From his training assignments , he went to the European Theater in September 1944 , as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 447th Bomb Group ' s 711th Squadron . Six weeks later , on November 2 , 1944 , he was the navigator of a B - 17 Flying Fortress on a bombing mission over Merseburg , Germany , his bomber was struck by three antiaircraft shells and he was wounded . He was in pain and had significant blood loss , but refused morphine in order to keep his head clear while he continued to navigate the bomber for two and a half hours , changing course six times to avoid enemy antiaircraft fire . He remained alert though his pain was described as " almost beyond the realm of human endurance " . Once the airplane was in safe airspace over the English Channel , Femoyer finally agreed to an injection of morphine ; but thirty minutes after landing he died of wounds . His actions saved the lives of the entire crew . For his actions during this mission , he posthumously received the Medal of Honor . His body rests in Jacksonville , Florida . Medal of Honor citation . " For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty near Merseburg , Germany , on 2 November 1944 . While on a mission , the bomber , of which 2d Lt . Femoyer was the navigator , was struck by 3 enemy antiaircraft shells . The plane suffered serious damage and 2d Lt . Femoyer was severely wounded in the side and back by shell fragments which penetrated his body . In spite of extreme pain and great loss of blood he refused an offered injection of morphine . He was determined to keep his mental faculties clear in order that he might direct his plane out of danger and so save his comrades . Not being able to arise from the floor , he asked to be propped up in order to enable him to see his charts and instruments . He successfully directed the navigation of his lone bomber for 2 hours so well it avoided enemy flak and returned to the field without further damage . Only when the plane had arrived in the safe area over the English Channel did he feel that he had accomplished his objective ; then , and only then , he permitted an injection of a sedative . He died shortly after being removed from the plane . The heroism and self - sacrifice of 2d Lt . Femoyer are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U . S . Army . "