Capt James W O'Leary USAFR Ret

Army Aviation Cadet, 24 August 1942 to 5 Jan 1944. B-17 Command Pilot Transition, Hobbs AAB, Hobbs, NM. Combat crew training, Rapid City AAB, Rapid City, SD (graduated July 1944, rated #2 crew out of 56). Flew new B-17G from Gander Bay, New Found land solo to Mutts Corner, Belfast. Was assigned to 427th Sqdn 303 Bomb Group (H), Station 107, Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, UK. Was selected as Squadron Leader Oct. 1944 427th Sqdn. Flew a total of 30 combat missions: Deputy, Sqdn, Group, Wing leads 8; Section Leads 8; Sqdn Leads 4, Group leads 2, wing Lead 1. Served as Flight Cmdr., Returned to ZI March ’45. Retired from USAF Reserve June 1960.
Received: DFC, Air Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Battle Stars ETO: one Northern France, 2 the Rhineland, 3 Ardennes (Bulge). Presidential Unit Citation.