Foil: 6 Panel: Distinguished Flying Cross Society Column: 4 Line: 40

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:

Born in Lebanon, Pa. 12/24/21. Inducted U.S. Army at New Cumberland, Pa. 2/l5/43. Basic training at Miami Beach, Florida. Armament School at Buckley Field, Colorado. Advanced Armament and Central Fire Control School at Lowry Field, Denver, Colorado. Flight training at Walker Air Field, Victoria, Kansas.

Assigned Combat Air Crew (Senior Gunner) at Walker Air Field 3/1/44 in the 20th Air Force, 20th Bomber Command, 58th Bomb Wing, 462 Bomb Group, 768 Bomb Squadron. Traveled by ship from Hampton Roads, Virginia to Casablanca, North Africa, by air to Calcutta, India, and by rail to Piardoba, India in April 1944.

Flew gas and supplies to Kiunglai, China using B-29's. Flew B-29 combat missions from Kiunglai to targets in Japan, Manchuria, China and Formosa. Flew B-29 missions from Calcutta to targets in Thailand, Burma, Malay, Singapore, French Indo-China.

Piardoba was closed and base moved to Tinian, Marianas Islands in the Spring of 1945. Flew combat missions to Japan. Made two visits to Iwo Jima. Completed combat missions in July 1945.

Traveled by plane to Hickam Field, H.I. for two week "adjustment". By ship to San Francisco, by train to Indiantown Gap, Pa. Began month of leave 8/12/45, married 8/25/45. Reported to Greensboro, N.C. in September and was discharged 9/29/45 as Staff Sergeant with 31 1/2 months of service, 16 1/2 months overseas. Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 clusters, 2 unit citations, Asiatic Pacific Medal with 7 battle stars.