Born: August 10, 1923
Second Lieutenant, United States Army Air Forces Service# 19033802 / O-767418 PILOT, 390TH FIGHTER SQUADRON,
366TH FIGHTER GROUP, NINTH AIR FORCE Date of Enlistment: February 10, 1943
Home or Place of Enlistment: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Died: November 8, 1944 Buried: Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg |
The 390TH FIGHTER SQ, 366TH FIGHTER GROUP is hereby
CITED IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY of the Belgian Army, by Decree No. 1392, 20 November 1945,
by Charles, Prince of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom, with the following citation: Exceptional heroism was displayed in combat during the period of 6th of June 1944, to the 30th of September 1944. During this time, the IX Tactical Air Command had the enormous task to assure the air2land cooperation for the benefit of the ground forces of the American and Allied Armies, at the moment of their victorious advance, which, from the Normandy beaches, led them to the initial phases of the liberation of Belgium. All along the hard period of combat operations, the intrepid pilots of the IX Tactical Air Command operated from bases situated immediately in the rear of the advance echelons of the ground forces, contributed strongly in opening a way for the land units in march, destroying the enemy centers of communication, harassing the concentrations of troops, machine-gunning and bombarding the columns of tanks and sweeping the sky of the enemy planes. The pursuit-plane bombardiers of the IX Tactical Air Command, in particular, displayed exceptional technical cleverness and science of combat at the time of their operations above Belgium. Due to their brilliant qualities and to their perseverance, they contributed in a large part to the rout of the enemy forces in Belgium.
The 390TH FIGHTER SQ, 366TH FIGHTER GROUP is hereby
CITED IN THE ORDER OF THE DAY of the Belgian Army, by Decree No. 717, 7 July 1945,
by Charles, Prince of Belgium, Regent of the Kingdom, with the following citation: It established its headquarters at Arlon on 1 October 1944, and its groups of pursuit planes, reconnaissance and light bombers were installed in the airfields of Beauvechain, Le Culot, La Bruyere, St. Trond, Ophoeven, and Asch. From all of these operation bases, situated in Belgium, the XXIX Tactical Air Command was able to organize and execute, under extremely difficult atmospheric conditions, missions of protecting the land forces, harassing columns and concentrations of enemy troops, and destruction of materiel, food and centers of communications used by the enemy.
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