World War II Honoree

Irving C. Dupuis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Lake Linden, Michigan

Honored By

Brian DuPuis

Relationship

Son

AUGUST 1943 I WAS INDUCTED INTO SERVICE AT MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN AND SHIPPED TO FORT SHERIDAN, ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS FOR NEW RECRUIT EVALUATION. BASIC TRAINING WAS AT JEFFERSON BARRACKS IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. FOLLOWING BASIC TRAINING I WAS SENT TO ROCKHURST COLLEGE IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI FOR COLLEGE LEVEL CLASSES. THEN ON TO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO ATTEND AVIATION CADET TRAINING GROUND SCHOOL. AFTER CADET TRAINING IN SAN ANTONIO, WAS SHIPPED OUT TO ELLINGTON FIELD NEAR HOUSTON, TEXAS. OCTOBER 4, 1944 WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT, AERIAL NAVIGATOR AND ORDERED TO REPORT TO LINCOLN, NEBRASKA FOR ASSIGNMENT TO A COMBAT AIR CREW THEN ON TO MOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO FOR COMBAT FLIGHT TRAINING. DECEMBER 30, 1944 TRANSFERRED TO TOPEKA, KANSAS FOR ASSIGNMENT TO A B-24 LIBERATOR FOR FLIGHT OVERSEAS. ON JANUARY 15, 1945 RECEIVED MOVEMENT ORDERS TO FLY TO GRENIER FIELD, MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. FEBRUARY 4, 1945 ORDERED TO REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS. FIRST STOP GOOSE BAY, LABRADOR. DEPARTED GOOSE BAY AFTER SIX DAYS FOR VALLEY, WALES. FEBRUARY 18, 1945 ON MY 20TH BIRTHDAY, OUR FLIGHT CREW WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 392ND BOMB GROUP, 8TH AF AT WENDLING FIELD, EAST ANGLIA, ABOUT 35 MILES FROM THE EAST COAST OF ENGLAND. FROM MARCH 16 THROUGH MAY 4, 1945 I FLEW ON A TOTAL OF 23 FLIGHTS TOTING UP 91 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES OF COMBAT FLIGHT TIME. ON MAY 7, 1945 THE BATTLE FOR EUROPE WAS OFFICIALLY OVER AND THE END OF OUR COMBAT MISSIONS. BY MAY 28, 1945 OUR FLIGHT CREW WITH AN ADDITIONAL 10 GROUND CREW PERSONNEL RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES, TO BRADLEY FIELD, WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT WITH STOPOVERS IN REYKJAVIK, ICELAND AND BLUIE WEST-1 ON THE COAST OF GREENLAND. FROM WINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT IT WAS ON TO CAMP MILES STANDISH NEAR BOSTON BY BUS AND THEN A TROOP TRAIN TO NEW YORK AND THEN FORT SHERIDAN, ILLINOIS WHERE I HAD STARTED OFF IN AUGUST ALMOST TWO YEARS PRIOR. ON JUNE 7, 1945 I WAS GRANTED A 31 DAY LEAVE PLUS 3 DAYS TO TRAVEL TO SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA PENDING ASSIGNMENT TO THE PACIFIC THEATER. BY AUGUST 5, 1945 I DEPARTED SIOUX FALLS FOR ASSIGNMENT TO SAN MARCOS, TEXAS. WHILE IN SAN MARCOS WE ALL HEARD THE NEWS THAT AN ATOMIC BOMB HAD BEEN DROPPED ON JAPAN. WE WOULD NOT BE ASSIGNED TO THE PACIFIC THEATER. FROM AUGUST 1945 UNTIL NOVEMBER 1946 I WAS ASSIGNED TO VARIOUS POSITIONS AT ELLINGTON FIELD IN TEXAS, THE SAN ANTONIO MILITARY CENTER AND AMARILLO, TEXAS. ON NOVEMBER 5, 1946 REPORTED TO RANDOLPH FIELD IN TEXAS FOR EXIT PROCESSING FROM ACTIVE DUTY AND RETURNED TO LAKE LINDEN, MICHIGAN WITH MY NEW WIFE BETTY.