World War II Honoree

Gerald William Connors

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Florence Connors Turchetti

Relationship

Daughter

ENLISTED WITH ANTI-TANK COMPANY, 109TH INFANTRY, 28TH DIVISION ON FEBRUARY 25, 1940. WAS ON MANEUVERS WHEN HE LEARNED ABOUT PEARL HARBOR. BEGINNING AUGUST 5, 1942 HE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM HIS ORIGINAL UNIT TO THE 8TH AIR FORCE AND WAS AMONG THE FIRST TO LEAVE THE U.S. ARRIVED IN ENGLAND ON THE 17TH OF AUGUST 1942. SERVED AT STATION 105 IN CHELVESTON, ENGLAND AS ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNNER, 1601 UNTIL DECEMBER 16, 1944. SENT TO FRANCE AS A MACHINE GUNNER. HIS STINT ON THE CONTINENT INCLUDED PARIS, BELGIUM AND GERMANY. RETURNED TO THE U.S. ON AUGUST 22, 1945, MORE THAN 3 YEARS AFTER HE HAD LEFT, WITH THE BELIEF THAT AFTER A SHORT LEAVE HE WOULD BE HEADING TO THE PACIFIC FRONT. MUSTERED OUT AS PART OF 695TH AIR MATERIAL SQUADRON IN OCTOBER 1945. RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT BADGE, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN SERVICE MEDAL.