World War II Honoree

Willie Warren Moore

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Atoka, Oklahoma

Honored By

Mary Stanphill Moore

Relationship

Wife

1ST LIEUTENANT. INDUCTED IN ATOKA, OKLAHOMA. SENT TO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS FOR PREFLIGHT TRAINING, TO PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS FOR PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING, TO WACO FIELD, TEXAS FOR BASIC FLIGHT TRAINING, AND FINALLY TO BLACKLAND FIELD IN WACO FOR ADVANCED TRAINING. COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT ON MAY 24, 1943. SENT TO TARRANT FIELD, FORT WORTH, TEXAS, FOR B-24 PILOT TRAINING, AND ON TO TUCSON, ARIZONA FOR CREW ASSIGNMENT. TRAINED WITH CREW AT LANGLEY FIELD, VIRGINIA. FLEW B-24 LIBERATOR AIRPLANE AND CREW TO MORRISON FIELD, FLORIDA, FOR FINAL STAGING BEFORE FLYING THROUGH SOUTH AMERICA AND UP WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA TO CERIGNOLA, ITALY FOR COMBAT. ASSIGNED TO 740TH BOMB SQUADRON, 455TH BOMB GROUP, 15TH AIR FORCE. FLEW 35 HIGH-RISK BOMBING MISSIONS IN AREAS WHERE HUNDREDS OF ALLIED PLANES WERE SHOT DOWN BY GERMAN FIGHTER PLANES OR ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS. HIS PLANE, THE 'SADIE HAWKINS', WAS SHOT DOWN ON 15TH BOMBING MISSION IN RUMANIA, BUT HE AND ALL BUT ONE OF HIS CREW SURVIVED. RETURNED TO U.S. IN SEPTEMBER 1944 TO PERFORM INSTRUCTOR DUTIES, AND WAS DISCHARGED A YEAR LATER AT CAMP CHAFFEE, ARKANSAS. AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, THE PURPLE HEART, THE AIR MEDAL WITH THREE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH THREE BATTLE STARS, THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, THE WORLD WAR II VICTORY RIBBON, AND THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.