World War II Honoree

William Martin Pond

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Berkeley, California

Honored By

John Enoch Pond III

Relationship

Son

SERVED IN THE INFANTRY, FERRY COMMAND IN NORTH AFRICA AND EUROPE. FLEW THE 'HUMP' IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER. ON OCTOBER 15, 1940 HE ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AND REPORTED TO BASIC TRAINING AT FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA. HE ROSE RAPIDLY THROUGH THE RANKS. PRIVATE 1ST CLASS. SERVED IN COMPANY E, 53RD INFANTRY, FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA 12/14/40. CORPORAL. SERVED IN HEADQUARTERS 53RD INFANTRY, FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA 12/31/40. SERGEANT. SERVED IN HEADQUARTERS 53RD INFANTRY, FORT ORD, CALIFORNIA 2/17/41. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1941 HE WAS DETACHED TO OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL FORT BENNING, GEORGIA BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE 3RD CLASS. GRADUATED ON DECEMBER 12, 1941. RECEIVED HIS COMMISSION AS A 2ND LIEUTENANT FROM GENERAL OMAR BRADLEY. ON DECEMBER 13, 1941 HE WAS ORDERED TO CAMP WHEELER, GEORGIA FOR TEMPORARY DUTY. ON JANUARY 15, 1942 WENT TO CAMP CROWDER, MISSOURI. HIS FIRST PERMANENT ASSIGNMENT WAS AS LIAISON OFFICER AND ASSISTANT S-2 FOR THE 326TH GLIDER INFANTRY CAMP CLAIBORNE, LOUISIANA. IN MARCH 1942, HE COMPLETED THE ARMY INTELLIGENCE COURSE AND IN MAY HE COMPLETED THE AERIAL PHOTO SCHOOL. AUGUST 17, 19 HE WAS APPOINTED REGIMENTAL S-2 AND WAS PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT EFFECTIVE AUGUST 24, 1942. SHORTLY AFTER HIS PROMOTION CAME AN EVENT THAT SET THE COURSE OF HIS LIFE. DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE, THE GLIDER IN WHICH HE WAS RIDING CRASHED BADLY UPON LANDING, MANY WERE INJURED. ALTHOUGH HE MADE IT THROUGH WITH ONLY MINOR SCRAPES, HE DECIDED THAT THE NEXT TIME HE WAS IN THE AIR HE WOULD BE THE PILOT. SHORTLY AFTER THE 326TH GLIDER INFANTRY ARRIVED IN FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, HE RECEIVED NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE TO THE ARMY AIR FORCE PRE FLIGHT SCHOOL MAXWELL FIELD, ALABAMA FOR THE CLASS SCHEDULED TO COMMENCE DECEMBER 25, 1942. ON NOVEMBER 26, 1942 HE WAS RELIEVED FROM THE 326TH GLIDER INFANTRY, 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION WITH ORDERS TO REPORT TO MAXWELL FIELD NO LATER THAN DECEMBER 24, 1942. PILOT TRAINING WAS COMPLETED AND HE WAS AWARDED HIS WINGS EFFECTIVE JULY 28, 1943 AS PART OF CLASS 43-G MOODY FIELD, GEORGIA. HE HAD DONE HIS PRIMARY TRAINING AT LAKELAND, FLORIDA BASIC AT COCHRAN FIELD, GEORGIA AND ADVANCED AT MAXWELL FIELD. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 2ND FERRYING GROUP AT WILMINGTON, DELAWARE AND MANAGED TO ALSO ACHIEVE QUALIFICATIONS IN ARMS: EXPERT RIFLE M1 GARAND RIFLE M1903 SPRINGFIELD, MACHINE GUN 30 CALIBER HEAVY, BROWNING AUTOMATIC RIFLE M1918 A3, BAYONET, HAND GRENADE, 60MM MORTAR, 81MM MORTAR, CARBINE 30 CALIBER M1, SHARPSHOOTER: 37MM ANTI-TANK GUN, 50 CALIBER MACHINE GUN GROUND, 30 CALIBER LIGHT MACHINE GUN M1918A4, THOMPSON SUB MACHINE GUN PISTOL 45 CAL M1911. LIEUTENANT. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN IN RHINELAND FROM SEPTEMBER 15, 1944 TO MARCH 21, 1945. JANUARY 1945, HE BEGAN FERRYING PLANES TO BURMA AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN IN CENTRAL BURMA, FLYING THE 'HUMP' AND PARTICIPATING IN THE CHINA OFFENSIVE (BSS) FROM MAY 5, 1945 TO SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. BY THE END OF THE WAR, HE WAS A RATED PILOT FOR THE FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT: PT-17, BT-13, AT-9, AT-10, AT-6, B-24, B- 26, C-54, C-78, C-60 AND C-87. PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN ON DECEMBER 13, 1945. HE SEPARATED FROM THE SERVICE AT MCCLELLAN FIELD, CALIFORNIA ON FEBRUARY 13, 1946 TAKING A RESERVE COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 9, 1946 AND SERVED AS A PILOT INSTRUCTOR WITH 415TH ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT, 4TH AIR FORCE, HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA.