World War II Honoree

Kelley Clinton Westbrook

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Doddridge, Arkansas

Honored By

Diane Westbrook Updegrove Soderstrom

Relationship

Daughter

SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE “TRIPLE NICKEL”. ONE OF NINE MEN ASSIGNED BY THE 9TH AIR FORCE, 508TH FIGHTER GROUP’S, 404TH SQUADRON TO AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP THAT SERVED AS CONTROL NET SERVICE MEN. THIS TEAM DIRECTED THE FIRST BLIND DIVE-BOMBING MISSIONS. SERVED THROUGHOUT EUROPE INCLUDING THE BATTLE OF SAINT LOU, BATTLE OF THE BULGE, D-DAY INVASION AND AT AACHEN. SERVED IN ENGLAND, FRANCE, HOLLAND, GERMANY AND BELGIUM. D-DAY FOUND HIM IN DORCHESTER, ENGLAND MANNING AN EMERGENCY HONING STATION, ASSISTING PILOTS RETURNING FROM FRANCE. DUTIES RANGED FROM PLOTTING EXACT LOCATION FOR RESCUE OF PILOTS DITCHING THEIR PLANES, TO DIRECTING BOMBING MISSION TARGETS SERVING FROM OCTOBER 20, 1942 UNTIL HIS SAFE RETURN AT THE END OF THE WAR ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1945, MY FATHER INSTILLED IN ME A SENSE OF GRATITUDE AND PATRIOTISM. A DEBT FOR FOR MY NOT ONLY FREEDOM BUT FUTURE GENERATIONS FREEDOM, A DEBT WE CAN NEVER REPAY, BUT ONLY SAY THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II.