World War II Honoree

Robert Wayne Grabham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Long Beach, California

Honored By

Wife, Children, Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren

DRAFTED FROM LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA IN LATE 1942, IMMEDIATELY SELECTED FOR OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL AND PILOT TRAINING. GRADUATED AS 2ND LIEUTENANT, EARNED HIS WINGS AS A FIGHTER PILOT IN LATE 1943 AND REASSIGNED TO RANDOLPH FIELD, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS FOR A SHORT PERIOD. THEN TO MACON, GEORGIA WHERE HE PERFORMED DUTIES AS AN INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND METEOROLOGIST. SOON THEREAFTER, REASSIGNED TO HENDRICKS FIELD, SEBRING, FLORIDA WHERE HE QUALIFIED AS A B-17 PILOT. SEVERAL TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENTS TO SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA; MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA AND LINCOLN, NEBRASKA FOLLOWED. THEN QUALIFIED AS A B-29 PILOT. IN JULY 1945, REASSIGNED TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC THEATER, FLEW MISSIONS IN SUPPORT OF U.S. FORCES. AS THE WAR ENDED, CONTINUED TO FLY SUPPLIES TO AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN ASIA. PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT AND RECEIVED ORDERS TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BUT OPTED INSTEAD TO LEAVE THE SERVICE AND RETURNED TO THE STATES IN MARCH 1946.