World War II Honoree

Edwin F. Ragland

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Higginsville, Missouri

Honored By

Mark Conrad

Relationship

Friend

HE ENTERED THE ARMY AIR FORCE ON OCTOBER 31, 1941 AND GRADUATED FROM PRIMARY TRAINING AT THUNDERBIRD FIELD IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA ON JANUARY 16, 1942. HIS BASIC TRAINING WAS AT MINTER FIELD, BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA AND HIS ADVANCED TRAINING WAS AT WILLIAMS FIELD, PHOENIX, ARIZONA WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS WINGS AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS STATIONED AT KEY FIELD, MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI, MCDILL AIR FIELD, TAMPA, FLORIDA. AND THE ARMY AIR BASE AT GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA. HE WAS SENT OVERSEAS AUGUST 12, 1943 SERVING AS A B-25 FLIGHT COMMANDER IN THE FAMED 'FLYING TIGERS' CHINESE-AMERICAN COMPOSITE WING OF THE 14TH AIR FORCE. HE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE CHINA- BURMA-INDIA THEATER WHERE HE FLEW SOME 35 COMBAT MISSIONS AGAINST JAPANESE TROOPS OVER MAINLAND CHINA AND NAVAL TARGETS IN SOUTHEAST CHINA. HE THEN RETURNED TO THE STATES IN THE FALL OF 1944 AND WAS DISCHARGED AS A 1ST LIEUTENANT NOVEMBER 13, 1945. HE RECEIVED THE AMERICAN DEFENSE RIBBON, THE ASIATIC- PACIFIC RIBBON WITH 2 BATTLE STARS AND THE PILOT'S BADGE OF THE CHINESE AIR FORCE.