World War II Honoree

Victor E. Fiala

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Lincoln County, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

AFTER TRAINING IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER IN ALASKA WITH THE ALASKA DEFENSE COMMAND. APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TRAINING, WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON TRAINING ON HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. THEN SERVED AS A B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' HEAVY BOMBER INSTRUCTOR PILOT. AFTER COMPLETING TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING ON B-29 'SUPERFORTRESS' VERY HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT, SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER AS A B-29 PILOT WITH THE 877TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 499TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), BASED ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. CAPTAIN FIALA WAS LOST DURING A MISSION TO STRIKE JAPAN; HIS AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN IN THE NORTH PACIFIC AREA ON JANUARY 9, 1945 WHILE RETURNING TO SAIPAN FROM THE TARGET AREA. HE AND HIS CREW WERE INITIALLY DECLARED MISSING IN ACTION. HIS STATUS WAS REVIEWED AFTER A YEAR AND A FINDING OF DEATH (FOD) WAS ISSUED, WITH A DATE OF DEATH OF JANUARY 19, 1946. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.