World War II Honoree

Philip Ashton Norris, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Ada, Oklahoma

Honored By

Philip Ashton Norris III

Relationship

Son

COMMISSIONED 2ND LIEUTENANT IN ARMY AIR CORPS (AC) AUGUST 10, 1942 AS SERVICE PILOT, 4 ENGINE PLANE. TRANSFERRED TO AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND (ATC), WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. WAS QUALIFIED AS PILOT FOR B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 BOMBER AIRCRAFT. FROM AUGUST 1942 TO JUNE 1943 OPERATED 4-ENGINE AIRPLANES TO FERRY ARMY AIRCRAFT AND TRANSPORT FREIGHT AND PERSONNEL TO THE AMERICAN THEATRE, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE AND ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATRE. PROMOTED TO 1ST LIEUTENANT JANUARY 14, 1943. TRANSFERRED TO INDIA CHINA WING AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND (ICWATC) JUNE 6, 1943. FLEW C-87 AND C-47 AIRCRAFT ON 99 HUMP MISSIONS, TRANSPORTING FREIGHT AND/OR PERSONNEL FROM INDIA TO CHINA WHILE IN CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATRE OF OPERATIONS. PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN FEBRUARY 1, 1944. BECAUSE OF HIS EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS HE WAS ORDERED OUT OF THE THEATRE OF OPERATIONS BY THE FLIGHT SURGEON TO RETURN TO THE U.S. FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. HE REMAINED IN THE THEATRE, HOWEVER, BY SIGNING A WAIVER AND COMPLETED HIS DUTY. TRANSFERRED TO LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 15, 1944 AND CONTINUED ATC FERRYING OPERATIONS, FLYING B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26 AND C-47 AIRCRAFT UNTIL SEPARATION FROM SERVICE ON APRIL 27, 1945 TO RETURN TO ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY. HE WAS AWARDED 2 OVERSEAS BARS, AIR MEDAL APRIL 19, 1944; AMERICAN THEATRE RIBBON FEBRUARY 23, 1943; EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATRE SERVICE RIBBON, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AUGUST 13, 1944; ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATRE RIBBON WITH 1 STAR, PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION ICWATC 1944.