World War II Honoree

Robert Randall Aday

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Byers, Texas

Honored By

Brenda Keel

Relationship

Daughter

INDUCTED AT DALLAS, TEXAS IN 1943. BASIC TRAINING AT SHEPHERD FIELD, TEXAS THEN BASIC RADIO COMMUNICATION AT SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA. SHIPPED TO BILLY MITCHELL FIELD, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN THEN TO BERRY FIELD, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE FOR ADVANCED TRAINING IN RADIO COMMUNICATION AND THEN TO 5TH FERRY GROUP AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND, LOVE FIELD, DALLAS, TEXAS. ASSIGNED TO A CREW TO FERRY A C-47 TO ENGLAND VIA THE SOUTHERN ROUTE, PUERTO RICO, BRITISH GUYANA, BELEM AND NATAL, BRAZIL, ASCENSION ISLAND, TO WEST COAST OF AFRICA IN LIBERIA, DAKAR, MARRAKECH IN FRENCH MOROCCO, THEN ON TO SOUTHERN ENGLAND. TRAVELED THEN BY TRAIN THROUGH LONDON TO PRESTWICK, SCOTLAND. BACK TO THE U.S., REFUELING AT REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, GANDER, NEWFOUNDLAND AND TO NEW YORK CITY AND BACK TO LOVE FIELD. SHIPPED TO THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC VIA HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA, HICKAM FIELD, HAWAII, CANTON ISLAND, GUADALCANAL, PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA TO TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA. BASED IN TOWNSVILLE 3 MONTHS, FLYING BETWEEN BRISBANE, TOWNSVILLE, PORT MORESBY AND NADZAB IN NEW GUINEA. MOVED UP TO FINCHAVEN, NEW GUINEA. FLEW OUT OF FINCHAVEN TO BASES IN TOWNSVILLE, PORT MORESBY, MILNE BAY, DOBODURA, ADMIRALTY ISLANDS, HOLLANDIA, BIAK ISLAND, MOROTAI ISLAND, LEYTE AND MANILA IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. MOVED A VARIETY OF CARGO, MAIL AND SOME LITTER PATIENTS AND PERSONNEL, NORTH AND SOUTH. BASED IN HOLLANDIA WHEN RECEIVED ORDERS TO ROTATE TO HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA. TRAVELED TO MANILA, GUAM, JOHNSTON ISLAND, HICKAM FIELD TO HAMILTON FIELD, ARRIVING APPROXIMATELY 3:00 A.M. THE MORNING THAT GENERAL MACARTHUR ACCEPTED THE SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE IN TOKYO BAY. PROCESSED AND GIVEN A PASS TO GO TO SAN FRANCISCO TO CELEBRATE. GIVEN A 30-DAY LEAVE WITH A 15-DAY EXTENSION AND ORDERS TO REPORT BACK TO MATHER FIELD, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. WAS SHIPPED TO FAIRFIELD-SUISAN AIR BASE; ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF THE CREW THERE WAS TO BRING THE POW HOME. WAS ELIGIBLE FOR DISCHARGE AND PROCEEDED TO SHEPHERD FIELD AND WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED ON THANKSGIVING DAY 1945. FLYING HOURS OVER OCEAN WATERS AND ENEMY HELD TERRITORY TOTALED APPROXIMATELY 1400 HOURS, MOSTLY IN C-47 AIRCRAFT, SOME B-25 AND C-54 PLANES, ALL AS A RADIO OPERATOR. DECORATIONS INCLUDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN AREA MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN RIBBON AND ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON. THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC WING OF THE AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND RECEIVED A PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.