World War II Honoree

Gordon Lee Hammond, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Corcoran, California

Honored By

James & John Hammond

Relationship

Sons

LEAD PILOT B-24. CAPTAIN, 8TH AIR FORCE. FROM 1943 TO 1945 392ND BOMB GROUP 579TH SQUADRON WENDLING AIR BASE 118, ENGLAND. THE HAMMOND CREW HAD TRAINED ON B-24 AIRCRAFT AT GOWEN FIELD, IDAHO (29TH BOMB GROUP, 52ND SQUADRON) AND POCATELLO, IDAHO (382ND BOMB GROUP, 539TH SQUADRON) FROM APRIL 1943 TO SEPTEMBER 1943, ARRIVING IN ENGLAND OCTOBER 1943. ORIGINALLY DESTINED FOR B-29 AIRPLANES IN THE 29TH BOMB GROUP. THIS CREW WAS DIVERTED TO B-24 AND ASSIGNED TO 8TH AIR FORCE, ENGLAND DUE TO THE ATTRITION IN CREWS THERE. HE FLEW FEBRUARY 1944, MISSIONS KNOWN AS BIG WEEK. THE PURPOSE WAS TO DEGRADE THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE PRIOR TO D-DAY. HE FLEW ALL THE MARCH 1944, MISSIONS TO BERLIN. HE WAS SHOT DOWN ON HIS 21ST MISSION RETURNING FROM HAMM, GERMANY ON APRIL 22, 1944 AFTER MAKING A SECOND RUN ON THE TARGET, LOSING US AIR COVER HIS SQUADRON WAS THEN ATTACKED BY 75 GERMAN FIGHTERS. HE WAS THE LAST TO BAIL OUT AFTER HE FLEW THE PLANE BURNING FOR 1 HOUR AND 34 MINUTES TO THE ENGLISH CHANNEL BEFORE THE RIGHT WING MELTED OFF. ALL 12 CREW MEMBERS, LISTED IN MISSING AIRCRAFT REPORT NUMBER 04171, AIRCRAFT NUMBER 42-52605, PARACHUTED SAFELY AND BECAME PRISONERS OF WAR AT STALAG LUFT 3, OF GREAT ESCAPE FAME, THEN STALAG 13D NUREMBERG AND FINALLY STALAG 7A MOOSEBURG. HE WAS POW AND A2 OFFICER AT STALAG LUFT 3 WEST COMPOUND, STALAG 13D NUREMBERG AND STALAG 7A AT MOOSEBURG. THEY WERE LIBERATED BY PATTON ON APRIL 29, 1945. HE WAS AWARDED 2 PURPLE HEARTS FOR KIEL BOMBING RAID ON JANUARY 4, 1944 AND HAMM MARSHALLING YARDS BOMBING RAID ON APRIL 22, 1944. WAS AWARDED THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL, WWII LAPEL BUTTON, AIR MEDAL WITH 4 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE SERVICE STARS AND PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR THE 392ND RAID ON THE GOTHA AIRCRAFT FACTORY ON FEBRUARY 24, 1944. DIED IN 2003 AND RECEIVED THE POW MEDAL POSTHUMOUSLY 2006.