World War II Honoree

Luther Casselman 'Cass' Yates

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Rinard, Illinois

Honored By

Robert Medley Gatewood

ENLISTED AND TRAINED AS AN AVIATION MACHINIST’S MATE. ASSIGNED TO UNITS OPERATING FROM NAVAL AIR STATION ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA, IN 1942 FROM WHERE HE MADE HIS FIRST CROSSING OF THE EQUATOR. LATER SERVED AT NAVAL AIR STATION BANANA RIVER, FLORIDA. IN JANUARY, 1944 VOLUNTEERED FOR AND PARTICIPATED IN THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS ADMINISTRATION WARTIME TRAINING SERVICE EIGHT WEEKS FLYING TRAINING PROGRAM. COMPLETED 18 FLIGHTS IN STAGE A AT SKY HARBOR AIRPORT IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA, BUT DID NOT CONTINUE IN THAT PROGRAM. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AS AN AVIATION CHIEF MACHINIST’S MATE ON 25 JULY, 1945.