World War II Honoree

Cecil Wayne Neal

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN BOTH THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARDS. SERVED AS A PILOT OF B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' BOMBER AIRCRAFT IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER. STATIONED IN FOGGIA, ITALY WITH THE 429TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 2ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 15TH AIR FORCE WITH THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT. FLEW STRATEGIC BOMBING MISSIONS AGAINST GERMANY, AUSTRIA, THE BALKANS, ITALY, AND THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST OF FRANCE. ALSO PARTICIPATED IN SPECIAL MISSIONS TO SOFIA, BULGARIA AND TO AIRFIELDS IN THE ATHENS AREA. THE MAIN EFFORT DURING THE WINTER OF 1943-1944 WAS IN SUPPORT OF THE GROUND CAMPAIGN IN ITALY AND INCLUDED BOMBING MARSHALING YARDS THROUGHOUT THE PENINSULA AND BASES OF GERMAN AIR OPERATIONS.