World War II Honoree

John T. Curtis

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Honored By

Col. Ronald L. Albers, USAF (Ret)

Relationship

Friend

JOINED THE OKLAHOMA AIR NATIONAL AT TULSA IN SEPTEMBER 1941. HE ATTENDED AERIAL GUNNERY SCHOOL AT HARLINGEN, TEXAS IN MID-1942 BEFORE APPLYING FOR PILOT TRAINING IN 1943. ONCE ACCEPTED AS AN AVIATION CADET, HE ATTENDED PRIMARY AT EL RENO, OKLAHOMA; BASIC AT ENID, OKLAHOMA AND ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING AT ALOE FIELD IN VICTORIA, TEXAS. GRADUATED AND RECEIVED HIS PILOT WINGS WITH CLASS 44B. HE THEN TRANSITIONED INTO P-40 AND P-39 AIRCRAFT AT MOSES LAKE, WASHINGTON AND THEN THE P-38 LIGHTNING AT ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA. FOLLOWING THOSE SCHOOLS, HE WAS SHIPPED TO ENGLAND ABOARD QUEEN ELIZABETH I FOR FURTHER COMBAT TRAINING IN THE P-38 AT ATCHAM FIELD NEAR SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND. FROM THERE HE WAS FLOWN TO PARIS REPLACEMENT DEPOT AND FINALLY TRUCKED UP TO JUVINCOURT A-68, WHERE HE JOINED THE 394TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 367TH FIGHTER GROUP. HE AND HIS UNIT FLEW MISSIONS IN THE P-38 AND THEN THE P-47 THUNDERBOLT THAT PROVIDED AIR SUPPORT FOR THE TROOPS ENGAGED IN THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE AND ALSO DAWN-TO-DUSK COVERAGE OF GENERAL PATTON’S TROOPS AS THEY MARCHED INTO AND THROUGH GERMANY. AS THE WAR PROGRESSED, HIS UNIT WAS LATER BASED AT SAINT DIZIER AND DONCOURT LES CONFLANS IN FRANCE AND FINALLY AT ESCHBORN Y74, GERMANY. HE FLEW 67 COMBAT MISSIONS OVER FRANCE AND GERMANY AND, WHILE HE HAD NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS ON THESE SORTIES, HE WAS NEVER SHOT DOWN NOR HAD AN ACCIDENT. HE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL WITH 7 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 3 BATTLE STARS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL.