World War II Honoree

Buddy L. Myers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Barton County, Kansas

Honored By

Raymond J. Linder

Relationship

Crew member bombardier

ARMORER AND AERIAL GUNNER ON A B-24 BOMBER. SERGEANT. ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE IN 1944 AT AGE 18 AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. AT AGE 19 WAS THE YOUNGEST MEMBER OF HIS B-24 CREW. AFTER GUNNERY SCHOOL WAS ASSIGNED AS THE NOSE TURRET GUNNER ON A BOMBER AT WESTOVER FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. COMPLETED B-24 CREW TRAINING AT CHATHAM FIELD, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA WITH 9 OTHER CREW MEMBERS. AFTER CREW TRAINING ASSIGNED FOR COMBAT ON A B-24, CREW 29 IN THE PACIFIC THEATER LATE SPRING 1945. TRAVELED ACROSS COUNTRY TO MATHER FIELD, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA THE PORT OF EMBARKATION ORDERED TO FLY A REPLACEMENT B-24 TO BIAK, NEW GUINEA AND FURTHER REASSIGNMENT. FLEW TO NEW GUINEA VIA HONOLULU, CANTON ISLAND, TARAWA AND LOS NEGROS ISLANDS. ASSIGNED TO B-24 BOMB GROUP 22 LOCATED ON OKINAWA. WAR ENDED WHILE AT BIAK. FLEW TO OKINAWA VIA MANILA AND JOINED GROUP 22. SERVED AT OKINAWA AND KOREA AS PART OF OCCUPATION FORCES. EARNED AMERICAN THEATER MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN RIBBON WITH 1 BATTLE STAR, JAPAN OCCUPATION MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL.