World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
David George Batchelder
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Hiawatha, Kansas
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN 1942. TRAINED AS AN AIRPLANE MECHANIC AND REPAIRMAN AND WAS STATIONED AT WILLIAMS FIELD, ARIZONA. SELECTED FOR PILOT TRAINING, GRADUATED AND WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS. RECEIVED TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN B-24 'LIBERATOR' BOMBER AIRCRAFT, THE TYPE OF PLANE TO BE FLOWN IN COMBAT. STATIONED AT WESTOVER FIELD, MASSACHUSETTS IN JANUARY 1944 FOR CREW TRAINING. WHEN THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED, REASSIGNED TO EPHRATA ARMY AIR BASE, WASHINGTON. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AFTER THE WAR AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.