World War II Honoree

Hulon H. Montgomery

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Goldthwaite, Texas

Honored By

1SGT Roger Montgomery, USA (Ret)

Relationship

Son

SERVED FROM SEPTEMBER 1942 TO JANUARY 1946. SERVED AGAIN FEBRUARY 1946 TO JANUARY 1948. HIGHEST RANK ACHIEVED TECHNICIAN 5TH CLASS, EQUIVALENT TO CORPORAL. TRAINED IN THE SIGNAL CORPS, UNTIL A POLE CLIMBING ACCIDENT SENT HIM TO THE AVIATION ENGINEERS AS A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR. DEPLOYED WITH THE 853RD ENGINEER AVIATION BATTALION AND SERVED IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER (CBI), BUILDING AIRFIELDS, AMMO STORAGE AND ROAD NETS FOR THE AIR CORPS. ON THE WAY TO INDIA, HE AND ONLY 38% OF HIS ORIGINAL BATTALION SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE HMT ROHNA, A BRITISH TRANSPORT SHIP. THEY WERE SUNK BY THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE, USING THE FIRST KNOWN REMOTELY GUIDED WEAPONS, THE USE OF WHICH WAS CLASSIFIED UNTIL THE 1990'S. THIS WAS THE WORST TROOP SHIP LOSS OF THE ENTIRE WAR. THERE WERE 1,100 PASSENGERS AND CREW PERISHED. AWARDS RECEIVED FOR SERVICE: THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL (2), AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 BRONZE CAMPAIGN STAR, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL, MERITORIOUS UNIT CITATION, THE MARKSMAN BADGE WITH M1 RIFLE AND M1 CARBINE BAR AND THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.