World War II Honoree

Glen D. Emerson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bowlegs, Oklahoma

Honored By

Noma Jean Nichols Emerson

Relationship

Wife

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR FORCES AS A PRIVATE AND REPORTED TO SHEPPARD FIELD, AT WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS ON JANUARY 6, 1942. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER FROM JANUARY 6, 1941 TO JANUARY 17, 1944. TOOK BASIC TRAINING AND COMPLETED AIRPLANE MECHANIC TRAINING AT SHEPPARD FIELD ON JULY 4, 1942. AWARDED THE ARMY AIR FORCES TECHNICIAN BADGE. SELECTED FOR THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AND ENTERED AIRCREW TRAINING AT THE SAN ANTONIO AVIATION CADET CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ON AUGUST 3, 1942. COMPLETED PRIMARY FLYING SCHOOL AT STAMFORD ARLEDGE FIELD, AT STAMFORD, TEXAS ON DECEMBER 10, 1942, BASIC FLYING SCHOOL AT RANDOLPH FIELD AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ON MARCH 15, 1943, AND CLASSIFIED FOR FURTHER 2-ENGINE TRAINING. TOOK ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING AT BROOKS FIELD AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND QUALIFIED AS AN EXPERT IN AERIAL GUNNERY. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF AVIATION CADET ON MAY 23, 1943 TO ACCEPT AN APPOINTMENT AS AN OFFICER. GRADUATED ON MAY 24, 1943, AWARDED SILVER PILOT WINGS, COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND EARMARKED FOR MEDIUM BOMBER TRAINING. COMPLETED AERIAL OBSERVER TRAINING AT BROOKS FIELD ON JULY 7, 1943, AWARDED AIRCRAFT OBSERVER WINGS AND ASSIGNED TO B-25 MITCHELL BOMBER AIRCREW TRAINING. COMPLETED B-25 TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING AS A MEMBER OF THE 470TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 334TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP AT GREENVILLE ARMY AIR BASE AT GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA ON NOVEMBER 26, 1943. ORDERED TO TAKE A B-25 REPLACEMENT CREW OVERSEAS TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC AREA OF OPERATIONS. FLEW FROM FAIRFIELD-SUISUN ARMY AIR FIELD AT FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA ON JANUARY 17, 1944 FOR HAWAII, EN ROUTE TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER. PARTICIPATED IN THE NEW GUINEA, BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, WESTERN PACIFIC, LEYTE AND LUZON CAMPAIGNS. ARRIVED PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA ON FEBRUARY 16, 1944 AND ASSIGNED TO THE 17TH RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, 71ST RECONNAISSANCE GROUP, 5TH AIR FORCE. FLEW BOMBING, LOW LEVEL STRAFING AND PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS OVER NEW BRITAIN, NORTHWESTERN NEW GUINEA (HOLLANDIA) AND THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS NORTH OF NEW GUINEA. ENCOUNTERED FLAK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN COMBAT DURING A LOW-LEVEL PASS ON AN ENEMY GUNBOAT THAT THREW UP A WALL OF FIRE AND DAMAGED HIS AIRCRAFT. ON MAY 28, 1944, WHILE SERVING AS CO-PILOT ON A LOW-LEVEL BOMBING AND STRAFING MISSION, HIS AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE OCEAN JUST WEST OF WAKE ISLAND, NORTH OF NEW GUINEA. HE WAS IN THE WATER FOR OVER 4 HOURS BEFORE BEING RESCUED BY A SMALL NAVAL CRAFT. FROM JULY TO DECEMBER 1944, FLEW MISSIONS FROM DOBODURA, FINSCHHAFEN, NADZAB, WADKE ISLAND AND BIAK ISLAND IN NEW GUINEA; THEN FROM THE HALMAHERA ISLANDS AND FROM MINDANAO IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. STATIONED ON LEYTE, IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS ON NOVEMBER 5, 1944. IN JANUARY 1945, TRANSFERRED TO THE 5TH AIR FORCE SERVICE COMMAND WITH DUTIES AS A TEST PILOT AND MAINTENANCE OFFICER TESTING NEW BOMBS, DELIVERY TECHNIQUES AND NEW EQUIPMENT. IN JUNE 1945, HAVING COMPLETED 79 COMBAT MISSIONS AND SUFFERING FROM COMBAT FATIGUE, WAS REASSIGNED FROM THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS TO THE U.S. SERVED AT ENID ARMY AIR FIELD AT ENID, OKLAHOMA AS A MAINTENANCE OFFICER AND TEST PILOT. IN FEBRUARY 1946, TRANSFERRED TO THE AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND AND ASSIGNED TO MORRISON FIELD AT WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL WITH 2 BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH 1 SILVER SERVICE STAR AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. RELEASED FROM ACTIVE DUTY WITH THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT AT FORT BRAGG SEPARATION CENTER AT FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA ON JANUARY 15, 1947 AND TRANSFERRED TO THE INACTIVE RESERVE. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL.