World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
James E. Pless
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Helena, Alabama
Honored By
Marilyn Judith Carney
Relationship
Niece
ENTERED SEPTEMBER 18, 1946 FROM MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA; MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE. PROCEEDED TO SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS AND TO SAC FIELD, WHICH WAS THE TRAINING BASE FOR AIR FORCE INDUCTEES. AFTER TWELVE WEEKS OF BASIC TRAINING WAS SENT TO GEIGER FIELD NEAR SPOKANE, WASHINGTON; AN ENGINEERING SCHOOL BASE. FIELD WAS TOPOGRAPHICAL DRAFTING AND TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEYING, BOTH OF WHICH HE PERFORMED THROUGHOUT HIS CONTINUED MILITARY CAREER. ON MARCH 21, 1947 WAS SENT TO OKINAWA ABOARD THE SS GENERAL C.G. MORTON TROOP SHIP VIA WAKE, MIDWAY, HONOLULU AND GUAM OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS ARCHIPELAGO. AFTER TWO WEEKS WAS FINALLY ASSIGNED TO RETURN TO GUAM TO THE HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON OF THE TWENTIETH AIR FORCE. (THIS WAS THE GROUP THAT DROPPED THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB ON THE JAPANESE). PERFORMED THE DUTIES OF SURVEYOR AND DRAFTSMAN THERE DURING HIS TWENTY-FOUR MONTH TOUR. DUTIES TOOK HIM BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE ISLANDS IN THE MARIANA GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED GUAM (AS HOME BASE), SAIPAN, TINIAN AND ROTA. ALSO, HAD THE OCCASION TO MAKE TWO TRIPS TO IWO JIMA. THE CHORES INVOLVED SURVEYING OF FACILITIES AND THEN REDUCING THE INFORMATION ONTO MAPS. HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. VIA THE SS. GENERAL MORTON TO SAN FRANCISCO AND UP SAN FRANCISCO BAY TO CAMP STONEMAN NEAR SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA FOR FURTHER ORDERS. WAS SENT TO ORLANDO, FLORIDA. THE 14TH AIR FORCE HAD RE-ACTIVATED AND LOCATED THERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING THE FIRST RADAR GRID AND COMMUNICATION CENTER IN THAT AREA. SPENT THE REMAINDER OF HIS CAREER WORKING ON THE FIRST RADAR GRID TABLE THAT WAS USED IN PLOTTING AIRCRAFT THAT WAS IN THE AIR WITHIN A THREE HUNDRED MILE RADIUS. (THIS GROUP WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE FLYING TIGERS). HONORABLE DISCHARGE WAS EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 8, 1949. FROM THAT DATE AND PLACE WENT TO HIS PARENTS WHO LIVED IN TRINITY, ALABAMA FOR A SHORT TIME WHILE WAITING TO BE EMPLOYED IN A GENERAL MOTORS FACILITY OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.