World War II Honoree

Carl Denver Mullican, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wesson, Mississippi

Honored By

Family

PROUDLY SERVED AS A PILOT WITH THE 15TH AIR FORCE BOMBER GROUP AFTER OBTAINING HIS COMMISSION AND WINGS AT THE AGE OF 19 YEARS. A PRIMARY TARGET OF THE MISSIONS HE FLEW WAS THE PLOESTI OIL FIELDS IN ROMANIA. THIS VALUABLE DEPOT WAS WELL GUARDED BY THE GERMAN ARMY WITH HUNDREDS OF ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS, SQUADRONS OF FIGHTER PLANES AND THE CAPABILITY OF PROVIDING A FULL SMOKE SCREEN. WHILE FLYING HIS 13TH BOMBING MISSION WITH A CREW OF TEN MEN OVER THE PLOESTI OIL FIELD, HIS AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCK AND DAMAGED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO FLY BACK TO THEIR BASE, THEY WERE STRUCK AGAIN BY GERMAN FIGHTERS WHO SHOT THEM DOWN. HE AND SEVERAL MEN WERE INJURED. THEY WERE CAPTURED AND BECAME PRISONERS OF WAR AT A CAMP IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA. WHEN THE RUSSIAN ARMY ENTERED BUCHAREST, THE GERMAN ARMY FLED AND ABANDONED THE POW AND THEY WERE ALL LIBERATED. AFTER THE POW WERE FOUND BY THE ALLIES, HE WAS RETURNED TO HIS BASE IN MANDINA, ITALY. FOR HIS HEROIC ACTIONS, HE HONORABLY RECEIVED THE PURPLE HEART MEDAL. ALSO RECEIVED WITH HONORS, THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, POW MEDAL, AIR MEDAL WITH THREE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, WWII VICTORY MEDAL AND THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL.