World War II Honoree

Victor V. Heldenbrand

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Ponca City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 8TH PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON, 6TH PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE GROUP, 5TH AIR FORCE. MOVED TO THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA ABOUT OCTOBER 1943 AND WAS BASED IN SYDNEY AND THEN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA. PARTICIPATED IN THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, WESTERN PACIFIC, NEW GUINEA, LEYTE, LUZON, SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES, CHINA DEFENSIVE, CHINA OFFENSIVE, RYUKYUS, AND AIR OFFENSIVE-JAPAN CAMPAIGNS. RELOCATED TO PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA IN DECEMBER, 1943 AND THEN TO NADZEB, NEW GUINEA IN FEBRUARY 1944. HIS UNIT WAS ENGAGED IN PHOTOGRAPHING JAPANESE AIRFIELDS, HARBORS, BEACH DEFENSES, AND PERSONNEL AREAS IN NEW GUINEA, THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, BORNEO, AND THE SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. IT RECONNOITERED TARGET AREAS AND ENEMY TROOP POSITIONS TO PROVIDE CRITICAL INTELLIGENCE FOR PLANNING THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT ON THE PHILIPPINES. MOVED TO LEYTE IN THE PHILIPPINES IN NOVEMBER 1944 AND ENGAGED IN MISSIONS TO FORMOSA, CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINES. MOVED TO OKINAWA IN JULY 1945 AND ENGAGED IN MISSIONS OVER JAPAN BEFORE WAR'S END. MOVED TO JAPAN IN SEPTEMBER 1945 TO PARTICIPATE IN OCCUPATION DUTIES. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT DURING UNESCORTED MISSIONS OVER LEYTE IN SEPTEMBER 1944. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF MASTER SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.