World War II Honoree

Veryl E. Wilch

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Topeka, Kansas

Honored By

Veryl E. Wilch

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE ON AUGUST 20, 1943 AT FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. ASSIGNED TO THE ARMY AIR CORPS. BASIC TRAINING AT LINCOLN AIR CORPS BASE AT LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. AIRCRAFT WELDER TRAINING FROM NOVEMBER 1943 TO APRIL 1944 AT CHANUTE FIELD NEAR RANTOUL, ILLINOIS. JOINED THE 489TH AIR SERVICE SQUADRON OF THE 13TH AIR SERVICE GROUP OF THE 7TH ARMY AIR CORPS AT SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA. THE 489TH WENT BY TRAIN TO SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. ON JUNE 4, 1944, THE 489TH BOARDED A LIBERTY SHIP WITH DESTINATION TO PEARL HARBOR IN HONOLULU, HAWAII. STATIONED AT KAHUKU AIR FIELD. THE LATTER PART OF AUGUST 1944, THE 489TH SAILED TO ANGUAR, A SMALL ISLAND IN THE PALAU GROUP OF ISLANDS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC. IN JUNE 1945, THE 489TH WAS RELOCATED TO OKINAWA. IN OCTOBER 1945, REASSIGNED TO THE 5TH ARMY AIR CORPS FOR OCCUPATION DUTY AT KIMPO AIRDROME NEAR SEOUL, KOREA. DISCHARGED AT FORT LOGAN IN DENVER, COLORADO ON FEBRUARY 6, 1946.