World War II Honoree

James F. Eilers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kansas City, Kansas

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend and Neighbor at Epworth Villa Retirement Facility

IN JULY OF 1942 HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT HE WAS BEING DRAFTED FOR SERVICE. HE REPORTED TO FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE US ARMY AIR CORPS. HE WAS SENT TO SHEPPARD FIELD NEAR WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS. HIS CADET BASIC TRAINING INCLUDED TRAINING IN AN AIR MECHANIC SCHOOL WHICH HE COMPLETED NOVEMBER 17, 1942, AND HIS STATUS WAS CHANGED FROM 'CADET' TO 'PRIVATE'. ON NOVEMBER 21, 1942, HE BOARDED A TRAIN FOR SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA. HE STARTED SCHOOL NOVEMBER 25, 1942, AT THE DOUGLAS AIRCRAFT PLANT IN A SPECIAL ADVANCED AIR MECHANICS TRAINING. HE THEN WENT TO KEARNS, UTAH, TO AN OVERSEAS INFANTRY TRAINING CENTER DECEMBER 28, 1942. HE WAS PROMOTED TO CORPORAL MAY 13, 1943, AND WAS SENT TO CAMP STONEMAN, CALIFORNIA, TO JOIN 11 OTHER RECRUITS AS THEY BOARDED A LIBERTY SHIP, THE JOHN L. SULLIVAN ON JUNE 24, 1943. HE ARRIVED 16 DAYS LATER AT NOUMEA, NEW CALDEDONIA ISLAND, IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC, AND STAYED AT THE 6TH REPLACEMENT DEPOT. JULY 24, 1943, HE FLEW ON A C-47 TRANSPORT TO THE NEW HEBRIDES ON THE ISLAND OF ESPIRITU SANTO. THERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 13TH AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS COMMAND AND, INSTEAD OF SERVICING AIRPLANES, HE WAS MOVED INTO A2, THE INTELLIGENCE SECTION. HE SET UP A MAP DISTRIBUTION ROOM AS HIS NEW ASSIGNMENT AS A2 NON-COM. DECEMBER 21, 1943 HEADQUARTERS COMMAND MOVED TO GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS. IN FEBRUARY 1944 HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERGEANT AND HE FLEW TO LOS NEGROS IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. AS A MEMBER OF THE 13TH HEADQUARTERS COMMAND HE BOARDED THE THOMAS CORWIN LIBERTY SHIP AND ARRIVED AT MOROTAI HARBOR ON SEPTEMBER 27, 1944. ON FEBRUARY 16, 1945, HE FLEW AGAIN ON A C-47 TO LEYTE IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. HE WAS PROMOTED TO STAFF SERGEANT. BY AUGUST 1945 HE HAD COLLECTED ENOUGH POINTS TO LEAVE THE SERVICE. IN NOVEMBER 1945 HE WENT TO MANILA, LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, WAS PLACED ABOARD A TROOP SHIP AND AFTER A 21-DAY TRIP TO PORTLAND, OREGON, RODE A TRAIN HOME TO KANSAS CITY.