World War II Honoree

Joe Tom Gay

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Mason, Kentucky

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

TAKING ADVANCED ROTC HIS THIRD YEAR AT OKLAHOMA A. & M. COLLEGE IN 1944 WHEN HE SIGNED UP TO GO TO THE AIR CORPS CADETS. HE HAD NAVIGATION TRAINING AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, AND INTENSIVE FLYING COURSES AT SAN MARCOS, TEXAS, WHERE HE GRADUATED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE FALL. HE WENT TO A DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, AND WAS SENT TO CASPER, WYOMING, TO THE CREW WITH WHICH HE FLEW OVERSEAS. THEY TRAINED THERE IN A B-24 UNTIL DECEMBER WHEN THEY WENT TO LAWRENCE, KANSAS, THEN TO THE EAST COAST, AND THEN ATLANTIC CROSSING TO SOUTH HAMPTON HARBOR, ENGLAND, IN JANUARY 1945. THE NORWICH CIVILIAN AIRPORT HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO A B-24 BASE AND WAS A SECOND AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS FOR THE SECOND DIVISION B-24 AIRCRAFT FOR THE 458TH BOMB GROUP, 8TH AIR FORCE. HE HAD MORE TRAINING BEFORE GOING INTO COMBAT THE LAST OF JANUARY.