World War II Honoree

James Frank Copeland, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Timmonsville, South Carolina

Honored By

James O. Sweeny

Relationship

Classmate

ON FEBRUARY 10, 1941, HE VOLUNTEERED FOR ACTIVE DUTY AS A 2ND LIEUTENANT. AFTER INITIAL TRAINING AT FT. BENNING, GEORGIA, CAMP POLK, LOUISIANA AND FORT HOOD, TEXAS, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE AIR FORCE FOR PILOT TRAINING AT THE WESTERN FLYING TRAINING COMMAND, GRADUATING IN THE CLASS OF '43C'. THE ADVANCED PHASE OF HIS TRAINING WAS IN TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS SELECTED TO BE AN INSTRUCTOR AND WAS TRAINED FOR THIS AT THE CENTRAL INSTRUCTORS SCHOOL AT RANDOLF FIELD, TEXAS. LATER HE ATTENDED THE INSTRUMENT FLYING SCHOOL AT BRYAN, TEXAS. HE WAS A TWIN ENGINE PILOT INSTRUCTOR AT MARTA AIR FIELD UNTIL HE WAS PROMOTED AND BECAME AIR INSPECTOR FOR TRAINING. WHEN THE WAR ENDED, HE WAS BEING TRAINED IN FLYING HEAVY BOMBERS (FOUR ENGINE). HE ELECTED TO LEAVE THE MILITARY IN NOVEMBER OF 1945.