World War II Honoree

Donald E. Powers

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Tryon, Oklahoma

Honored By

William E. Shaklee

Relationship

Friend

DECEMBER 7, 1941, HE WAS A LAW STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA. THE NEXT DAY HE APPLIED TO THE US ARMY AIR CORPS FOR PILOT TRAINING. MARCH 21, 1942, HE WAS SWORN INTO THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND PLACED ON FURLOUGH AWAITING ENTRANCE INTO THE AIR CORPS. JUNE 5 HE ENTERED THE CLASSIFICATION CENTER AT KELLY FIELD, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THERE HE COMPLETED PRE-FLIGHT TRAINING AND WAS SENT TO JONES FIELD AT BONHAM, TEXAS, TO BEGIN PILOT TRAINING. AFTER 31 HOURS OF FLYING THE PT-19 HE WASHED OUT AND WAS SENT TO NAVIGATION TRAINING. HE COMPLETED NAVIGATION SCHOOL AT MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA, AND SEPTEMBER 11, 1943, WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT AND RECEIVED HIS WINGS AS A NAVIGATOR. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A B-24 BOMBER CREW IN THE 760TH BOMB SQUADRON, 460TH BOMB GROUP. THEY TRAINED AT KEARNS AIR BASE IN SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, AND CHATHAM FIELD, GEORGIA, PREPARING FOR OVERSEAS COMBAT DUTY. THEY FLEW THEIR OWN B-24, WHICH THEY HAD NAMED “KAJUN KATE”, OVERSEAS AND RE-GROUPED AT SPINAZZOLA, ITALY, AS PART OF THE 15TH AIR FORCE. THE NEXT SIX MONTHS THEY BOMBED AIRDROMES, OIL REFINERIES, RAILROAD MARSHALING YARDS, AND MUNITIONS PLANTS ALL OVER SOUTHERN EUROPE, INCLUDING NICE IN FRANCE; FREDERICHSHAFEN AND MUNICH IN GERMANY; VIENNA IN AUSTRIA; BUDAPEST IN HUNGARY; AND BUCHAREST AND PLOESTI IN RUMANIA. HE WAS AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL WITH FOUR BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AFTER 50 MISSIONS HE RETURNED TO THE U.S. AND SERVED AS A RADAR-NAVIGATION INSTRUCTOR IN FLORIDA AND ARIZONA UNTIL THE END OF THE WAR.