World War II Honoree

James C. Farlow

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Montevallo, Alabama

Honored By

Will Farlow

Relationship

Grandson

SERVED IN THE 704TH SQUADRON, 446TH BOMBER GROUP, 8TH AIR FORCE. ENTERED THE SERVICE APRIL 1943, TRAINING AS A MECHANIC IN HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA FOR P-61 AIRCRAFT. PREPARED TO SHIP TO EUROPE IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA WITH P-61 SQUADRON WHEN HE APPLIED FOR GUNNERY SCHOOL IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, WHICH HE ENTERED IN SPRING 1944. FROM THERE HE WENT TO LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, WHERE HE WAS ASSIGNED TO A CREW AND THEN TO MT. HOME, IDAHO FOR CREW TRAINING. IN 1945 SENT TO TOPEKA KANSAS, TO PICK UP A B-24 LIBERATOR AND HEAD TO ENGLAND. TRAVELED TO WALES VIA BANGOR, MAINE, WHERE HE THEN WENT TO FLIXTON VIA LONDON. NEVER FLEW A COMBAT MISSION IN EUROPE AS HE ARRIVED AS THE LAST CREWS TO BE SENT THERE WITH THE WAR OVER IN MAY 1945. FLEW A BATTLE-HARDENED B-24 AIRCRAFT NAMED 'BULL O THE WOODS' BACK TO MASSACHUSETTS, AND THEN ALONG WITH THE PILOT, CO-PILOT, AND NAVIGATOR, BEGAN TO HEAD TO TRAINING FOR FOUR-ENGINE PLANES. WAS IN MISSOURI WHEN THE NEWS OF V-J DAY WAS RECEIVED. OFFICIALLY DISCHARGED ON 5 DECEMBER 1945.