World War II Honoree
Civilian on the Home Front
John Leland Atwood
Hometown
Walton, Kentucky
Honored By
Paula Lucy Delosh
AN ENGINEER WHO ROSE THROUGH THE EXECUTIVE RANKS AT NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION AS IT BUILT THE P-51 MUSTANG, THE MOST POWERFUL FIGHTER PLANE OF WORLD WAR II. WAS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION IN 1940 WHEN HE PERSUADED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW PLANE INSTEAD OF MODIFYING THE CURTISS P-40. PILOTS FLYING THE NEW PLANE, THE P-51 MUSTANG, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST HALF OF THE ENEMY AIRCRAFT DOWNED IN EUROPE.