World War II Honoree

Frederick F. Fennema

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Clinton, Oklahoma

Honored By

Erma Fennema

Relationship

Wife

COMMISSIONED AS A PILOT AND 2ND LIEUTENANT. EMPLOYED AT LOCKHEED IN LOS ANGELES ON DECEMBER 7, 1941. WAS ONE OF 12 PEOPLE LOANED TO THE GOVERNMENT TO START THE FLIGHT ENGINEER SCHOOL, DESIGNED TO TRAIN OFFICERS AND LATER, CREW MEMBERS TO BECOME FLIGHT ENGINEERS. WHEN LOCKHEED CALLED THESE PEOPLE BACK, HE RESIGNED AND CHOSE TO SERVE COUNTRY. PLACED IN RESERVE WITH TOP SECRET CLEARANCE AND PUT IN UNIFORM TO BECOME OPERATIONS ANALYST. BETWEEN 1942 AND 1944, DID PROBLEM SOLVING FOR COMMAND SECTIONS IN VARIOUS LOCATION AROUND THE U.S. INCLUDING; ALAMOGORDO AIR FORCE BASE (WORKED ON ENOLA GAY THAT WAS TO FLY THE ATOMIC BOMB OVER HIROSHIMA) AND BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LOUISIANA (ON B-52); SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (ON B-29); WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE PROVING GROUNDS, WRIGHT PATTERSON, OHIO (INSTRUMENTED B-29) AND PENTAGON, WASHINGTON D.C. RELOCATED WITH GENERAL LEMAY AND STAFF TO MARIANA ISLANDS. SENT FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND AS COMMAND STAFF MEMBERS CALLED HIM TO SOLVE PROBLEMS. ONE PROBLEM INVOLVED PLANES WHICH WERE FLYING MISSIONS OVER JAPAN. IT SEEMS THE PLANES WERE FLYING FULLY FUELED, IF THEY WERE HIT PRIOR TO RETURNING AND WERE ABLE TO LAND, THEY WOULD OFTEN EXPLODE OR CATCH ON FIRE UPON LANDING. DECIDED TO CALCULATE THE PRECISE FUEL NEEDS OF EACH PLANE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE BOMB LOAD IT WOULD CARRY. IT WOULD ALLOW THE PLANES TO CARRY ONLY THE MINIMUM FUEL NECESSARY TO GET HOME SAFELY, EVEN IF THEY WERE HIT. FOR THIS SERVICE, WAS AWARDED MEDAL OF FREEDOM. SERVED ON OPERATIONS ANALYSIS SECTION, HEADQUARTERS, 20TH AIR FORCE. PERFORMED MERITORIOUS SERVICE FROM DECEMBER 1944 TO SEPTEMBER 1945 ON ISLANDS OF GUAM, SAIPAN, TINIAN AND IWO JIMA AND IN COMBAT BOMBING OPERATIONS OVER TRUK AND NII SHIMA. DISPLAYED COURAGE AND DEVOTION TO DUTY. STILL STATIONED IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS WHEN BOMB WAS DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA AND ON V-E AND V-J DAYS.