World War II Honoree

Francis R. Gerard

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Honored By

Grateful American

ENLISTED IN THE AIR CORPS IN OCTOBER 1942; WAS COMMISSIONED AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT AND RATED AS A PILOT IN AUGUST 1943. DURING COMBAT SERVICE, HE FLEW THE P-51 MUSTANG WHILE SERVING WITH THE 503RD FIGHTER SQUADRON, 339TH FIGHTER GROUP OF THE EIGHTH AIR FORCE BASED IN FOWLMERE, ENGLAND. HE COMPLETED TWO COMBAT TOURS CONSISTING OF 420 COMBAT HOURS IN 91 AERIAL MISSIONS. HE WAS AN 'ACE' HAVING DESTROYED EIGHT GERMAN FIGHTERS IN AERIAL COMBAT, FOUR OF WHICH WERE SHOT DOWN NEAR LEIPZIG, GERMANY ON SEPTEMBER 11, 1944 DURING ONE FURIOUS 12 MINUTE BATTLE. RETIRED AS A MAJOR GENERAL. AMONG HIS AWARDS AND MEDALS ARE THE AIR FORCE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL, THE SILVER STAR, DEFENSE SUPERIOR SERVICE MEDAL, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL WITH 11 OAK LEAF CLUSTER, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH SIX BATTLE STARS, NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AND PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION.