World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
A. J. 'Jack' Bell
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL. SERVED AS A TAIL GUNNER ON A B-25 'MITCHELL' BOMBER WITH THE 83RD BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 12TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS STATIONED IN EGYPT, LIBYA, TUNISIA, SICILY AND ITALY. PARTICIPATED IN THE EGYPT-LIBYA, TUNISIA, SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ROME-ARNO AND AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. SERVED IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER OF OPERATIONS STATIONED IN INDIA. PARTICIPATED IN THE INDIA-BURMA, CHINA DEFENSIVE, AND CENTRAL BURMA CAMPAIGNS. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS UNIT IN NORTH AFRICA AND SICILY. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF STAFF SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.