World War II Honoree

Harold Elwood Comstock

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Fresno, California

VOLUNTEERED FOR AND ENTERED ARMY AIR FORCE FLIGHT TRAINING ON OCTOBER 8, 1941. UPON GRADUATION AT FOSTER FIELD, TEXAS, ON JULY 2, 1942 ASSIGNED TO THE 63RD FIGHTER SQUADRON, 56TH FIGHTER GROUP, AT MITCHEL FIELD, NEW YORK. THE GROUP WAS SENT TO ENGLAND IN DECEMBER 1942 AND BEGAN OPERATIONS OUT OF KINGS CLIFF. FLYING P-47 THUNDERBOLT #41-6320, SCORED HIS FIRST VICTORY ON AUGUST 17, 1943, DOWNING AN ME-109F NEAR ANS, BELGIUM. HE DESTROYED A ME-110 ON OCTOBER 4 OVER BRUHL, GERMANY, AND ON NOVEMBER 26 SHOT DOWN ANOTHER 110 AND DAMAGED A FW-190 AND A ME-110. HE WAS CREDITED WITH A 109 PROBABLE AND TWO DAMAGED 190S BEFORE COMPLETION OF HIS FIRST COMBAT TOUR IN EARLY 1944. RETURNING TO THE 56TH FIGHTER GROUP LATER THAT YEAR, HE WAS PROMOTED TO MAJOR ON SEPTEMBER 17 AND GIVEN COMMAND OF THE 63RD. HE BECAME AN ACE TWO DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF A PAIR OF FW-190S SOUTHWEST OF BONN, GERMANY, AND WAS ALSO CREDITED WITH TWO MORE 190S DAMAGED. FOLLOWING COMPLETION OF HIS SECOND COMBAT TOUR, HE WAS SENT BACK TO THE UNITED STATES TO COMMAND THE 10TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 50TH FIGHTER GROUP, SCHEDULED FOR DEPLOYMENT TO LE SHIMA, ENGLAND. DURING WWII, EARNED MULTIPLE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS MEDALS, MULTIPLE AIR MEDALS, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL WITH MULTIPLE BATTLE STARS, AND THE WWII VICTORY MEDAL. A CAREER OFFICER, RETIRED AS A COLONEL ON OCTOBER 1, 1971.