World War II Honoree

Henry Lee Earp

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Chandler, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

WORKED AT THE BOEING AIRCRAFT COMPANY PLANT IN WICHITA, KANSAS BUILDING B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' BOMBER AIRCRAFT AND GLIDERS. ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE IN DECEMBER, 1942. SERVED IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN (EAME) THEATER WITH THE 16TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 64TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP. STATIONED IN COMISO, SICILY IN 1943; CIAMPINO, ITALY IN 1944; AND ROSIGNANO, ITALY IN 1945. HIS SQUADRON TOOK PART IN AIRBORNE ASSAULTS ON SICILY AND IN SOUTHERN FRANCE, SUPPORTED PARTISANS IN NORTHERN ITALY AND PROVIDED AIR TRANSPORT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS AND BRIEFLY IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA (CBI) THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HIS PRIMARY DUTY WAS TO REPAIR GLIDER AIRCRAFT. PARTICIPATED IN THE SICILY, NAPLES-FOGGIA, ROME-ARNO, SOUTHERN FRANCE, NORTH APENNINES, PO VALLEY, INDIA-BURMA, AND AIR COMBAT-EAME THEATER CAMPAIGNS. AWARDED THE GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN 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 THE CBI THEATER FROM APRIL 7-JUNE 15, 1944. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN NOVEMBER, 1945 WITH THE RANK OF SERGEANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.