World War II Honoree

Grant E. Peterson

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Delta, Colorado

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

RANK: 2ND LIEUTENANT. SERVED AS AN A-20 ‘HAVOC’ TWIN ENGINE BOMBER PILOT, ASSIGNED TO THE 5TH AIR FORCE, 312TH BOMB GROUP, 389TH BOMB SQUADRON IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. HE WAS STATIONED AT THE GUSAP ARMY AIRFIELD, NEW GUINEA AND WHILE ON A COMBAT MISSION IN JUNE 1944, HIS AIRCRAFT DID NOT RETURN TO THE BASE. HE WAS DECLARED MISSING IN ACTION FEBRUARY 26, 1946. PRIOR TO HIS PACIFIC DEPLOYMENT, HE ENTERED THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS SEPTEMBER 16, 1940 AS AN ENLISTEE. LATER ACCEPTED INTO THE FLIGHT-TRAINING PROGRAM AND COMPLETED OFFICERS CANDIDATE SCHOOL TRAINING AT FORT SILL OKLAHOMA. COMPLETED PRIMARY, BASIC, ADVANCE AND TRANSITION FLIGHT TRAINING PHASES AT CAMP BARKELEY, TEXAS, TYNDALL ARMY AIRFIELD, PANAMA, FLORIDA, MERCED ARMY AIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA, MATHER AIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA, COLUMBIA ARMY AIRFIELD AND FLORENCE ARMY AIRFIELD, SOUTH CAROLINA. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL AND PURPLE HEART MEDAL.