World War II Honoree

Ronald Wilson Reagan

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hollywood, California

Honored By

Dick Tobiason

HE WAS ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON APRIL 18, 1942. DUE TO HIS NEARSIGHTEDNESS, HE WAS CLASSIFIED FOR LIMITED SERVICE ONLY, WHICH EXCLUDED HIM FROM SERVING OVERSEAS. HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT WAS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO PORT OF EMBARKATION AT FORT MASON, CALIFORNIA, AS A LIAISON OFFICER OF THE PORT AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE. UPON THE APPROVAL OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES, HE APPLIED FOR A TRANSFER FROM THE CAVALRY TO THE ARMY AIR FORCES ON MAY 15, 1942, AND WAS ASSIGNED TO PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE 1ST MOTION PICTURE UNIT (THE 18TH ARMY AIR FORCES BASE UNIT) IN CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA. ON JANUARY 14, 1943 HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRST LIEUTENANT AND WAS SENT TO THE PROVISIONAL TASK FORCE SHOW UNIT OF 'THIS IS THE ARMY' AT BURBANK, CALIFORNIA. HE RETURNED TO THE 1ST MOTION PICTURE UNIT AFTER COMPLETING THIS DUTY AND WAS PROMOTED TO CAPTAIN ON JULY 22, 1943. IN JANUARY 1944, HE WAS ORDERED TO TEMPORARY DUTY IN NEW YORK CITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH WAR LOAN DRIVE. HE WAS RE-ASSIGNED TO THE 18TH ARMY AIR FORCES BASE UNIT ON NOVEMBER 14, 1944, WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL THE END OF WWII. HE WAS RECOMMENDED FOR PROMOTION TO MAJOR ON FEBRUARY 2, 1945, BUT THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS DISAPPROVED ON JULY 17 OF THAT YEAR. HE RETURNED TO FORT MACARTHUR, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HE WAS SEPARATED FROM ACTIVE DUTY ON DECEMBER 9, 1945. BY THE END OF THE WAR, HIS UNITS HAD PRODUCED SOME 400 TRAINING FILMS FOR THE ARMY AIR FORCES.