World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
James Lillis Gist
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Kansas City, Missouri
Honored By
Sam E. Pennartz
ENLISTED AS AN AVIATION CADET IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 9 FEBRUARY 1941 AT FORT LEAVENWORTH NEAR KANSAS CITY, KANSAS. GRADUATED FROM FLIGHT TRAINING CLASS 41-G AT GOODFELLOW FIELD NEAR SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. ASSIGNED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION, 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 313TH BOMB WING, 504TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 398TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT NORTH FIELD ON TINIAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 10 FEBRUARY 1945, HE FLEW AS THE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS (TAIL #42-24790). IT WAS ONE OF 120 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-WING GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY PLANT AT OTA ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF TOKYO, JAPAN. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF NAKAJIMA KI-44 SINGLE-ENGINE 'TOJO' FIGHTER PLANES. HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT SUFFERED HEAVY DAMAGE AND ON THE RETURN ROUTE HOME WAS FORCED TO DITCH APPROXIMATELY 275 MILES NORTH OF TINIAN, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF THE AIRCREW.