World War II Honoree

Howard Greenlees Yeilding, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Walters, Oklahoma

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

GRADUATED FROM THE UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY CLASS OF 1943 IN JUNE AT WEST POINT, NEW YORK AND WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT GREAT BEND ARMY AIR FIELD, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 498TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VERY HEAVY), 875TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON FEBRUARY 10, 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'SMALL FRY' (SERIAL # 42-24760) TAIL CODE T-SQUARE-41. IT WAS ONE OF 120 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-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. HE WAS KILLED WHEN HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT SUFFERED FUEL STARVATION ON THE RETURN ROUTE HOME AND WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN ROUGH SEAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES NORTH OF SAIPAN.