World War II Honoree

John Edmund Wright

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Nichols Village, New York

Honored By

John C. Wright

Relationship

Son

FLIGHT OFFICER; 89TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON, 438TH TROOP CARRIER GROUP, NINTH AIR FORCE. ENTERED THE ARMY AIR CORPS, MARCH, 1942. TRAINED AS A GLIDER PILOT, AND GRADUATED FROM FLIGHT SCHOOL IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS, DECEMBER, 1943. ON D-DAY, HE PILOTED A GLIDER CONTAINING MEN FROM THE 82ND AIRBORNE DIVISION TO NORMANDY AND WAS AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL FOR MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT, COMBINED WITH SKILL, COURAGE, AND A DEVOTION TO DUTY. LANDED GLIDERS DURING THE INVASION OF THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND DURING OPERATION MARKET GARDEN IN HOLLAND. ON OCTOBER 25, 1944, WHILE CO-PILOT OF THE C-47, 'LILLY BELL II', HE WAS KILLED IN ACTION WHEN THE PLANE CRASHED IN THE ENGLISH VILLAGE OF JACOBS WELL. HE WAS BURIED IN THE MADINGLEY AMERICAN CEMETERY NEAR CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART.