World War II Honoree

Lowell Clark Highfill

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Perry, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE WITH THE OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARD (OKNG) BEFORE THE UNITED STATES ENTERED THE WAR. SERVED WITH BATTERY C, 1ST BATTALION, 158TH FIELD ARTILLERY, 45TH DIVISION, OKNG, ON INACTIVE DUTY, AND THEN ON ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE WHEN HIS UNIT WAS INDUCTED INTO FEDERAL SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1940. SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER DURING THE WAR, INITIALLY AT FORT SILL AT LAWTON, OKLAHOMA BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 2, 1940; THEN AT CAMP BARKELEY AT ABILENE, TEXAS BEGINNING FEBRUARY 28, 1941. SERVED AT CAMP BARKELEY AND APPLIED FOR THE ARMY AIR FORCES AVIATION CADET PROGRAM. CONTINUED TRAINING WITH THE 45TH INFANTRY 'THUNDERBIRD' DIVISION AT BROWNWOOD, TEXAS FOR THE TEXAS MANEUVERS IN JUNE, 1941; AT CAMP BARKELEY UNTIL MOVING TO MANSFIELD, LOUISIANA FOR THE LOUISIANA MANEUVERS IN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER, 1941; AND AT FORT DEVENS AT AYER, MASSACHUSETTS BEGINNING APRIL 22, 1942. UPON HIS SELECTION FOR AIRCREW TRAINING, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE ARMY AIR FORCES. AFTER COMPLETING ADVANCED FLYING TRAINING, HE WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT ON MARCH 20, 1943 AT HOUSTON, TEXAS. ASSIGNED TO FREDERICK ARMY AIRFIELD, OKLAHOMA WHERE HE TRAINED STUDENT PILOTS ON AT-17 'BOBCAT' TRAINER AIRCRAFT. IN 1944, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO MIDLAND ARMY AIRFIELD IN TEXAS TO FLY ABOARD B-24 'LIBERATOR' AIRCRAFT USED TO TRAIN BOMBARDIERS. MOVED TO FORT WORTH ARMY AIRFIELD, TEXAS TO RECEIVE TRAINING ON B-24 AIRCRAFT AND THEN ON TO LINCOLN ARMY AIRFIELD, NEBRASKA FOR CREW TRAINING. SUBSEQUENTLY, REASSIGNED TO BARKSDALE FIELD AT SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA FOR TRANSITION AND CREW TRAINING. HE WAS IN LOUISIANA WHEN THE WAR ENDED WITH THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT'S FORMAL SURRENDER ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945. AWARDED THE AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AFTER THE WAR AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.