World War II Honoree

Chester A. Coltharp

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Newport, Arkansas

Honored By

Phillip G. Lockard

Relationship

Former Brother-in-law

ENTERED SERVICE AS A FLYING CADET IN MARCH, 1941. AFTER GOING OVERSEAS IN 1943 AS A CAPTAIN, HE WAS PROMOTED TO MAJOR IN OCTOBER 1943. PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL IN MARCH 1944 AND BECAME A FULL COLONEL ON APRIL 11, 1945. RECEIVED DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS (FOR EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT OVER RABAUL; OCTOBER 1943); DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS (FOR HEROISM IN HELPING RESCUE THREE CREWS SHOT DOWN OVER KAVIENG, NEW IRELAND, FEBRUARY, 1944); AND AIR MEDAL WITH 3 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS (FOR MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERATIONAL FLIGHT). WAS A MEMBER OF 'AIR APACHE', 345TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 5TH AIR FORCE. BECAME SQUADRON COMMANDER WITHIN THE GROUP AND WAS LATER MADE GROUP COMMANDER. LED MANY MISSIONS AGAINST JAPANESE TARGETS IN NEW GUINEA, BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO, NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES AND THROUGH THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. FINAL COMBAT MISSION WAS LEADING THE GROUP AGAINST JAPANESE SHIPPING ALONG THE CHINA COAST. RETURNED FROM OVERSEAS IN THE LATTER PART OF OCTOBER 1945.