World War II Honoree

Clifford E. Whatley

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hope, Arkansas

Honored By

A Grateful American

FIRST LIEUTENANT, PILOT, B-24 LIBERATOR, 321ST SQUADRON (BOMBS AWAY), 90TH BOMB GROUP 'JOLLY ROGERS', 5TH AIR FORCE, SERVING IN THE PACIFIC THEATER OF OPERATIONS. ON JULY 31, 1944, THE 321ST AND 400TH SQUADRONS WERE TO RAID BABO, BUT DUE TO WEATHER, THEY TURNED AND HEADED TOWARD MOEMI. HE WAS LATE TAKING OFF AND SO JOINED THE 400TH TO FLY OVER TARGET. WHEN THEY WERE ABOVE THE AIRFIELD THEY RAN INTO HEAVY GROUND FIRE AND HIS PLANE WAS HIT, KNOCKING OUT TWO ENGINES. THEY HEADED TOWARD KAMIRI AIRDROME. LOOSING ALTITUDE A BOAT WAS SPOTTED NEAR NOEMFOOR AND THEY DECIDED TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN NEAR THE BOAT. IT HIT A LARGE WAVE AND EXPLODED. AWARDED: PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL.