World War II Honoree

Rufus William Grisham

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Abilene, Texas

Honored By

Ben Blankenship & G. H. King

Relationship

Brother-in-Law & Acquaintance

REPORTED FOR DUTY IN ARMY AIR CORPS AT DALLAS, TEXAS ON SEPTEMBER 6, 1942 AT AGE 22. RECEIVED AVIATION CADET TRAINING AT SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA; PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING IN PT-13 STEARMAN AT CIVILIAN SCHOOL IN SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA; BASIC FLIGHT TRAINING IN BT-13 VALIANT AT PECOS, TEXAS, AND ADVANCED FLIGHT TRAINING IN TWIN ENGINE AT-17 CESSNA BOBCAT 'BAMBOO BOMBER' AT MARFA, TEXAS; RECEIVED WINGS AND COMMISSIONED 2ND LIEUTENANT ON JANUARY 7, 1944. COMPLETED B-17 FLYING FORTRESS PILOT TRAINING AT HOBBS, NEW MEXICO; SHIPPED TO KEARNEY, NEBRASKA WHERE CREW WAS FORMED THEN TRAINED TOGETHER FOR THREE MONTHS AT RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA. PICKED UP NEW B-17G AT LINCOLN, NEBRASKA AND FLEW TO BOVINGDON, ENGLAND. FLIGHT FROM GANDER, NEWFOUNDLAND TO BELFAST, IRELAND WAS 2300 MILES OVER WATER, AND TOOK 14 ½ HOURS BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER. ASSIGNED TO 358TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 303RD BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY), 8TH AIR FORCE AT MOLESWORTH, ENGLAND. ON DECEMBER 27, 1944 FLEW 29TH MISSION TO BOMB RAILROAD MARSHALING YARDS AT EUSKIRCHEN, GERMANY DURING BATTLE OF BULGE. AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED BY INTENSE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. SUPERB AIRMANSHIP IN MANAGING TO FLY CRIPPLED AIRCRAFT TO HOME BASE AND SAVE LIVES OF ALL EIGHT CREWMEN WAS CITED IN AWARD OF DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL WITH 5 OAK LEAF CLUSTERS, 3 BRONZE STARS IN EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN, AND THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD. FLEW 35 MISSIONS WITHOUT LOSS OF CREW MEMBER LIFE OR AIRCRAFT, MOST OVER GERMANY IN B-17G. 25 OF 35 MISSIONS WERE IN AIRCRAFT NAMED 'PRINCESS PAT II'. THIRTY-FIFTH MISSION WAS ON JANUARY 7, 1945. DISCHARGED AT RANK OF 1ST LIEUTENANT ON OCTOBER 15, 1945.