World War II Honoree

Thomas A. 'Tom' Heydon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Kansas City, Missouri

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE DURING THE WAR. APPLIED FOR AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM. UPON COMPLETION OF NAVIGATOR TRAINING, WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER NAVIGATOR WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. AFTER COMPLETION OF B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' HEAVY BOMBER UNIT TRAINING IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, WAS DEPLOYED OVERSEAS. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER WITH THE 549TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON, 385TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) STATIONED AT GREAT ASHFIELD, ENGLAND. FLEW ON HIS FIRST COMBAT MISSION OVER GERMANY ON DECEMBER 24, 1944. PARTICIPATED IN THE AIR OFFENSIVE-EUROPE, RHINELAND, ARDENNES-ALSACE (BATTLE OF THE BULGE), AND CENTRAL EUROPE CAMPAIGNS. ON HIS 18TH MISSION, OVER GERMANY, HE WAS HIT BY FLAK BUT DID NOT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION. FLEW A TOTAL OF 34 COMBAT MISSIONS BY THE TIME THE WAR IN EUROPE ENDED. THEN FLEW 4 MISSIONS OVER HOLLAND TO DELIVER FOOD AND SUPPLIES TO DUTCH CIVILIANS. AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. UPON HIS RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES, WAS ASSIGNED TO SIOUX FALLS ARMY AIR FIELD, SOUTH DAKOTA. BECAME A REGULAR AIR FORCE OFFICER AND CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.