World War II Honoree

George Stanley Arbuthnot

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Manifest, Louisiana

Honored By

Grateful American

JOINED THE ARMY AIR FORCE PILOT PROGRAM CLASS OF '42. HE FLEW P40 FIGHTERS AGAINST THE JAPANESE IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. HIS SQUADRON WAS ASSIGNED TO COLD BAY, UMNAK, ADAK, AND THEN AMCHITKA WHERE THEY WERE IN RANGE OF KISKA THAT WAS OCCUPIED BY THE JAPANESE. HE FLEW OVER 100 COMBAT MISSIONS AGAINST THE ENEMY INSTALLATIONS ON THE ISLANDS. HIS PLANE WAS SHOT DOWN OVER THE BERING SEA AND HE SURVIVED THE ICY WATERS HELD UP BY HIS MAE WEST UNTIL BEING RESCUED BY THE U.S. NAVY. UPON RETURNING TO THE U.S., HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE FAMOUS 366TH FIGHTER GROUP FLYING THE JUG P47. THE GROUP WAS SENT TO EUROPE IN 1943, FIRST TO ENGLAND, THEN TO THE CONTINENT SHORTLY AFTER D-DAY. HE FLEW OVER 100 COMBAT MISSIONS AGAINST ENEMY STRONGHOLDS. HIS PLANE, WAS DESTROYED SEVERAL TIMES BY ENEMY FIRE AND HE FLEW SEVERAL P47'S NAMED FOR HIS BELOVED CICELY ANN AND CICELY ANN II AND III. HE WAS AWARDED NUMEROUS MEDALS INCLUDING THE LEGION OF MERIT, DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS, AIR MEDAL (200 MISSIONS), AND THE FRENCH CROIX DE GUERRE.