World War II Honoree

Thomas Dudley 'Tom' Harmon

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Gary, Indiana

Honored By

Friends of American Heroes

HE PROUDLY SERVED HIS COUNTRY WHEN HE ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, WHERE HE BECAME A FIGHTER PILOT WITH 449TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 51ST FIGHTER GROUP. FLEW FIGHTER PLANES IN THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA CAMPAIGN. TWICE DURING WWII HE WAS REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION. IN APRIL 1943 HE CRASHED INTO THE JUNGLES OF DUTCH GUIANA, DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND MARCHED ALONE THROUGH SWAMPS AND RAIN FORESTS FOUR DAYS BEFORE HE WAS RESCUED BY NATIVES. HE WAS THE ONLY MEMBER OF HIS CREW TO SURVIVE A CRASH LATER THAT YEAR, HE BAILED OUT OF HIS P-38 FIGHTER PLANE OVER CHINA WHEN IT WAS SHOT DOWN IN AN AIR FIGHT. WHEN HE REACHED THE GROUND, THERE WERE BULLET HOLES IN HIS PARACHUTE, AND HE PRETENDED HE WAS DEAD TO DISCOURAGE THE ENEMY PILOTS FROM FURTHER ATTACKS. HE WAS SMUGGLED BACK THROUGH JAPANESE-HELD TERRITORY TO AN AMERICAN BASE BY FRIENDLY CHINESE BANDS.