World War II Honoree

Frank Linwood Pontious, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

SERVED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER WITH THE 32ND PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE (PHOTO RECON) SQUADRON, 3RD AIR FORCE. HIS SQUADRON WAS STATIONED AT GAINESVILLE ARMY AIR FIELD IN TEXAS, AND WILL ROGERS FIELD IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. DEPLOYED OVERSEAS TO THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER, IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS WITH THE 32ND PHOTO RECON SQUADRON, 5TH PHOTO RECON GROUP, OPERATING UNDER THE 15TH AIR FORCE. STATIONED AT SAN SEVERO AIRFIELD IN SOUTHERN ITALY IN 1944-45. HIS SQUADRON WAS ENGAGED IN LONG-RANGE INTELLIGENCE AND PHOTO MAPPING OVER ENEMY-HELD ITALY AND OCCUPIED EUROPE. INITIALLY FLEW OVER ITALY, CORSICA AND SARDINIA AND LATER OVER THE BALKINS. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.