World War II Honoree

James Vernon Proffitt, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Laredo, Texas

Honored By

Douglas M. Alford, USN

HE WAS ENROLLED AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY FOR ONE HALF YEAR AS AN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER IN 1943 WHEN HE JOINED THE ARMY AIR CORPS. HE TOOK BASIC TRAINING AT KEESLER ARMY AIR CORPS STATION #8 AT BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI. HE RECEIVED ADVANCED TRAINING AT OKLAHOMA A&M COLLEGE TRAINING DETACHMENT BEFORE GOING TO AERIAL GUNNERY SCHOOL IN YUMA, ARIZONA. HE WAS WITH THE 7TH ARMY AIR FORCE AT MUROC ARMY AIR FIELD IN CALIFORNIA BEFORE BEING TRANSFERRED OVERSEAS WHERE HE SERVED AS FLIGHT ENGINEER ABOARD A B-24 LIBERATOR LIGHT BOMBER ATTACHED TO THE 11TH BOMBER GROUP. THEY WERE LAYING THE GROUND WORK FOR THE INVASION OF JAPAN. HE HAD BEEN ON RAIDS ON AIR BASES AROUND SHANGHAI AND THE JAPANESE FLEET AT KURE NAVAL BASE IN HIROSHIMA BAR. EARLY IN THE SPRING OF 1945 HE AND CREW WERE CALLED ON TO FLY FROM GUAM'S AGANA FIELD TO TRUK ATOLL AND DROP 1,000 BOMBS ON THE RUNWAYS. ON ONE FLIGHT THE FORMATION CONSISTED OF FOUR BOMBERS IN THREE SQUADRONS. THE FLIGHT RECEIVED HEAVY FLAK AND SUSTAINED SERIOUS DAMAGE. THE ENGINE WAS KNOCKED OUT AND UPON LANDING WITH THE LANDING GEAR SHOT OUT, THE PLANE LANDED AND DID A GROUND LOOP. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED. IN AUGUST 14, 1945 JAPAN SURRENDERED AND ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1945 HE MADE A 10-HOUR FLIGHT BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO WHERE HE WAS DISCHARGED AND SENT BACK TO HIS HOME IN LAREDO, TEXAS.