World War II Honoree
World War II Veteran
Lloyd Ellis Gatewood
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Kilgore, Texas
Honored By
Robert S. Cox
ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE, AND APPLIED FOR AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM. SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING AND ON COMPLETION OF NAVIGATOR TRAINING WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. THEN SENT TO BOMBARDIER-NAVIGATOR SCHOOL AND FOLLOW-ON UNIT TRAINING. SERVED AS A NAVIGATOR-BOMBARDIER OVERSEAS IN THE EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN THEATER ABOARD B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' HEAVY BOMBER AIRCRAFT. TAKEN AS A PRISONER OF WAR (POW) IN AUGUST, 1944 AND WAS HELD IN A POW CAMP IN GERMANY UNTIL LIBERATED IN APRIL, 1945. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, PRISONER OF WAR MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, EUROPEAN-AFRICAN-MIDDLE EASTERN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. HONORABLY DISCHARGED IN 1945 WITH THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.