World War II Honoree

Maurice Arthur 'Mo' Preston

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Weed, California

Honored By

John Peterson

IN JUNE 1942, HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO GOWEN FIELD, IDAHO, AND SERVED AS DEPUTY GROUP COMMANDER OF THE 34TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP AND THEN AS DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE 29TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP. IN JANUARY 1943, HE BECAME COMMANDER OF THE 379TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP AT WENDOVER FIELD, UTAH. HE TOOK THE 379TH TO EUROPE IN EARLY 1943 AND FLEW 45 COMBAT MISSIONS IN THE B-17 FLYING FORTRESS. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE SCHWEINFURT RAIDS, LEADING THE SECOND ONE ON APRIL 13, 1944. HE COMMANDED THE 41ST BOMBARDMENT WING FROM OCTOBER 1944 UNTIL MAY 1945, WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES. HE WAS THEN ASSIGNED AS BASE COMMANDER OF THE 231ST ARMY AIR FORCE BASE UNIT AT ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO.