World War II Honoree

Joyce Oswell Funderburk

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Estelline, Texas

Honored By

Debbie Siegmund

Relationship

Daughter

AFTER TRAINING AT FT. BLISS, TEXAS, HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 1ST CAVALRY DIVISION, 8TH REGIMENT SPECIAL WEAPONS TROOP. IN JULY OF 1941, HE TRANSFERRED TO THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 14TH PURSUIT GROUP UNTIL 1942 WHEN HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 78TH FIGHTER GROUP IN EUROPE. WHILE IN EUROPE HE TRANSFERRED TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE 8TH FIGHTER COMMAND UNTIL 1943, WHEN HE WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE AVIATION CADETS. AFTER COMPLETING TRAINING AT PENN STATE UNIVERSITY HE ATTENDED NAVIGATIONAL SCHOOL AND BEGAN FLIGHT TRAINING IN CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWED BY TWO ADDITIONAL SCHOOLS AT THE LAS VEGAS GUNNERY SCHOOL AND SELMAN NAVIGATION SCHOOL. HE FINISHED HIS CAREER AT LINCOLN, NEBRASKA IN 1945 AWAITING DEPLOYMENT ORDERS WITH THE B-29 AIRCRAFT SQUADRON WHEN WWII ENDED.