World War II Honoree

Kenneth Hyde Dustin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Plattsburgh, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

AFTER GRADUATING FROM PLATTSBURGH HIGH SCHOOL AND SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, HE ENLISTED AS AN AVIATION CADET IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 2 SEPTEMBER 1941 AT ALBANY, NEW YORK. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 72ND ARMY AIR FORCE FLIGHT TRAINING DETACHMENT FOR PRE-FLIGHT GROUND SCHOOL AND PRIMARY FLIGHT TRAINING. IN FEBRUARY 1942, HE COMPLETED BASIC FLIGHT TRAINING WITH THE GEORGIA AERO TECH CONTRACT FLYING SCHOOL, AT BUSH FIELD NEAR AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. AFTER ADVANCED MULTI-ENGINE FLIGHT TRAINING HE WAS COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES, AND UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL COMBAT CREW TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. IN SEPTEMBER 1944, HE DEPLOYED FROM MATHER FIELD, CALIFORNIA (WITH RE-FUELING STOPS AT HAWAII AND KWAJALEIN ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS) TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRE OF OPERATIONS AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 499TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (VH), 879TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON 2 APRIL 1945, HE FLEW IN THE LEFT SEAT AS THE AIRPLANE COMMAND PILOT ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS (NICKNAMED JUG HAID II) TAIL CODE V-SQUARE-2 (SERIAL #42-24650) OF THE 877TH BOMB SQUADRON. IT WAS ONE OF 115 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE NAKAJIMA AIRCRAFT PLANT NEAR TOKYO, JAPAN. AFTER A FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY SIX HOURS AND SOME 1,200 NAUTICAL MILES, HIS AIRCRAFT REACHED THEIR CHECK-POINT ABOVE MOUNT FUJI ON THE MAIN ISLAND OF HONSHU, AND BEGAN THEIR BOMB-RUN NORTH-EAST TOWARDS TOKYO. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, AND CRASHED IN ITUKA, NEAR KAWASAKI CITY IN THE KANAGAWA PREFECTURE OF JAPAN. HE WAS INITIALLY LISTED AS MISSING IN ACTION, AND DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION AFTER THE WAR ENDED.