World War II Honoree

Lyndon W. 'Lynn' Birdwell

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Hollis, Oklahoma

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENTERED MILITARY SERVICE AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN 1943. APPLIED, AND WAS SELECTED FOR AIRCREW TRAINING IN THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM AS A PILOT. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF TRAINING, WAS EARMARKED FOR FOLLOW-ON TRAINING ON BOMBER AIRCRAFT, AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS AND COMMISSIONED A SECOND LIEUTENANT. NEXT, ASSIGNED FOR TRANSITION FLYING TRAINING IN THE AIRCRAFT HE WOULD FLY IN COMBAT. SERVED AS A B-25 ‘MITCHELL’ BOMBER PILOT OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER, IN THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA, WITH THE 390TH BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (MEDIUM), 42ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 13TH AIR FORCE. HIS SQUADRON PARTICIPATED IN OPERATIONS IN NEW GUINEA AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, BASED AT SANSAPOR AIRFIELD, NEW GUINEA; WAMA AIRFIELD, MOROTAI, NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES; AND PUERTO PRINCESA AIRFIELD, PALAWAN, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. OPERATING FROM SANSAPOR AIRFIELD, THE SQUADRON’S TACTICAL MISSION WAS TO NEUTRALIZE JAPANESE AIRFIELDS AND DESTROY SUPPLIES AND SHIPPING THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN ISLANDS OF THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES. JAPANESE SHIPPING IN SURROUNDING WATERS WAS HARASSED, DAMAGED AND SUNK, AND THE SQUADRON ALSO FLEW A NUMBER OF RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS. FOLLOWING LANDINGS ON LEYTE BY GENERAL MACARTHUR'S GROUND FORCES, THE SQUADRON JOINED IN THE PHILIPPINE BATTLE, ATTACKING AIRFIELDS IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THESE MISSIONS STAGED AT WAMA AIRFIELD ON MOROTAI IN THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES. IN MARCH, 1945, THE GROUP MOVED TO THE PHILIPPINES, TO PUERTO PRINCESA ON PALAWAN, THE WESTERNMOST ISLAND OF THE PHILIPPINES. FROM THE BASE ON PALAWAN THE GROUP ATTACKED SHIPPING ALONG THE CHINA COAST, STRUCK TARGETS IN FRENCH INDOCHINA, BOMBED AIRFIELDS AND INSTALLATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES, AND SUPPORTED GROUND OPERATIONS ON MINDANAO. IN APRIL, 1945, THE GROUP OPERATED OVER BORNEO BEFORE THE INITIAL LANDINGS ON TARAKAN ISLAND. IN MAY AND JUNE, 1945, THE GROUP SUPPORTED AUSTRALIAN TROOPS OPERATING ON BORNEO. THE 42ND GROUP WAS AWARDED A DISTINGUISHED UNIT CITATION (DUC) FOR ITS PRE-INVASION BOMBING OF BALIKPAPAN, IN THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES, FROM JUNE 23-30, 1945. BALIKPAPAN WAS A CENTER FOR OIL REFINING ON BORNEO HELD BY THE JAPANESE. THE ROUND TRIP TO THE TARGET WAS OVER 1700 MILES AND WAS AMONG THE LONGEST FLOWN BY MEDIUM BOMBERS DURING THE WAR. DESPITE INTENSE AND ACCURATE FLAK, THE GROUP DESTROYED GUN POSITIONS, WAREHOUSES, FUEL AND AMMUNITION DUMPS, AND A RADAR STATION AS WELL AS HUGE STORES OF GASOLINE AND OIL. THE GROUP CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE BALIKPAPAN LANDINGS UNTIL JULY 11, 1945. THEN, IT WAS USED TO ATTACK JAPANESE FORCES ON LUZON. THE GROUP FERRIED TROOPS AND EQUIPMENT TO MANILA AFTER THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN. AFTER THE END OF HOSTILITIES, SERVED WITH OCCUPATION FORCES IN JAPAN. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, GOOD CONDUCT MEDAL, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, WWII VICTORY MEDAL, AND ARMY OF OCCUPATION MEDAL WITH ‘JAPAN’ CLASP. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS GROUP AT BALIKPAPAN. AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION FOR SERVICE BY HIS UNIT IN THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN DURING THE PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES. HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF FIRST LIEUTENANT AND ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE RESERVE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL AGAIN HONORABLY DISCHARGED WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.