World War II Honoree

John A. Wallach

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Manchaug, Massachusetts

Honored By

Robert S. Cox

ENLISTED IN MILITARY SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 14, 1939. ASSIGNED TO THE U.S. ARMY'S 5TH INFANTRY REGIMENT, 9TH DIVISION AND WAS STATIONED AT FORT PREBLE IN SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE. SELECTED FOR ARMY AIR CORPS SERVICE IN MAY, 1939 AND SENT TO THE TERRITORY OF HAWAII. GRADUATED FROM ARMAMENT SCHOOL IN 1940 AND BOMBARDIER TRAINING IN JANUARY, 1941. ASSIGNED TO THE 19TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (HEAVY) WHICH WAS REDEPLOYED FROM HICKAM FIELD ON OAHU, HAWAII TO THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BETWEEN OCTOBER 22-NOVEMBER 6, 1941. HE FLEW IN THE REDEPLOYMENT OF HIS AIRCRAFT, ONE OF THE GROUP'S 26 B-17 'FLYING FORTRESS' BOMBERS, EACH FLYING INDIVIDUALLY, MOSTLY OVER WATER AND SOMETIMES AT NIGHT, VIA A TRANS-PACIFIC ROUTE FROM HAWAII TO MIDWAY ISLAND, TO WAKE ISLAND, TO PORT MORESBY ON PAPUA NEW GUINEA, TO DARWIN, AUSTRALIA, TO CLARK FIELD ON LUZON IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. THE GROUP WAS STATIONED AT CLARK FIELD AS PART OF THE FAR EAST AIR FORCE, WHEN THE JAPANESE ATTACKED ON DECEMBER 8, 1941. IT SUFFERED NUMEROUS CASUALTIES AND LOST MOST OF ITS AIRCRAFT IN THE ATTACK. TWO SQUADRONS HAD BEEN ORDERED TO DEL MONTE AIRFIELD ON MINDANAO JUST PRIOR TO THE BOMBING OF CLARK FIELD, AND ESCAPED UNHARMED. THEY WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY FLY COMBAT MISSIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES; NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA. SERVED OVERSEAS IN THE ASIATIC-PACIFIC THEATER WITH THE 19TH GROUP. PARTICIPATED IN THE AMERICAN THEATER, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, EAST INDIES, PAPUA, AND GUADALCANAL CAMPAIGNS. FLEW ABOARD B-17 BOMBERS, INCLUDING ONE NICKNAMED 'SWOOSE' ON 69 MISSIONS AND LOGGED ABOUT 800 COMBAT FLYING HOURS. IN DECEMBER, 1941, THE UNIT BEGAN RECONNAISSANCE AND BOMBARDMENT OPERATIONS AGAINST JAPANESE SHIPPING AND LANDING PARTIES UNTIL DECEMBER 17, 1941 WHEN IT BEGAN DISPLACING SOUTH TO DARWIN, AUSTRALIA. ONCE IN AUSTRALIA, IT CONTINUED OPERATIONS, INCLUDING TRANSPORT OF SUPPLIES TO THE PHILIPPINES AND EVACUATION OF PERSONNEL. ON DECEMBER 29, 1941, 11 OF THE SURVIVING AIRCRAFT MOVED FORWARD TO SINGOSARI AIRFIELD NEAR MALANG, JAVA, TO CONTINUE COMBAT OPERATIONS. THE GROUP FLEW FROM JAVA AGAINST ENEMY AIRFIELDS, SHIPPING, AND GROUND INSTALLATIONS DURING THE JAPANESE OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES IN EARLY 1942. HE ENGAGED IN AERIAL STRIKE OPERATIONS, INCLUDING THE BATTLE OF MAKASSAR STRAIT, LOCATED BETWEEN THE ISLANDS OF BORNEO AND CELEBES IN THE NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES. HE TOOK PART IN THE DESTRUCTION OF OIL FIELDS ON SUMATRA IN WESTERN INDONESIA, AND STRATEGIC JAPANESE INSTALLATIONS ON THE MALAY PENINSULA. HIS GROUP WAS AGAIN EVACUATED ON MARCH 2, 1942 TO AUSTRALIA TO BECOME PART OF THE FIFTH AIR FORCE. THE GROUP OPERATED FROM SEVERAL BASES WHILE IN AUSTRALIA AND CARRIED OUT MISSIONS OVER JAPANESE-HELD AREAS IN NEW GUINEA AND THE DUTCH EAST INDIES. HE ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA, LOCATED BETWEEN AUSTRALIA, NEW GUINEA, AND THE SOLOMON ISLANDS, FROM MAY 4-8, 1942; AND RAIDED ENEMY TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TARGETS AS WELL AS TROOP CONCENTRATIONS DURING THE JAPANESE INVASION OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA. THE GROUP BOMBED ENEMY AIRDROMES, GROUND INSTALLATIONS, AND SHIPPING NEAR RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN FROM APRIL-AUGUST, 1942. THE GROUP LEFT AUSTRALIA IN OCTOBER, 1942, MOVED BACK TO THE STATES TO REST AND REFIT, AND ARRIVED AT POCATELLO ARMY AIR FIELD, IDAHO ON DECEMBER 9, 1942. HE APPLIED FOR PILOT TRAINING, WAS SELECTED, AND UPON COMPLETION IN JUNE, 1944, WAS AWARDED HIS SILVER PILOT WINGS AND ASSIGNED TO SAN ANGELO ARMY AIR FIELD, TEXAS AS BASE ARMAMENT OFFICER. AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL, AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL WITH ‘FOREIGN SERVICE’ CLASP, AMERICAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL, AND WWII VICTORY MEDAL. AUTHORIZED THE PRESIDENTIAL (DISTINGUISHED) UNIT CITATION WITH BRONZE OAK LEAF CLUSTER FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM IN ACTION BY HIS GROUP ON TWO OCCASIONS: ONCE FOR ITS PERFORMANCE FROM JANUARY 1-MARCH 1, 1942, WHEN THE GROUP OPPOSED NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR JAPANESE FORCES DURING THE ENEMY DRIVE THROUGH THE PHILIPPINES AND NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES TO JAVA. DESPITE ADVERSE WEATHER AND LACK OF ADEQUATE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL, THE GROUP INFLICTED GREAT DAMAGE UPON THE ENEMY; AND AGAIN FOR THE PERIOD AUGUST 7-12, 1942, FOR REPEATED LONG-RANGE BOMBING ATTACKS ON HEAVILY-DEFENDED JAPANESE GROUND, AIR AND NAVAL ELEMENTS NEAR RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN. THE GROUP INFLICTED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENEMY TARGETS IN THE FACE OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER, INTERCEPTION BY SUPERIOR NUMBERS OF ENEMY FIGHTERS, AND INTENSE ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE. ALSO AWARDED THE PHILIPPINE DEFENSE MEDAL, PHILIPPINE LIBERATION MEDAL FOR SERVICE IN THE LIBERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE MEDAL. CONTINUED IN U.S. AIR FORCE SERVICE AFTER THE WAR UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL. ISSUED THE HONORABLE SERVICE LAPEL BUTTON.